Sorry, but the help is there if you look for it. The excuse of "I can't find help." doesn't work well any more. (never really has since about 1970...) If you can't find help... you aren't looking very hard.

I continually check with the local hobby shop regarding thier encouraging people to contact me, or other local club members for assistance.
There's a sign in the shop, and flyers from one of the clubs right beside the trainer models. Obviously pointing to where information and assistance can be found.
Very few people contact the clubs for assistance... but the kits keep moving off the shelves. The newbie above bought his kits and engines and radio at the local shop, and claimed he couldn't find help... (Well... he couldn't without joining a club... Maybe. At least one of the clubs in the area gives assistance to beginners BEFORE they join.)

I, and others have dropped off cards at the LHS, and asked the shop owner to pass them to people looking for help. Problem is... they DON'T ask.

I'm not all that atypical of people in this hobby, regarding my desire to help others. You will find that the majority of the members of any club WANT to help beginners avoid making the same mistakes that seem to keep getting repeated. A goal of at least 90% of the people I've helped has been to become good enough to start giving lessons to others.

I've belonged to several AMA affiliated clubs in: FL, CA, IA, ID, MO, NM, and now TX... I've flown at a LOT more places. I was even invited to fly a R/C model in the Phillipines.... on the naval station. ALL offered help to ANYONE who asked. The willingness to help and show hospitality is VERY common in this hobby. The instances of inhospitality are rare. (I've only been made to feel less than welcome once... by people who weren't members of the flying site's club.)

When R/C flying cost proportionally the same as buying a passable used car... you better believe people asked for help before risking $700 worth of airplane, engine and radio (appx cost of a .35 powered TRAINER setup in 1975) Correct that cost for inflation... its OVER $2500 of today's dollars.

If you ask around... you'll be more likely to find people who have flown R/C models than you might think.

Don't lay it off on unavailability. The help IS out there. The AMA website has a section dedicated to helping people find one of the 1000's of clubs. Unless you live outside the US, or WAY up near the arctic circle in Alaska... I can almost guarantee there's an AMA club within reasonable distance. If there isn't an AMA club... there's still a good probablility of other modelers being close.

If you know of no other place to ask... try the local airport. A large percentage of private Pilots start out flying models.