How do I orientate the navball properly with a probe?

I have designed a rocket with a plane on the top. It looks a bit like a Christmas tree topper and hence a bit silly, but it works. However, once I get it into orbit, left is right, up is down, and in general its a nightmare to control; I'd never manage to dock it or fly it anywhere.

Part of the reason is because I can't tell the orientation of a probe just by looking at it - its all grey, all over. If I press W, A, S, or D, I don't really know which way it has spun, so again, it's a nightmare.

Is there any way to orientate the probe properly? Does anyone have any tips?