RE: Noob to R/C flying, is this right for me?
I would second the advice to go and try it out at the local field. I am an instructor at our field and I do it because I like sharing the hobby and promoting it. Occasionally, club members will have beginner stuff for sale and the prices can get really good if they like you. The benefit for them is recruiting a new club member. If you went the real model route, you would have club and AMA fees and fuel costs, but in the long run it's probably a wash compared to using up batteries and crashing because you didn't get the training you needed.