Realflight doesn't teach you the necessities beyond moving the sticks, though. Even if it's 85 miles, I'd make the trip once or twice. Three hours in the car isn't that much time for the amount of knowledge and experience you could absorb from being around other fliers. I can't imagine going through the frustration of learning alone just to avoid a few hours in the car. It seems to me that's not a large investment of time compared to the benefits you'd reap, and the amount of time you'll be spending with the hobby.