Had the experience of flying with a converted R/C car driver this summer. It was evident there wasn't complete transfer of skills and the high perfomance plane he was flying isn't performing any longer.

All the electronics will transfer into your next plane, so you're only out the cost of the airframe for your second plane. Trainers aren't as manly as warbirds, but I'm sure that even fighter pilots put time on a girly-plane before strapping themselves into their killing machines.