Trent,
Welcome aboard. It's a great hobby/sport. I have used GP RealFlight G2 for my Heli's, and the planes are really realistic, you can get a good perspective on RC Flight and learn how it all works with a Sim. I think a sim and real-time experience at the club is a great combo to learn. My advice: I would strongly recommend going and checking out the local RC club near you. They can help you all the way through the process, and nothing beats the real thing when it comes to RC planes/heli's. When I got into the hobby 16 years ago, I looked to the local club for help starting and I haven't looked back since. As for a Radio System, both are good (JR/Futaba), it's purely preference/opinion. I have always used Futaba, so I stick with that. Both JR and Futaba make great entry level Transmitter Systems. Good Luck, keep us posted on your progress!!