I have had about 5 years experience with MIcrosoft's FSX Deluxe. It taught me some aeronautical fundamentals.

I was able to successfully take-off and land jets, twin turboprops, single pistons, DeHavilland floatplanes and Bell helicopters even Boeing 747's which feel like a flying brick. Have even made a few successful authorization landings in the Bell Jet Ranger and some power-off landings in fixed-wing planes.

If I were to ever try an RC heli, I would want the ones that are controlled like a real heli with collective, cyclic and torque pedals. I tried a freind's toy heli with the counter rotating main rotors a couple years ago and that thing bounced all over the place like a rubber ball off the walls of a brick room. Mechanically, very unlike a full-size Jet Ranger helicopter with a steady governed engine speed, single main rotor and collective/cyclic pitch control of the blades and pitch control of the tail rotor. You cannot accurately and stably fly or hover a rotorcraft by simply throttling the motor. I gather that RC helis that mechanically fly like full-size helis are expensive. Helis need very subtle control input for precise and steady maneuvering. Cheap heli toys lack fine controls.

Would a person with so much flight sim experience be ready to brave an entry-level electric RC trainer made of foam on a sunny windless day?

I would prefer ailerons for control since in flight sim I almost never used the rudder which seem to have little or no effect on aircraft directional control. A plane or a fast-cruising helicopter needs to bank to effectively turn like a motorcycle needs to lean. On the flight sim jets, I had such devices as speed brake and spoilers and the function of arm spoilers as well as reverse thrust and feathering the props on Beechcraft King Air turboprops.

I don't gather landing flaps are common on RC planes also.