Well i started from watching my neighbor break motors in running his planes up and down the street in front of my house. At the time I had just had major back surgery. And about all i could do was sit on my porch. I raced dirt track for 17yrs. before this and after tried again but just was not good at it anymore. I flenched and in that type inviroment flenching meant getting passed. So I took up flying. Started at 48yrs. old and my first was a Super Cub. Still have it and fly it now and then. Have never even wanted to build from scratch, plans, or a kit. Just not for me and time is not really the deal just not interested. Now i have gotten my Son, and a few others to join AMA and the small club i am a member of.
The answer your looking for is: I joined because the Club i joined said i had to because of the well you know. Other than that had never heard of AMA. Never had a teacher did have my neighbor watching and laughing at me. But got off the ground and back down not pretty but still in one piece and took of from that. I got the bug and started building planes way over my head. Way over. My second plane was the Sundowner F1 sat for over 8mnths. And i built others in between. A Twist, Super Chipmunk, it was a Nitro"s Model. ( only one lol), Several Trainers,[&o] finally lol. Anyway have built alot of ARF's in a realatively small time. Still have some of them too. Would like to own a Jet but don't know of anyone that knows enough enough to fly it for me lol. Like I said great sport. Maybe someday will take the time to build a kit plane. I do experiment with my crash pile though. There is a pic of a man that had two twists together (shop photo) but seemed real cool and might try to take my two crashed twists and do something such as that. Have many 46's couple 60's a 180, that need a new home lol. Learning yourself is expensive though. I even bought a buddy box and used it once.