imnotgeoff,
Best way to learn how to fly is with an RC Flight Simulator. Here's alink to one:
http://www.realflight.com/
Its a lot less expensive than buying and crashing planes as a learning process -- and not nearly as frustrating. You crash in a simulator, and you just laugh and hit the reset button. You crash one for real (and I've crashed many) and it ruins your whole week. It also lets you fly several different types of planes. I've got an older one than the version I've in the link above. I don't know where you live -- but alot of hobby shops will usually have a flight simulator in their store that you can try for free.
Naturally -- these are my opinions only.