That is the first time I have heard that statement. Most the time it is get a trainer and an instructor with a buddy box and you won't crash the plane. I have never lost one while teaching. Most people go the other way and learn to fly a plane then the chopper but whatever floats your boat. I have flown my grand sons indoor chopper and it is fun but I didn't see it teaching me anything except the kid can fly it better then I can. A Sim can give you the basic idea of flight and I know one person that has gone from the Sim to a plane without an instructor so I know it can be done. Still, an instructor and buddy box is the way to go if you want to learn to fly a plane. I have the trainer and buddy box so students don't require buying there own until they decide they want to stick with the hobby. A lot of club instructors do it the same way as I do. I have had several students learn to fly and then walk away, all they were out was the price of a couple gallons of fuel.