Definitely put in plenty of time on the sim, and then get the trainer. From what I understand, the trainers are much slower and more stable than planes that don't have a flat bottom wing.

Find someone who can help you with engine set up, tuning the rich/lean settings, setting the throws on all your control surfaces etc. I tried following the instructions that came with my engine and my trainer, but it didn't really make any sense until someone had helped me set it up and explain more about what you need to do and how you set it.

You can learn plenty from the simulator, but I found there were some aspects I was completely unprepared for when I went out to fly for real - like take off. It seems far too simple and easy in the simulator - just hit the gas and go. I found that my Tower Hobbies 40 trainer is a real nightmare to take off - the faster you taxi to near take off speed, the more loose and sensitive the nose wheel steering becomes. Trying by myself I think I broke about 6 props! I then had some lessons with a friend and sussed the amount of control (tiny!) I need on the rudder in order to keep it straight! This is something I couldn't have learned from the simulator.

Setup of the plane is something else that they don't cover in the simulator, so you'll definitely need someone to help you out with that.

Good luck!