Septerra,
Take your $2000 and go gliding. Why, because it pure stick and rudder, gives you great judgement, wind awareness and it is cheap. $2000 will get you heaps of airtime. Evan better would be motor gliding. Still cheap and less time waiting for a launch.
If I wish I had gliding time prior to joining 7 years ago. Two of my course mates did and they performed very well.
Think wind