me personally, i stayed on my trainer for a year. partly because i couldn't afford another one, second of all because i wanted to make sure i had it down and could recover from any situation my trainer could offer. then, i went to a gp easy sport. great plane. not too sporty, but a great plane. like a trainer until you cranked up the throws. i considered myself a beginner until i got my cap. however, now that i have mastered it (it's a piece of junk) i feel a lot more expert than i know i am, and i know i had better watch it.