For learning to fly, I believe I would recommend the Easy Star. It is made of pretty durable Elapor foam that takes the inevitable abuse of a beginning pilot better than a wood plane. The Easy Glider has ailerons and while not much more difficult to fly than the Easy Star, it is a little more expensive and a little more complicated. The Easy Star is one of my top choices to recommend for new pilots. And it will thermal in decent conditions.

In the beginning you will be learning to fly the plane and keep it airborne without banging it into the ground, so thermalling ability is not paramount at this stage. Once you are comfortable with guiding and flying the plane, you can begin the quest for the elusive thermal. At that point you will want a plane more appropriate for that task.

Your choice will also depend on how much assistance and help you will have while you are learning to fly. With an experienced instructor and a radio with trainer capability, a different choice could be fine. If you have that instructor, go with what you both are comfortable with. I can tell you that both you and your instructor will feel more comfortable with an inexpensive plane and simple controls.

It comes pretty quickly, but it is not necessarily "natural". Give it a try, millions of modelers have gone through the same beginner state.

EJ