First off, Mark... ![Sign - Welcome [#welcome]](/FSM/CS/emoticons/icon_smile_sign_welcome.gif)
back to the hobby. I took about 15 years off myself and am starting to get back into the swing of things.
If you're looking for kits, the quality of kits has grown exponentially... Tamiya is still a good choice, Dragon/DML kits are really good. Most of the newer ones have a few bits of P/E to sharpen your skills without having to fork out more cash for a full set. Also, the new molding technique they have allow for some really incredible detail. Even the new figure kits they produce have P/E belts, ammo and weapon slings.
Aircraft wise, if you're looking for cheap, most of the Academy (post 1996 or so) kits are decent for a good price, most of the ones in my hobby shop retail for $10 or so for the 1/72 scale WW2 and smaller modern planes (A-37, OV-10D and the like).
Hope this helps out. Many folks have their preferences, but the small inventory that I have accumulated keeps me pretty happy.