Hey there, Tim.
Theres a thread in the aircraft forum entitled "Manufacturer Evaluation" or something to that effect. The discussion on kit manufacturers and modeller ratings makes for good reading. You might want to pay that a visit.
There are many good aircraft offerings nowadays and the choice will depend on the era and scale you prefer. The market is currently swamped with 1/48 WW2 subjects, for example, so choices are not difficult to find. Hasegawa is still good, along with Tamiya, but other manufacturers are catching up. But be careful of re-boxed, over-priced kits. There are some Hase or Tamiya boxed items that are anything but.
Hope this helps.