Someone makes a really cool RC flight simulator. . . nifty faux radio box that plugs in to your PC. A big help for training your control inputs. . ..like when the plane is coming towards you, and controls are reversed . . or when it leaves your sight (becomes a dot in the sky)
Then, with a decent plane, have someone who can take over controls quickly, if need be.
edit;
(read:have someone, who knows what they're doing, standing by with a control box on the same freq. . . .until you get the basic feel for controled flight. . . . unless, of course, building and rebuilding planes is the best part of the experience for you)