Great info from some really experienced RC'ers here. One thing that hasn't been mentioned is what I call my "post hard landing" inspection. If I dork it in on landing, I check everything pertaining to the landing gear including the support block inside, the whole underside of the plane (especially the nose), the battery and reciever mounting, nosewheel, and the engine mounting. The plane can be subjected to some intense G forces in a bad bounce landing so a little extra time inspecting is well spent.

One other thing that I tell all new flyers is to put a drop of CA in every screw hole that goes into wood. It hardens the threads and keeps the screw from vibrating out. It's amazing how many screws can come undone on their own when that engine is vibrating.