I renewed myself a few years ago with a Hanger 9 Ultra Stick and had to make the first flight myself, as I fly Mode One (there are very few of us left). New airplane, new radio, new engine and a pilot that hadn't flown in 10 years or so. Took off, trimed it out, did a loop and a roll and then had to land "dead stick".

If you were comfortable flying a "The Hots", I gotta think a stick of some sort will be fine. I have my second Ultra Stick and it's really my favorite plane to just go out and have fun with