Way cool manks . Congrats on the maiden .
Your LS needle does sound a little rich. Is this a fairly new engine ? May just need more run time.
I`m building a TP Corsair .60 , which won`t see airtime till next spring. Just moved into low wings , 4 Star and a Twist and have a long ways to go before the Corsair gets her maiden. You may want to consider getting a low wing after you get bored with the trainer , before you tackle the Corsair.
Sounds like your first day back was a success, take off, landings and deadsticks are very important to learn to deal with early on.
Welcome back, Happy landings