Since everybody is throwing in his experience related to the subject, let me just add mine as well <div>
<div>I started flying heli's on a simulator, then decided one day that I m quite confident I want to try the real thing, got myself an Esky Lama V3, then an Align Trex 450, and I am now eyeing the Trex 500.</div><div>I didn't need any instructor, it was all autonomous. I just had few friends check me heli setup so that it is flyable and correctly done.</div><div>Now I do all the readings online and in forums, to setup and tweak my models. Still learning and that's part of the fun.</div><div>
</div><div>My experience with airplanes was different, I started with an instructor, without any cable, he used to put his thumbs over mines for landings and guide me. I had to do a couple of flights before going autonomous, then I bought the simulator and I progressed real fast from there on.</div><div>
</div><div>I started learning airplanes first, and that was my first introduction to models of any kind. I agree I and am quite convinced that it would have been real hard to start on my own. I picked up helis after three years, but at that time I was already very familiar with servos, pushrods, batteries, receivers,balancers, LiPo, NiCd, concept of flights in general,trimming, center of gravities, flutter, balanced propellers/blades, nitro, castor/synthetic, carburetors, tuning, break-in, glow plugs, starters, and the list goes on................</div><div>
</div><div>Most of which are impossible to learn on the simulator, yet it is an integral and very important part of the hobby.</div><div>
</div><div>One day my uncle and two cousins wanted to learn flying, I introduced them to the tools, the setups, and the physics and built of a model airplane.</div><div>The second day I discovered that they had already bought the simulator G3 that they tried at my place.</div><div>One week later they came to the field, I started the sig fourstar, handed the Tx at mid/high altitude and they flew fine not minding the high or low wing setup. Of course it remains a docile trainer, I am not going to risk the CAP for instance.
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</div><div>They flew really good for beginners, could even take off and land after a couple of trials, but i I later on discovered that they had serious problems with perspectives in fact. They would quasi always miss the runway in depth, but land smoothly on the side which happens to be asphalt as well </div><div>obviously a 2D perspective on the PC is not the same as in real life!</div><div>
</div><div>One other important thing, safety manners around crowds, and propellers, on the runway, in the pits and so on are not taught on the simulator, and people used to the "reset" button tend to get a bit careless in that regard.
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</div><div>One needs an instructor, or honestly just a friend to show you the rules and safety regulations. To demonstrate common practices at the club, to setup, modify, test fly your model and so on...</div><div>
</div><div>I am quite sure that in terms of pure flying you can do well with even a low wing trainer and no need for the real beginner models.</div><div>You will quickly get bored of the Nextar style airplanes by the time you get used to the real thing, i.e. a week or two max.</div><div>
</div><div>Good Luck</div></div>