RE: First plane
Damn the risk but, save your money from the simulator for your second plane. Using the number of us who learned to fly without the benefit of simulators, much less the type of equipment we have today, says simulators are not needed. An aid maybe but not a requirement. An adequate instructor coupled with the frequency of training sessions will far outweigh any benefits of the sim.
Just an opinion of an older pilot who also happens to be an instructor.
S. Barnett
Arnold, MD