It's a good idea to fly offline for awhile until you get the hang of the controls and stuff anyway. The noob servers can be fun but it's kinda like swimming in the kiddie pool sometimes

I would try to get the hang of the full realism online flying as soon as you feel comfortable enough to try it. That's where it gets really fun in my opinion. Plus I find more guys there that will help you learn stuff. It's a whole new experience though. I'm still a noob at it myself. Here is where the ROF TS3 servers are. The rooms are divided up into catagories for each server and side:
http://ts3.riseofflight.net/en/
I would give you a heads up if someone gave me one but all I do is check the servers to see who is in the game and then check the ROF TS3 server to see who is there also. Then I just join in. It's just luck when I run into someone I know.