A trainer isnt going to look the best, but its just that a trainer. when you can solo that then you can start getting into better looking planes. or try this plane http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/a...article_id=692its $400 u.s but is a good entry level plane that will grow with you. it comes with everything you need to learn to fly and more. DX6i radio will store upto 10 planes.

Don't do it !!! That plane looks lovely but its not an ideal first plane, even for someone who gets help from an experienced flyer.

You really need a plane with a nice big flat bottom wing to start with, expecially if you're going it alone.

Itaught myself a few years ago, so Iknow how hard it is..... trust me...either get help or get a different, more stable plane.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck!

I taught myself to fly with a hobbyzone super cub, its still flying today, my kids are learning on it now, yes I had to buy a few parts but they were still cheaper than driving 200 miles to fly at a club. Then I got a nexstar, I flew it many times then got disoriented and put it in wide open and nose first..............the end for the star, I moved on to a 50 size j-3 cub, then a 60 size bipe and lately been flying a 40 size super decathlon, I still enjoy flying all the above mentioned planes. Yes some have been landed a bit hard, broken wings and such, but those help you learn how to repair, what works and what doesnt. SO in conclusion My flight training cost me a 400 plane, Part of which I still use ( engine and servos) and some foam parts for my super cub, In the end I am money ahead and get alot more time flying instead of driving. You can do it, just be SAFE! if you cant fly out in the middle of nowhere then DONTFLY!

wow. at the start i thought i was sort of getting attacked for</p>

sounding like an idiot who just bought a powerful plane and</p>

is going to crash it. fair enough. these comments most of which</p>

are pretty harsh have helped me out BIGTIME. i really dont think </p>

i will be taking it out on my own. when i said i didnt like the look</p>

of the other trainers, money is scarce and if i could train on a plane</p>

that i could keep-cessna, and not reallly have to upgrade later i would</p>

save money. hence the cessna as a trainer. i do live near yokine and </p>

was givin a brochure from my lhs. i will call around. thanks again.</p>

you guys rock. monster. </p>

HI  Do youself a favor and find an experienced rc flyer to teach you to fly -or your expense in airplanes will be much higher and therefore discourage you from getting good at this wonderful hobby-   you have the wrong plane to start     -trainers are trainers because the move slow through all fases of flight-   so you can keep up with what the plane is doing at first -until it becomes second nature and your mind and hands know what to do   -without thinking about it-   you will crash the most in the beginning-   unless you pick the right trainner-  watch the trainners teaching and ask the best one to take you up-  the first thing you will do is fly the plane high in the air-   as the trainner will take off the plane and land it for you  -then you will take off-  and spend the rest of your days learing how to land on a dime-under all wind conditions  -my trainner was so good he landed my planes at his feet -if the engine went dead-the covering came off the wing (once ) or i zigged when i should have zagged-   i hope this helps-they will also look over your new plane and be sure it is air worthy or send you home to correct what you must-  and they will help with a true love for what you and them are doing together-   they will keep you out  of a real great amount of trouble until you master the basics-then you can go on to teach others-and so the wheel turns LOTS OF GOOD LUCK BEGINING IN THIS GREAT HOBBY-doing this for 24 years with much love-TONY</p>

Good choice monster. Don't take the responses as harsh or critical, it's just that anyone who has been in this hobby for any length of time knows how dangerous and expensive it can be if not done properly.
We also know just how great this hobby is, and if you have a few bad experiences right from the start, you might get frustrated and walk away from it. If you do that, you'll never know how great it really is.
Most people i've met so far while flying are always willing to help, and want to see more people get into and enjoy it, but we would also like to see you do it the right way.

I think my trainer, the Sig Kadet Senior, is far from ugly! It is a beautiful thing that bird!

<span style="font-family: Helvetica; ">Hi Monster,  I taught myself to fly.  I started with a sim (a gift, RealFlight) and played with it until I was able to take off and land the PT-40.  It took a while.  I first flew a 3 channel electric (Herr Cloud Ranger).  I'd take off into the wind and let it climb away from me.  Then when it was up good and High, I'd do big lazy circles.  I'd then glide it back down to land when the battery went low.  Over time I learned to fly it pretty good.  When I first flew my real GP PT-40 I was by myself again (no one at the club and I didn't want to wait).    I flew high lazy circles again.  The hard part was lining up for landing.  It seems funny now, but I have to try hard to crash the PT-40 back on the sim.  You can do it if you take the time to let your fingers learn the sticks. </span>

yeh thanks but as stated i am better of with someone</p>

there to help me. one thing i really dont want to do is get</p>

the wrong idea of this great hobbie, so giving it the best chance</p>

with an instructor/coach is the go. your personel experiences are</p>

interesting and valued, and from what i have read so far my first mistake</p>

was plane choice. ile do with it what i can with it hopefully as i dont really want to buy</p>

another plane. once again thanks guys.</p>

the "harsh" comments were good. got into my thick skull.  cheers.</p>

Your Cessna is such a sharp looking airplane that if you go outside and listen carefully, you'll hear a collective sigh of relief from around the globe.

I've got a hunch you'll be in this hobby a long time, like most of of us here.  And the great thing is you'll take these steps forward, and then it won't be long before you move forward and take ownership of the direction you want to take and won't have to listen to crabby guys like me, because by that time you'll be crabby because of all the money and time you're spending and...  Whew, sorry, got off on a tangent there. :-) 

Just trying to be funny, bottom line you'll fly that Cessna when you're ready to fly it - and when you do, it will be an accomplishment.

Did you read in a recent thread where a guy compared learning flying an RC airplane to learning a musical instrument?   He's exactly correct.  Same thing.  Even if you love it, it takes time and commitment.

There's no problem with learning to fly by yourself, but it is a stony path. You will need the right plane; and it ain't that Cessna. </p>

My advice (which I think has been given previously) is to find a glider or vintage type which is very slow and stable; so that it basically flies itself and your task will be no more than to guide it. Pick something that has no undercarriage, or at least make your first flights without undercarriage. Models without undercarriage are much more tolerant of landing insults. Start easy and make incremental improvements. If someone tells you to, "learn on this, 'cos it's difficult and afterwards you will be able to cope with anything".....leg it!</p>

You would come along more quickly with an instructor, though. But, that said, I have reservations. The problem is that there are plenty of duff instructors out there who will plant pernicious ideas in your developing pilot's brain. You takes pot luck as to whether you get one of these, or one of the good instructors. Don't just jump at the first offer of instruction. Ask around; seek opinions and make sure that you choose the instructor, rather than simply accept what you are given. </p>

And, to make sure that you stay on the straight-and-narrow, you must be prepared to do some studying. Get your head into some reliable texts which discuss flight theory...full-sized' texts; some of those which are written for modellers are a bit dodgy. And remember, you fly with your head, not your hands.</p>

good read.lol. i love motors in cars and am qualified in cooling</p>

systems, but i wouldn't pull a head off a car not because i couldnt</p>

but because there is technique and a right way to do everything.</p>

someone buying a plane and taking it out by themselves assuming</p>

they will have some natural hidden talent at flying rc aircraft is silly really.</p>

thinking back how i got most/all of my knowledge from other people there to</p>

show me. thats how you learn. sure i could go out, wing it and get it off </p>

the ground and landed(1000 to 1 chance). think i am great and learn nothing, becoming more </p>

ignorant in the process. i hope i am in the hobby for along time. people who</p>

fly have a different mentality that i like. cheers. ash.</p>

i taught myself how to fly on a china trainer. did some time on realflight beforehand but chose a work day to go out to the field. there was only one other person there. and plain did it. was it smart? no. would i recommend it? no. but it can be done. but probably not with that plane. i flew a 40 size trainer... it wasn't pretty but it did the job. i also did i lot of RC car racing before so orientation wasn't an issue. i recommend that you spend a good deal of time on the sim and/or do some RC car racing. at least then you learn to track and compensate correctly. and when i say RC car racing, i don't mean bashing in your back yard, i mean running it through a track. think i twill help! jmho!