Getting into Bounty hunting and so on

[LeDoyen]

D class life support is plenty of time to get to the nearest station and it saves on weight.

As for getting practice with the HOTAS, i'd definitely go Viper MK3. The vulture is slow and clunky compared to it, and rebuy costs virtually peanuts.
Better to take a light and very maneuverable ship to get the hang of it. A heavier ship will feel sloppy and not let you feel how the thrusters work right away.