Michael,

There is a thread currently on the first page entitled "Crashed my first flight" which details the saga of one individual who is trying to get started on his own. Fishing is a great solitary sport, while RC Airplanes is a great community sport. I would strongly agree with others who recommend starting with a trainer and a trainer pilot rather than starting out with a shot hot plane only to watch it auger into the ground after 10 seconds. Good luck!