With an instructor using a 'Buddy Box'.
BEFORE you attempt to fly your plane, find a club and an instructor.RC car experience is nice, however it will not prepare you for actually flying.
Correct
The same holds true for simulators. They both help, but neither will teach you how to fly.
Incorrect
You can absolutely learn to fly on a sim and solo a real trainer on your own successfully.... No question about it. People are doing it all the time now.
Personally I think there is no substitute for an Instructor teaching you on a buddy box,,, and most AMA fields will all but REQUIRE that you prove your skill with an instructor on a buddy box if you are new to the club and the sport..
BUT,,, The simulator can DEFINITELY give you a platform where if you spend enough time on it and practice until you can
1. takeoff nice and clean and fly straight out nice and smooth,
2. fly around upright and NEVER get confused, that means plane coming at you and or going away 100% of the time you dont make the wrong corrections, flying in any direction.
3. do basic roll, basic loop, horizontal figure 8's, tight turns,
4. make good solid controlled approaches to your landing area.
5. land under control, from right to left AND left to right equally well, in the wind, ON THE RUNWAY and arent "almost crashing" the plane upon landing
6. Have good throttle control and use only the throttle necessary to sustain stable flight ( not full throttle the entire flight!)
7. All on the sim with both calm and windy conditions equally well
YOU CAN FLY THE REAL THING right off the sim... I have seen it numerous times now...
Now,If you
1. halfway do it and get good enough on the sim to just barely have the skill to takeoff and land
2. can only fly in one direction
3. get disoriented and confused, AT ALL, in the least little bit at any time.
4. cant fly in a wind
5. cant CONSISTANTLY land softly ON THE RUNWAY, under control
Then you will crash the real thing on the 1st flight,,, guaranteed..
You show me a person that can make 50 consecutive flights on a simluator meeting the criteria above and I will bet you money he can solo himself. Again,,, I think its a fact,, BUT, I dont think its how a club will/should handle it. Before a person should be allowed to solo at an AMA club site, specifically a professed newbie who hasnt soloed yet, they should have to demonstrate a few complete controlled flights with an instructor on a buddy box before they are cut loose just for safetys sake... IF the pilot is really ready, this can be done in an afternoon at the field and will save the instructor a lot of unnecessary time on a buddy box holding the button watching an already semi skilled pilot fly.