Some people who get into this hobby don't know how to take proper care until they have crashed. I hate to see this happen.
here is my Beginner's Complete Guide for this hobby.

1) Airplanes;
you want to get a trainer airplane. i would suggest investing in Realflight because it will teach you the basics.
buy a trainer airplane. i actually learned how to fly on the u-can do .46, a 3d aerobatic plane but because of it's airframe it can be really easy to fly and has low speed abilities. beginners dont like to fly fast. my idea of a trainer is the avistar. it flies GREAT! it's not just a trainer but you dont want to take it out of the air. most trainers get boring. this doesnt.

2)
engines and settings
say you have the Hobbico avistar or nexstar. a .40 sized plane. a .40 engine will fly it with enough power and be fuel efficient because of its size. a .45 will be a blast to fly it on.
the needle valve sets the fuel to air ratio. if you have it running rich (more fuel than air) smoke will sure be spraying out of the muffler and your engine can get damaged.
if you run it lean (less fuel, more air) there is higher pressure pumpung fuel in but less fuel. the engine can get hot at this setting. you want your engine running perfectly in the middle.
read your engine's manual or look up the manual online. if not set right, you can hear the engine making weird noises in flight and hesitating to do what you tell it. i lower the throttle to get more pressure in the fuel tank to pump more fuel in the engine so i can land and fix it. the rubber line from the muffler pumps air into the fuel tank which pumps fuel into the engine which is limited my the needle valve. do not run the engine without a needle valve or muffler unless you are an idiot.

3) control throws
you want throws set just right for you on your plane. on the servo horn and on the nylon clevis on the control surface. the lower the control rod is on the nylon clevis, the more throw.
the HIGHER the control rod is on the servo horn, the more throw. it is like a bike chain. i personally put my planes on high throows so i have more range of control. especially when i get into wind but for a beginner, i suggest staying on medium-low throws.

4) getting ready to fly
this is one of, if not the most, important aspect. center of gravity. check your airplane's manual for where the center of gravity is. mark it with a sharpie, and with the engine and everything installed but with no fuel in the tank, lift the airplane up with a finger on each side of the wing where the marks are. if it balances just fine, great. if it leans forward, move your battery back in the plane more until it balances. and if it leans backwards, you get the idea. and dont put the battery in backwards. I've made that mistake before.
for reference, the servos go in this order on the receiver.
B) Battery
1) Ailerons
2) Elevator
3) Throttle
4) Rudder

5) Learning to fly
even if you master Realflight, dont go solo your first time. Get a person to train you. Join the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA). They will teach you how to fly with a trainer cable.
this connects 2 transmitters. the trainee controller is off. the trainer controller is flying. the trainer holds a switch or button, sending control to trainee. if the trainee loses control, the trainer lets go of the switch and stops it from crashing. here's an example. my club was having a funfly event and a kid was on the trainer cable system. he was flying a trainer plane when he accidentally made it dive right into the ground. the trainer let go of the switch and pulled up at just the right time.

6) landing
landing can be tricky. it is the most intense for a beginner and a lot of fun. for beginners, always land into the wind. fly to the end of the field, turn around, cut your throttle, and drop your altitude. if you do not drop your altitude, you will be too high to land. even as little as a few feet off the ground when coming up on landing is too high.
you are going to want to hold down on the elevator a little. give throttle about 20 percent when you need to. land on the back 2 wheels (if it is a trike style landing gear).

if anybody has helpful information, please post it.