An option might be to try a local club (if they are around) and see if they have a club trainer and a buddy box setup available to newbies.
As while Phoenix is great at getting your thumb memory in good shape (I use it myself), it does not lend towards adding any of the nerves that come into play when you finally get out on your real aircraft (my nitro heli STILL makes me nervous 15 months on - they ain't cheap to repair!!!), nor can you be sure it 100% replicates the response of a given aircraft until you fly one (that's why you can adjust all the parameters in Phoenix - all aircraft are different in how they fly).

As for trainers and finding one, try your local hobby shop, or one of the many online websites. This might be a good place to start: [link]http://www.hangar-9.com/Products/Trainers.aspx[/link].
Otherwise, e-bay.