Glow planes, as dwilt72 mentioned, can handle wind better and are more stable in a breeze. They also have more control authority and tend to go where you point them. With my Aerobird Challenger, I felt like I wasn't really telling it where to go, I was merely making suggestions. I also found the fishing line and little plastic screws harder to keep trimmed out properly compared to the metal pushrods and "L" bends on a glow trainer.

You don't have to find a club to train at or switch to glow planes, darticus. You will eventually learn to fly well with your Firebird Phantom and Slow-V. The Slo-V is a great choice for slow flight, and should be a lot of fun when the wind is down. You are going to have more crashes, however, and you need to be prepared to keep replacing wings, tail sets, and propellers for a while.

Good luck!