Recommendations for a beginner

For auto kits, I'd go with any Monogram kit. Pretty basic and straight forward. They're an easy build for a beginner. AMT/MPC are good too.

Welcome!  First off, if you have a hobby store nearby, they can be quite helpful.  For a first kit, since you like WWII planes, a single engine fighter with a non-complicated color scheme would make sense (like the P-40).  You should be able to find one that does not cost too much.  Multi-engine fighters and bombers increase the difficulty of getting the kit done.

Second, this is a hobby that can get quite expensive, and I am not sure of how much you have to spend.  The absolute minimum for tools were mentioned above.  You absolutely need a #11 X-acto knife, the most used tool of the trade.  You also need sanding sticks or films of various grits.  Glue is obvious.  Hobby tweezers are very helpful.  You will also want some kind of putty for filling seams.

You may have some of these tools from when you did kits with your dad.

Read the forum when you get a chance.  There is a lot of good information here.  Ask questions.  The forum members here are really great people, and like to help.

Most importantly, have fun!

Welcome aboard. As for a starting kit, with fantastic fit that basically falls together out of the box try 1/48 Tamiya P-51 or the P-47. They have great details and both fit together like a glove.

Depending on what scale interests you most, I would say something in either 1/72 or 1/48.  Dexterity wise, the 1/48 will be easier to work with.  Take a look at what is on the shelf if you have a local model shop or a Hobby Lobby.  If you go the HL, print out their weekly 40% off coupon, will save you a few bucks.

Welcome bud......you and I are in the same boat.....working on my first two models.One of them is a Italerie 1:72 scale UH-60 Desert Hawk.....comes with paint,glue and a paintbrush...specially gift packed for the newbie.That specific range has quite a few planes to choose from.

I just got back into it myself several months ago.  This forum is a great place to start.  I haven't done any planes but quite a few cars.  The best one so far is the Revell Corvette C7R that just came out a couple of months ago.  All of the parts fit together perfectly and it's a great looking car that is pretty easy to put together.  The only problem I had was, I didn't look at the box and the directions didn't say to paint the bottom of the car gloss black.  After I put several decals on the bottom, I noticed on the box, it was supposed to be black.  I'd recommend I decent airbrush.  Make sure to get a gravity feed, internal mix dual action one.  Believe me after trying two single action, siphon feed brushes, the dual action is much easier to use.  Also, there are hundreds of great youtube videos out ther.  I've lost a lot of sleep the last few months staying up watching them.  Good luck and enjoy. 

Welcome Caleb, welcome to the exciting and fascinating world of modeling. I would recommend starting with a 1/48 or 1/72 scale aircraft,( you said you like planes), this will give you an idea of how big,( or small), the finished product will be. My personal comfort zone is 1/48th. There are a wide variety of inexpensive kits available ie. Revell, Monogram, Airfix, that have reasonable detail without being overwhelming to a beginner.

 As for tools well here is where things start to get expensive, you will need a good X-acto knife( #11 blade), a small pair of flush cut " nippers", a selection of sanding films( Testors or Miro Mark), and finally glue. Many people use a thin liquid cement like Tenex 7R or ambroid Pro Weld. Make sure the one you choose is for styrene, some glues will not bond plastic or will be to "hot" and leave you with a puddle of goo.

    Now the hard part, PATIENCE. Not sure of your ultimate goal as a modeler, which isn't really important at this moment, patience pays off. Read the instructions, look closely at the assembly, dry fit, then SPARINGLY apply glue.

  Once you have become comfortable with the build, then you move on to finish, don't rush it, that can be REAL expensive.

 So all that to say welcome, ASK questions, and above all ENJOY where this hobby can take you. Don't be a stranger.