Before I ever flew a model for real, I flew the RealFlight G2 simulator quite a bit. It got my coordination and the basics sorted out well. My first plane was an Avistar ARF (not rtf) and I equipped it with a Futaba and OS 40 FX. The simulator helped a great deal and real flying was not overwhelming because I used the sim. I would NOT have wanted anything less for my first airplane than an Avistar.

If you must follow the club's silly rule about not using an Avistar, (I would ask for a 'quiet exception'), then just get one of the recommended trainers and if you stay with the hobby you can sell it to another newbie and upgrade. I enjoyed putting together the ARF as I learned a lot, and you won't get that with an RTF. I do not know how true this is, but some people have had poorly assembled RTF's so I was just happy to put the ARF together myself. (This way I was able to reinforce the wing top and bottom with fiberglass, fuel proof the engine and tank bays with epoxy, make sure I had adequate threadlock on bolts, put CA in servo mounting screw holes...that sort of stuff) There is ALWAYS help available here for assembly. But then again, you want to learn how to fly now, not build, so make you decision with these considerations in mind

If you can get you hands on some computer sim time, it will help alot. Have fun

Let us know how you do.