I got my buddy hooked on planes by having him watch me fly. I even told him that if he bought a kit I would put it together for him as he said he would never build one. Well after watching me one day he showed up with an IFO kit,a new hi-tec optic 6 radio,an e-flite 370 brushless motor with speed control etc,etc,etc. He went totally whole hog and I must say I was a little jelous. After a few rather spectacular crashes flying in too much wind he now has the hang of it. On his first windless flight he had a 20 minute flight. Today he had 41 minutes of stick time. It's an awesome plane and with the big brushless motor it has power out the you know what!!By the way this is the first thing he has ever flown. It's very durable and I was wondering if anyone would actually recommend a IFO for a total beginner. It has had some major MAJOR crashes with very little damage and now after like two flights he is doing nice loops and rolls with good landings.Comments??

Ive been thinking of getting 1 of these..as lately Ive been ordering alot of mini r/c differential thrust planes to fly in my front yard....what model seems to provide the best flying tendencys at the best price?...if your friend is flying it easily..then theres no doubt it may make a good trainer plane..and a huge space to fly it isnt totally necessary like alot of other parkflyers..

I'm a "pre-beginner" - I'm getting ready to buy my first plane. My plan right now is to start with a mini IFO with an Optic 6 radio. It's good to hear that your friend has had good success with his plane. I don't want to start with a standard trainer with rudder/elevator only - I think I would get bored with it much too quickly. The IFO's capability for acrobatics is one thing that drew me to it. The other thing I like about the IFO is its durability.

I've spent some time with the FMS simulator, and I found an IFO model for it. I'm to the point where I can fly mostly without crashing, and I think I've mostly gotten over my initial problems of becoming disoriented. I'm interested to hear of any other advice/stories of using the IFO as a first plane.