thanks everyone. you've all been a great help.

i'm going to be in annapolis this weekend and Fl the next, but during the weeks between, I may go ahead and contact a few clubs around here and see what type of equipment they use, if people are available to help teach and when, any required experience, etc. from what i've gathered is best to have a set up (AMA membership, club membership thats near, offers help) and buy a plane based on what your "set up" dictates. ie: type of eqiupment used at club, type of trainor people there recomend most, things i may learn between now and then.

crossed thumbs. i'm not planning to learn on my own. the joing a club thing...i've realized that point, and plan on doing exactly that. thanks. i have no intention to just find a field around here and put a plane in the air. i wouldn't do it now, nor would i do it 20 years from now as a pro. sorry if i seemed to indicate that in my first post before knowing anything about the sport. the reason i got on here and have asked questions is to get paint some sort of picture regarding laws, saftey measures, etiquette, time commitment and the like.

as always: additional thoughts welcome.