I learned how to fly 3D airplanes without a sim. You can do it, but you'll probably go through alot of airplanes learning. My best suggestion on learning how to hover, is to start in knife-edge and start feeding in more rudder until the nose is pointed up, then hold it there. If you do it this way, the top of the plane will be facing you. If you do it with the elevator method, you'd better be quick on the ailerons, because if it torque rolls around, you'd better be good at inverted flight.

Recently Ive been trying to learn how to fly 3D aerobatics with a CCPM heli. Ive been practicing on the aerofly sim. With the eco 7, and the little electric CCPM heli,and the raptor I can already do loops, rolls, and nose in. Ive even been able to hover inverted. All in a matter of about a week on the sim.

This being said, I also know that in real life, it wont be so easy to do.

Sims are ok for getting used to how planes fly, but dont think that just because you can do it on the sim, you can do it for real.

Basically, practice, practice, practice.

Good luck, once you learn you'll have a blast.