You can Download FMS (Flying Model Sim) It's freeware and it will give you some chance of understanding how to control certain models. you will have to get a controller that you can plug into your USB port of course but at least its cheap not time consuming and you will make less costly mistakes.
Once you got a bit of background pop down to the LHS and see what they have available.
I think the begin Air would be a good choice as a 1st plane its 4 ch a freind of mine has one and it flew nice and stable and its a RTR.