I've used an FMS E-Sky http://www.sussex-model-centre.co.uk...d.asp?id=19644 one right from the start as I couldn't see the point in shelling 5 times the cost just to get slightly better graphics. As you get more advanced you can then go to
http://www.rc-sim.de/index_en.htm and download any of a number of different planes from there that are far more aerobatic / sensitive which helped me massively before I bought my 1st 3D model.