Get FMS. It is free, so not as good as the best sims, but it will teach you a lot.

http://n.ethz.ch/student/mmoeller/fms/index_e.html

I think Hitec and GWS makes adaptors so you can use a regular Tx. Otherwise you could use a gamepad with 2 analog sticks. That is what I did and I programmed the throttle on a slider on the gamepad.

Learn to fly the basics with this (taking off, landing, left and right circles, figure 8's, climbing and descending circles) with the wind settings up without any close zooming, you should be ready to fly the slow stick.

When you do maiden the slow stick, please do it when there is no wind or else you will wonder why it flies so wierd. It is a very light plane with a lot of wing area--it gets blown around easily and you won't know if it is you or the wind that is making the plane move and that makes learning more difficult.