Based upon the general response to this question when asked on other forums - eg rec.models.rc.air - the following view will be considered "heresy" by the "you owe it to the hobby", "join my club / hobby and get free training", "paying for R/C training is a rip off" crowd.

I, in fact, learned to fly R/C as the sole modeler in the wilds of northeast Thailand back in the 70's ... so I know it can be done with little or no help ... professional or otherwise ... just not very efficently ... as the previous poster notes.

One of the best pieces of advice you will see from experienced R/Cers who counsel beginners on this and other forums is: "the more air time you get and the shorter the interval between sessions, with the same instructor, the sooner it will be that you are capable/proficient". And this wisdom applies equally to advanced / aerobatic skills as well.

This is where people like Dave Scott and his 1st US Flight School come in. They offer concentrated, one-on-one, fly as much as you can take in X number of days training that will leap frog you to the next level ... whether it is just learning to land ..... or to perform a flawless rolling circle.

But, of course, that high a level of intensity, with places, people, and equipment to provide the venue for it, costs money. And that fact seems to rankle a lot of independent minded R/Cers the wrong way.

After an extended absence from the hobby, I too availed myself of the "luxury" of driving to Shawano to take a six-day concentrated aerobatic course from Dave. Yes, it was expensive in terms of time, tuition, travel, and living expenses while there. But it was also a very nice vacation spot ... the lakes and country side in upper Wisconsin are beautiful ... and a visit to the nearby Oshkosh/EAA Musuem, with the thrill of being able to actually take the controls and fly a real Ford Trimotor, is an experience I will not soon forget.

I also came away from the six days of intensive flying at Dave's school, with his leading and correcting my mistakes every step of ther way, with a new found confidence in my abilities as an R/C pilot. Worth every penny.

Bottom line ... if you can afford it in terms of time and money ... don't hesitate ... just do it. You will not regret the experience.

And ignore all the nay sayers with their "move the stick to the low wing" rules-of-thumb, applied in short once a week sessions, that are no substitute for competent training methods combined with practice, practice, practice.