yup, welcome aboard. i suggest that you spend a while in the training arena, where there will always be someone around to help. and in response to one of your questions, yes, AH has a built in radio comms function, you can speak using mic to people in your immediate area, or to people tuned to your radio channel at the same time.
and yeah, welcome to AH. if you have a wife, be prepared, you aint never gonna want to go anywhere again
have fun! if you see me around (Pooface) give me a shout. and another suggestion would be not to go straight to the main arena. more action definitely, but youll have to fly longer to get to it, and you wont learn much. like i said, try the training arena first for some good tips