Learning to fly RC isn't rocket surgery and there are many ways to get from A to B. Here are some considerations.
A flight simulator, even a free one, is a HUGE advantage. I like Real Flite and I recommend figuring out how to connect your actual transmitter to the simulator. Doing the right thing when the airplane is coming toward you (when the ailerons seem to be reversed) is the most difficult skill to master when starting out. A simulator will help with this problem.
A large, slow flying RC model , with a low wing loading is often a good starting place. It's easy to see, and that's good because flying too far away is common for beginners. Losing orientation is a common beginner problem and has caused countless crashes. But larger aircraft are more expensive and have more inertia so when you crash, you are more likely to cause damage than if you're crashing a small, light weight model. Like most things, size has it's trade-offs. These days inexpensive (often foam) trainers with stabilized flight systems tend to be a little smaller than trainers of years past. By flying slowly, they can be kept close in so the smaller size is not so much of a disadvantage.
Almost anyone at a club will toss information your way, so just ask for help. Finding a real mentor is harder. Finding a buddy box instructor is even harder unless your Dad also is involved in RC. I'd be happy to buddy box with any beginner but I'm not willing to buy an extra transmitter and spend time configuring it for buddy box use unless you are my wife (which you ain't). So, if you think flying with a buddy box is a good idea, buy your own second compatible transmitter, configure it properly, and bring it to the field. That way almost anyone will be willing to help you. You gotta' make it easy for a stranger to teach you how to fly. If anyone has to spend money and/or jump through hoops, it should be YOU, not some guy you ask to provide free private lessons.
Configure your plane with a "wings level" device. In my case, I use the FrSky stabilized receivers. I must have 15 or 20 of them. The three basic modes are off, stabilized, and wings-level. In wings-level mode, if you get in trouble and if you simply quit doing the wrong thing to the airplane, it will automatically fly straight and level. That is a HUGE advance for beginners and it is available at less than a $5 price premium if you use FrSky receivers. The same thing is available for almost every major manufacturer or can be retrofitted at slightly higher cost. Once you figure out how to fly, you'll want to fly in simple stabilized mode where the gyro takes some of the wobble out of airplanes, especially small ones on a windy day. Or, you might prefer off, for old school style flying. But the wings level mode is invaluable for hand launching. I launch many of my aircraft by simply tossing them into the air without much regard to attitude. The gyro instantly puts the plane into a wings level shallow climb and I can take my time getting my thumbs on the sticks. At my leisure I start flying the plane, switch from wings level mode to stabilized mode, and get on with the flight. YouTube is filled with videos of guys hand launching their airplanes right into the ground. That is never a problem if you have some kind of wings-level mode you can use during the launch. The level of stabilization can be adjusted on any of the various gyro systems. I like FrSky because I can adjust it in flight using a knob on my transmitter. Bottom line: Stabilized systems with some kind of "safe" or "training" or "wings-level" mode can make the learning process MUCH easier.
Some people claim there is a big difference between airplanes with ailerons compared with those with rudder only and lots of dihedral. In truth, it really doesn't matter, assuming if you fly with the rudder on an RET model hooked to the right stick (mode 2).
Move the right stick left when turning left and right when turning right. If you have ailerons and a rudder, you can feed in a little rudder to coordinate the turns, but you can just as easily forget about the rudder in most cases. A rudder is nice when you taxi and is required for good snap rolls, but when you're starting out you can pretty much ignore the difference between planes with ailerons and those without. Later on, you'll want rudder and ailerons for most airplanes, but not always. For example, I just finished building a combat plane without a rudder to save weight and cost.
Airfoils? Forget about the airfoil profile. Just use a slow flying, naturally stable, low wing loading trainer (which will automatically have a relatively thick airfoil) and you'll be fine no matter what the wing looks like.
In summary I would say that a simulator and a stabilized flight system (with some kind of wings-level mode) are, by far, the two must important factors when it comes to learning RC flying. Of course, it goes without saying that nothing will save you from crashing if you try to learn rudimentary flying skills by using a high wing loaded war-bird with a scale (thin) airfoil.
. As for the wind we normally fly from dawn until the batteries are exhausted. Wind is lower at dawn here BUT I teach my students in all but the highest of winds so that they are able to fly when the weather is less than perfect. Actually a number of the oldies are amazed that my students prepare their planes and taxi out for their lesson when the oldies are too afraid to fly and are packing up to go home!
