As far as R/C flying goes, I'm really new to flying R/C, but I am getting better all the time.  I practiced quite a bit in the past on my computer with FMS (Flying Model Simulator), and I now have several flights under my belt.  FMS has been fairly helpful in teaching me how easy it is to give the wrong control inputs when the plane is flying towards you (sure am glad that I found that out with a simulator than with my plane, because it would be like it was when I bought it: a pile of balsa).  One thing that was quite a trick at first was keeping track of which way my plane was actually going while turning, because there are certain parts of the turn that it is really hard to judge what exactly is going on.  Some good news is that I caught on pretty quickly to flying R/C, so that's kind of reassuring.  I'm also getting used to flying at some tricky (for me) locations: my house and Steves.  Both places have several obstacles to clear while taking off and landing (power lines, trees, buildings).  So far, I haven't had a problem.