I got my Firebird XL in April last year (2003). I was new to the hobby and did not know what would be a good first plane. I had the idea that I wanted a slow-flier or park-flier. So, I went to the HobbyTownUSA on Baltimore Pike in Springfield in Cutler's Plaza. The manager was there and I asked him about local clubs etc. He realized that I was new to the hobby and that he could sell me the Firebird XL for the full $120 before he put them on sale for $90 a couple months later! So, I went back to the store after a couple days and bought the plane and my mom paid for a couple extra things. I waited about three weeks for the wind to be OK on a Saturday/Sunday and took it out to fly at Smedley Park. When I got there, I was real worried. Eventually, I got it put together and tossed it into the air. I never let it get much altitude and I kept being worried it would hit the trees lining the field. I kept the landing gear on it so it never made any nice landings in the grass. I took it out in more wind after that at the Strath Haven Middle School's soccer field out behind the football field. It flew nicely there and there was more space than at Smedley. Soon after, I took it to the high school's field out beside the gym. I landed in the one of those trees in the middle of the field but got it down after a short trip home to grab my hockey stick for that little bit extra reach. I also learned that I can climb trees...go figure! I've flown it at the R/C field several times since and gotten a reputation at my field for being the only guy to be able to fly one of these 2-channel planes without it flying away in the wind!