A little of both ( on an airplane )....
In my mid-teens, my Dad did give me a couple of lessons ( 2-3 ) without a buddy box, just handing the transmitter back and forth. I did purchase a heli ( a Cricket ) a little later but never got time to actually fly it by myself or with someone with any experience. That pretty much stopped my RC endeavors during that timeframe.
Then I got back into it in 2010... I got a copy of Realflight and just flew on that for a couple of months. In March, I joined a local club and never seemed to catch anyone at the field... so I just went for it alone finally. I had a 57" P-51D Mustang ( an Airfield foamy ). I went out, pointed her south and gave it almost full stick... flew around several times and then just about the time I felt I should land it... one of the other members showed up just in time to see me land using the short strip since the wind had shifted on me. While it came in a little hot at least I didn't nose it over and I was pretty happy with everything, the take off, flight and landing. After I got it taxied in... the other member came up and introduced himself. He asked how long I'd been flying and I mentioned that was my first time which sort of surprised him. He said I did great on the landing considering that and then also mentioned they ( the club ) usually requires that new members first get "qualified" by someone in the club before they are allowed to fly by themselves but it didn't look that'd be needed now... and then chuckled a bit. After a little bit of chit chat... I changed batteries and went again. The landing wasn't as good as the first and I did nose it over but nothing was damaged.
I also swore off on ever getting another floamy plane again... even as a new pilot I could "feel" how wiggly they were in the air. I did try to stiffen various areas of the Mustang but each time I flew it, it'd still not be a stable as I wanted. Next I got an Airborne Model's Mustang ( 46-48" can't remember now ) and it was a night and day difference from the foamy.