1. Use one of these they allow you to plug the battery in or check it anytime without wing removal, i use them in almost every airplane:

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXD665&P=0

or you can do like lots of folks is simply leave the charge lead from the switch harness out between the wing and fuselage. Nothing wrong with that and some even cut a small notch for the wire just be sure you take it out on the side opposite the exhaust.

2. I also use sandbags both for restraint and in the wind. I make them out of denim material sown tubes about three inchs wide and about 24 inchs long and filled with playbox sand from home depot. They should only be half filled (this is important) that allows them to be shaped and placed anywhere.

3. Never run any engine indoors even with an open garage door in addition to the monxide problem every thing will soon be coated in a fine misting of oil.

4. Eight ounces is near the smallest capacity I would use for a .46. At first most folks are overly concerned about using bigger tanks larger capacity batterys and such. Forget it just get going the setup you have will work fine. You will find many people beleve their flights are much longer than they are.

As a student you also find most of the real progress in learning occurs in about the first six minutes of the flight and pushing long flights one will actually start to regress.

John