Congrats!
I always read first flight with an Aerobird posts - it reminds me of where I was just a couple of years ago.
Your first couple of flights are great successes - my first led me to the local hobby shop for the first time after buying the plane online. I'm now a regular at that shop.
You did things the right way. You prepared with a sim - and as you say that helped with keeping orientation, although the RC cars probably helped a lot there, too. You also went to a field big enough for a comfortable first flight.
You're going to love Pro Mode. It's a different airplane. It gets much more responsive without being "touchy." I find it much easier to avoid trouble in ProMode. After my first flight with it I found myself wondering why SportMode is even there. It doesn't provide enough control authority to recover from some attitudes that as a beginner I found myself in.
Enjoy!
BobbyG