You can never go wrong with going to the sim first.
The goal is to establish hand/eye coordination with the control box. You MUST use a control box that is laid out like an RC radio. Using a key board or a gamestick for control is worthless.
Focus on three skills.
Take-off. - Select a plane that will be as close as possible to what your first plane will be. Flying Jets may be cools but it won't help you prepare for that first trainer. IF you are going to fly a HobbyZone Super Cub, the use that or a similar 3 channel plane in the simulator. 3D is fun on the sim but in the real world, planes break.
2) Fly plane from the ground. Don't use the pilots view, the chase plane view or the "god's eye" view. Fun but not helpful.
3) Once you get off the ground in a sim you quickly loose orientation as you can't see the ground and the trees and the like, as you can at the field. So flying around can be fun but I don't think it will help you prepare for the trainer.
4) Work on your landings. This is where most planes get broken. So my suggestion is, until you can take off, circle the field a cuple of times and land successfully, every time, don't work on anything else. Do this with no wind, no trees, etc. Then crank up the wind and gusts and put in some trees and buildings and such.
After that, it is time to go to the field and fly your model. Work on exactly the same routine. Take-off, circle the field twice and land.
Other tips that will help you:
> Six Keys to Success
>
http://www.wattflyer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18
> Throwing up will make you sick
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_32...tm.htm#3708346
> Plane Locators
>
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_6545319/tm.htm
> Getting planes out of trees
>
http://forums.flyesl.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=239
> Why Join a Club?
>
http://forums.flyesl.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=238
> Workshop Ventilation
>
http://forums.flyesl.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=235
> Hat, Sunglasses, what else?
>
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5008712
Learning to Fly Toward Yourself
http://www.wattflyer.com/forums/vbgl...howentry&id=22
STAYING UP WIND
http://www.wattflyer.com/forums/vbgl...howentry&id=23
Trimming your Plane
http://www.wattflyer.com/forums/vbgl...howentry&id=24
I hope you find these useful.