Fortunately, there is little relationship between the flight characteristics of paper airplanes vs. actual airplanes. Stability is achieved in design aspects o

Fortunately, there is little relationship between the flight characteristics of paper airplanes vs. actual airplanes. Stability is achieved in design aspects of the plane. For instance, dihedral wings (upward angled) are a big factor in stability since they cause the airplane to want to level out when it rolls. This is positive stability, vs. negative stability, which is when the plane wants to roll more once it begins rolling. Lighter planes are more easily pushed by the wind, which only really ups your difficulty level during crosswind landings. Pilots will usually have a maximum crosswind they'll allow themselves to land in before resorting to another runway - that speed would be lower on a lighter aircraft. That is no reason to say that the SD-1 is not suited for beginners however. It has positive stability control and plenty of modern safety features, so it makes a great first plane.