Never put off what you can do tomorrow . . . or something like that. By all means seek out a club now. With or without a model of your own just yet. Probably better to waiy and get their recommendations (and maybe attend a swap night and get a deal on a used trainer). Even a few introductory flights short of the full schooling will get you started. You can browse catalogs all winter. In fact, we fly all winter here, though the club school does not run. I would recommend you hook up with a mentor before you buy. If the club has a loaner he can git you started on that.