Well, around my area every "decent" club has a few trainers on hand with buddy boxes to get you started. You can use them with an instructor and find out if this is something for you before shelling out your or your parents hard earned money specially in today's economic conditions. So here goes my two cents, find a decent club, let them take you on a test drive with their trainers, if you like it join the club along with the AMA and have the club train you on their planes by the time you learn you should have saved several times your $50 and you can go buy your self a decent RC plane that will stay with you for a while (or at least the electronics will )