i would think someone in a nearby club would be glad to help you get flying. i know our club welcomes all interested people and if they really want to try flying, our instructors are top notch and we have a club plane to fly with so you dont even have to get your own equipment to start with if you prefer. flying on a sim is great practice and , like i've stated before, to get your thumbs accustomed to what they're suposed to be doing and on which sticks would be the purpose of using one. tuning the engine, pre flight checks, wind, sun.....so many other variables are learned at the field with an instructor.