If he can do that, he's a truly amazing pilot. The Hobbyzone Super Cub is a 3-channel plane with an undercambered foam airfoil. If it gets inverted, it's going down. Other than that, I actually agree with BuzzBomber's advise. The Typhoon shouldn't be beyond metabolicmaggot's flying skills if he wants to give flying one a shot. One of the Parkzone warbirds wouldn't be a bad second plane, either, after mastering the Super Cub.

As for some of the parkflyers that BuzzBomber mentioned, I own a GWS Pico Tiger Moth and a GWS Slow Stick for indoor flight. I think indoor flying with small electrics is a great way for glow pilots to develop better "left stick" habits and work more with throttle management and using the rudder. Controlling an aircraft with 4 walls and a ceiling around you makes flying outdoors seem like simple by comparison.

Eventually though, a pilot is going to need to take the plunge and get their first glow plane (if they're ever going to fly glow). Flying a typical glow trainer doesn't require tremendous flying skill. A lot of the lessons learned are on airplane maintenence, engine starting and tuning, safety, and the like. If an electric parkflier pilot flies a dozen different planes and can do harriers and waterfalls like a pro with his ParkFlyers R/C Edge 540, he's still going to need to know that using blue lock-tite on his muffler screws is a good idea whether his first glow plane is a Tiger Trainer .40 or a September Fury with retracts.

Most of the disputed opinions in this thread seem to revolve around the concept of "park flyer." I don't think of GWS planes when I hear this term, because GWS kits require building and hobby quality electronics to complete them. By the accepted definition, they most certainly are park flyers, because they can be flown in a park.

When most brand-new pilots use the term "park flyer" however, they tend to mean "airplane in a box." They are looking for an inexpensive, simple to operate airplane that they can snap together and toss in the air. These pilots wouldn't purchase a Nexstar or Mustang PTS RTF package that doesn't require assembly, but then go out and buy an electric kit to assemble and also shop for ESCs, servos, and receivers seperately. They don't know how to fly yet, so they don't want to have to learn to build and then have their build project destroyed the first time they try to fly it.

When it comes to electric "airplanes in a box" for $200 or less, the market is not blessed with very many really good aircraft. The ones that are good usually aren't trainers, they're warbirds or acrobatic planes for the most part. I'd go so far as to say you can make a very short list of good, first trainer airplanes-in-a-box in the sub $200 electric category:

-Hobbyzone Super Cub
-ParkFlyers R/C BeginAir
-Multiplex Easy Star
-Hobbico Flyzone Ventura
-Hobbico Flyzone Mini Ventura
-Hobbico Flyzone Sky Pilot
-Hobbico Flyzone Cessna
-Parkzone Slo-V

My original point was, keeping these planes in mind, learning to fly one of these proficiently really wouldn't help you a whole heck of a lot when you're ready to go buddy-box your Mustang PTS at the local club. That was the question the original poster asked: "I recently picked up my P-51 Mustang PTS and my intention getting it in the winter months is practice with the cockpit simulater all winter. First off I now underatand why there is a lot of controversy with this as a "first plane" or trainer. Just from practicing on the simulator software I know for damn sure I will crash this plane. Is a park flyer a good place to start? I plan on joining a local club in the spring and taking appropriate lessons out of respect for a great hobby. I just wonder how many folks start out or practice on something electric (or glow) that does not take a lot of room to fly before heading the the field."

My response was that he'd get about as much benefit learning control orientation on the simulator as he would throwing a Firebird Scout around at the local ball diamond. He had already bought his Mustang PTS and he was going to join the local AMA club, and in this context I stand by my original answer.