RE: learning to fly
Sherman has hit it on the nose. Fly the heck out of that plane till it wont fly anymore. This will be your ticket to a much better future in the hobby. Learn proper control and moments of the plane. Know what every function does to a plane and your transition to more aerobatic planes will be much easier. With everything RC you have that period of backwardness on some maneuvers and knowing the proper control inputs will make you a better seasoned pilot.
Your current setup sounds perfect and this will allow you to grow with your equipment as you progress. As you can take the electrics out of one plane and put it into another.