Welcome...

As everyone has said so far, find out how to get in touch with your local club FIRST is my suggestion. This because while most local hobby shops are pretty decent people, there are always those few willing to sell you something you don't need or that is not right for you just because they have it in the shop. The local club folks can tell you right off the bat which shop they like and why, offer suggestions on possible trainer choices and field equipment, and a lot of them (our club has one) have a club trainer and AMA instructors so they'll let you try it out for free.

My personal experience with getting started in RC indicates that a RTF (Ready To Fly) trainer with an included computer simulator can be a very valuable learning tool.

Have fun!