You might want to try a website called Deja-News. This site searches the entire web on any topic ever discussed. All the postings you've ever made on the Internet will be found on this site. This includes opinions on modeling products. Punch in the names of your prospective trainer aircraft and you'll get varying opinions but after a bit of reading, a consensus will form.

I'm inclined to avoid the Avistar specifically because it has the semi-symmetrical wing. This generally means an aircraft that will fly faster than a flat bottomed trainer. It's just the nature of the beast. When it comes to learning to fly, fast is NOT good. Not that it can't be done, but learning to fly on a faster plane just makes it that much harder.

One of the best trainers, I've found in 35 years of modeling, is the Carl Goldberg Eagle. One of the reasons for it's success is that it was relatively light and could be slowed down so that the rookie could keep ahead of the plane. There are many others but wing loading is the key to a good trainer.

I'm kind of partial to the Midwest Aero-Star 40, partially because I have one, but also because they get great reviews from everyone who flies them. See the reviews of the ARF version on this site: http://www.rcuniverse.com/reviews.ph...ew&reviewid=70

I did the kit version as I wanted some kit building experience and it was a pleasure to build.

Having just gone through the instructor experience, I HIGHLY recommend it. I have a 100 acre farm and live about 40 minutes from the closest club. But, driving to the club, the instructor was took my plane off, then gave me control and saved my bottom when I was on the verge of losing it! Landed on the second lesson and can now solo fine. It was a pleasure and the two instructors I worked with taught me some things I wouldn't have learned solo. Also, it was much more fun getting to watch everyone else fly in between flights, see other planes, and dream of my next plane, and the next.....

Lastly, for computer experience, if $ is a factor, you can buy FMS and a cable to go to your TX on eBay for under $20 and its perfect for a beginner to get a feel for flying. That's what I did and my instructor commented that I was WAY ahead of the game.

If there are two clubs close by I would say you'd be crazy to try to learn without help. It costs nothing, except maybe a lunch out of appreciation, and is a great social experience, too.

Just my 2 cents,
Heath

Yetti,

Another thing to consider when flying alone is what happens if you have an accident - not to the plane, but to you?

We have had at least two cases at our field that went along the following line. A pilot starting up his engine, plane not restrained properly. Moving electric starter out of the way, hooked cord over throttle stick on transmitter. His hand and arm came in contact with prop (read that meat saw).

Now you have a pilot with one fingertip cut 3/4 through and another finger cut 1/2 through. He went into shock. If someone hadn't been there to drive him to the ER he would have bled to death.

A similar incident happened about 6 months after this that also needed a trip to the ER.

Then about 2 years ago while a friend was holding down a plane of mine, I tweaked the needle valve on a little sport .15 and managed to brush my thumb into the prop arc. Nothing serious, but when I got it cleaned up a bit, there were 10 slices in the tip of the thumb and a good chunk of fingernail missing. Nothing that a few bandaids couldn't fixup.

Hate to be grisly about it, but things like this do happen. And the results can be grim.

Yetti,

Another thing to consider when flying alone is what happens if you have an accident - not to the plane, but to you?

We have had at least two cases at our field that went along the following line. A pilot starting up his engine, plane not restrained properly. Moving electric starter out of the way, hooked cord over throttle stick on transmitter. His hand and arm came in contact with prop (read that meat saw).

Now you have a pilot with one fingertip cut 3/4 through and another finger cut 1/2 through. He went into shock. If someone hadn't been there to drive him to the ER he would have bled to death.

A similar incident happened about 6 months after this that also needed a trip to the ER.

Then about 2 years ago while a friend was holding down a plane of mine, I tweaked the needle valve on a little sport .15 and managed to brush my thumb into the prop arc. Nothing serious, but when I got it cleaned up a bit, there were 10 slices in the tip of the thumb and a good chunk of fingernail missing. Nothing that a few bandaids couldn't fixup.

Hate to be grisly about it, but things like this do happen. And the results can be grim.

Its best to get an instructor. Don't fly alone. I wish I can learn to fly RC by myself. That would be cool.

I hate to see students turning their backs to orient themselves when the plane is coming toward themselves You need to learn to orient automaticaly and when you do this you just learn a habit that has to be unlearned later. When I started I just made my self do it right from the start and it very quickly became second nature. All you need to do is when the aircraft is coming at you you need to correct in the direction of the low wing.

I had no choice but to learn to fly alone as there was no club and no other RC flyers in the area. I could do this safely because the flying site was an old mine tailings in the middle of the bush. This is like a salt flats. At the time there was no flight line rule and we learned to fly by flying all over. Once the pit area was established for the evening, for the sake of safety, we would only need to avoid flying over the pits. The parking lot was 500 feet away and sheltered by a line of trees. Three of us learned to fly this way but we sure got a surprise when we went to our first fun fly. That was when we learned about a flite line and coping with the plane flying toward you. We had a lot of difficulty and soon realized that we had some bad habits to break. So I agree with rctrax that it's best to learn the right way the first time. However, in the absence of an instructor, it's all too easy to get confused when in a moment of panic,, was that correct to the low wing? or a high wing?

The over the shoulder tactic was suggested by a well known modeler of the time (30 years ago) but I don't recall the name. All three of us had trouble unlearning our bad habits. Only after we adopted the over the shoulder technique to help us in panic situations, (particularly when landing when your margin for error is very small) did we make progress. We've taught a great many modelers in our club over the thirty years and, generally, folks who learn over the shoulder, gradually loose their need for it as they practice and their proficiency increases.

That's not to say that it can't be used as a crutch and we always emphasize that that's what it is and should be treated as such. Best to rely on over the shoulder and help prevent disasters particularly when learning alone and at unregulated fields. At least you get to go home in one piece.

I taught myself to fly with a Top Flite Schoolmaster powered by a Cox .049. I used a cheap throttle control and rudder; added elevator later. The plane was light and flew quite well all by itself. I used the over the shoulder method to overcome orientation at first and gradually got over it. To handle wind I would do upwind s turns like glider pilots on the slopes. Don't let it get downwind until you have the orientation problem licked! I joined a club later and that improved my flying, but I wouldn't have missed the fun of learning on my own for anything--gave me some of my best memories. Key is a light plane with a small engine. I would spiral into the ground when I got into trouble. Never had serious damage because there was so little momentum. On calm days I would hand the Tx over to total strangers. I had no problem transitioning to bigger, faster aileron types later, also without instruction, because I'd been flying for years by the time I did.

I don't understand how those big fast .40, now .46, powered "trainers" became the norm. I've seen some near disasters at our club with people flying those things, either because the instructor on the buddy box didn't take over soon enough or because a newly soloed pilot got confused. Not much fun when it's a five pound bomb with a fiberglass buzz saw on the nose coming straight into the pits! It's completely unnecessary.

It's not hard to design a plane that most people can solo in a single afternoon. Many such planes were flown back in the early RC days when all you had was a pushbutton. They are wonderful trainers with modern radios and small modern engines. I think an "Esquire" with an OS .10 would be very hard to beat as a first plane. I had a Livewire Champ, 56 in. span. I had a ball with it for many years. Most people would put a .40 on a plane that size now, but it would do rolling circles, loop from level flight, and do beautiful touch and goes with an OS .15 FP. That's because it weighed less than three pounds. A new pilot can have so much fun with a plane like that right away. I just don't understand being chained to an instructor with a high powered plane. Jim

I was in the no club situation. So i bought a Firebird XL and taught myself to fly. Yeah it wasn't pretty the first day but these planes are tough. real tough. Once you can easily land the plane while its flying toward you (opposite controls) in the wind then go get a trainer. My easy 2 was almost easier to fly than the firebird. Just be calm if you get into trouble pull the power off and in almost every case with a trainer just pull up and things will get better.

Id also recommend a Firebird or something electric if your not going to get help.
If your going to try a glow engine plane, find a 100 acres and take a sac.

Yetti, you have an interesting problem.

Let me ask you, who was there to instruct Orville and Wilbur? You got it - nobody! They learned. Mind you, it was not easy.

If you is the pioneer, you is on your own. Then you wind up teaching the followers. However, RC has gone way beyond that. It really is best and a lot easier when someone experienced shows you how. No need to crash everything in sight just to prove you can.

As far as your plane goes, IMHO, haveing flown RC since about 1969 and full size since about 1974, I'd suggest that very many people don't really know how a plane flys. And most of the trainers are built for advanced training. So you really should get some help.

If you insist on going it alone, you need to figure out how a plane flies first. And a very forgiving, easy to control model, built to fly, not crash, like a Sig Kadet Senior will last until it's worn out. Mine never need one repair over several yeas and countless flights and a variety of engines. That could be way better than having a heavy plane that survives a few crashes and is replaced for a few bucks, each time. It all adds up. And while you're making all those replacements, you're not flying.

The only way you'll learn to fly is by pushing that plane around the sky, not fixing, not replacing, not anything but fliny the real thing.

Did I mention that I've tried my friend's simulator? Well, I've also tried full size 747 and Dash 7 simulators too. The only ones I liked were the full size.

As far as the crowds at the club go, why not make arrangements to get out there with sopmeone before the gang shows up? I well remember the summer I had my plane in the air by the time the sun peaked over the horizon. When the Hot Shots arrived by 10:00 am, I was already packed up after about half a dozen loooooooong flights and ready for some socialoizing before heading home. Sure learned to fly fast.

Good luck!

Don't worry, i have two clubs withing 10 miles of me. I sure as hell plan on going to get my plane in the air. Too much money to waste in seconds