I am returning to the hobby after a 13 year hiatus. I still have some equipment, but it is all outdated. It was outdated in 2013, and I don’t want to be laughed off the field because I show up with a Futaba FM radio that I purchased in 1995.

I see a lot of Spektrum stuff advertised, is Futaba no longer what it used to be?

What I’m looking for -
Basic airplane transmitter 6+ channels
can be used with the most popular radios in trainer mode (I want to resume my roll as an instructor)
multi model memory would be great

Spektrum is extremely popular, easy to use and with a wide number of users that forms a support base that's hard to beat for a basic radio system. An NX8 or something will serve you well with room for growth and is what many people fly so you would be hard pressed to show up at an average flying field and not see at least several if not many spektrum users

If you intend to fly or instruct with Eflite or HobbyZone ARF's, then I suggest going with a Spektrum NX8 or NX10 radio because the RTF models from Eflite and HobbyZone all come with Spectrum DSMX receivers installed. Also, both the NX8 and NX10 transmitters have wireless buddy box capability that readily connects to the Spektrum DXS entry level transmitters that are supplied with the Eflite and HobbyZone RTF models. Also, changing the frame rate from 11 milliseconds to 22 milliseconds on all channels via a simple change in the setup programming menu can expand the NX8 and NX10 to 20 channels. The slower 22 millisecond frame rates do not bother me or my students since it has been over 50 years since I had 11 millisecond thumbs and beginning students' thumbs are even slower. If you are planning on doing extensive instruction, then you would probably find the Spektrum NX10 with its larger battery to be the best choice for use as the instructor's master transmitter... plus you are not likely to ever outgrow the NX10's capabilities.

Futuba is still around with its different RF protocols. It is still considered to be a good radio, but it is very rarely seen as standard equipment in the RTF models that most students use. Another possibility is a Radio Master system with multi-mode capability that can adapt to most commonly used RF protocols. The people I know who use Radio Master radios really like them, but I do not know if they can buddy box with the Spektrum DXS transmitters. I cannot comment further on Radio Master radios since I have never used one.

Two of the most commonly used RTF trainer aircraft are the Eflite Apprentice and the HobbyZone Aeroscout. Although not as pretty as the Apprentice, my favorite by far is the AeroScout because it handles more wind than the Apprentice. Also, students don't outgrow the AeroScout as quickly because it is capable of more aerobatic maneuvers such as consecutive outside loops, snap rolls and climbing knife-edge flight when the controls are set on high rates.