Beginner question

1. Find a club in your area and go watch them fly, and talk to them and tell them you want to learn to fly. Most clubs have instructors who can teach you to fly with a buddy box. For buddy box flying, see what brand radios they use and what the connector for the trainer cord between your radio and theirs looks like (at our field almost everyone is willing to buddy box with new people, even with no advance notice - people just show up hoping someone's there who can train them - but at our field we expect the beginner to supply the trainer cord, and often they'll have a radio with a round jack and ours are square jacks -- something to ask about at the field).

1. There are an almost infinite number of trainer aircraft available, with the most popular size being the 40-sized trainer. Go to Tower Hobbies website
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   and browse around - they have a wide selection and also have a section on Getting Started in R/C! (link is on the left side of their homepage).

2. Find a local hobby shop (LHS) and talk to the people there. If the shop is of decent size, they'll have several trainer aircraft they can show you, can talk to you about engines, radios, field equipment needed, etc.

1. While at the LHS, pick up copies of R/C Modeler and/or Model Airplane News and just read through them. It seems like one or the other is doing a review of a trainer aircraft almost every month. Look at the ads in the magazines too so you become familiar with brands, prices, what's available, etc.

2. You could also do a Google Groups search through this newsgroup for past articles about first planes, etc.
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   When the question "What's the best trainer aircraft?" is asked in this group, you'll get about a dozen different answers, but in the 40-sized trainers available, it's almost impossible to go wrong with any of them.

1. If you can fly something like Microsoft Flight Simulator or any type of flight simulation game, then you shouldn't have a lot of trouble learning to fly. If you've never messed with those, then you may want to consider getting a R/C flight simulator for your computer. There are several different ones available, ranging in price from free to 0. This is something else to search this newsgroup about - I have the 0 Realflight G2 (see Tower Hobbies site about it), but I bought it to learn to fly helicopters. Spending 0 to get into trainer aircraft is probably cost prohibitive to most people.

Good luck, and if you have questions you can't find answers to, post them to this newsgroup and I'm sure someone can help you out.

On 1/16/2004 11:16 AM Ted shuffled out of his cave and grunted these great (and sometimes not so great) words of knowledge:

Joe Bill is correct with what he says. There is one other thing - the AMA has a program where the club provides a trainer, instructor, fuel (everything needed) and allows you to fly with an instructor for 30 days before you have to join the AMA. The purpose of this program is to get new people into the hobby and allow them to find out if this is what they want BEFORE they commit to the money and but the stuff.

If your club doesn't know about this program, mention it to them and tell them it is sanctioned and approved by the AMA.

FWIW - If you do decide this is the hobby for you, see if any of the club members have a trainer, engine, radio, etc. they will sell. I recently sold a new (never flown) Hobicco Avistar, used Thunder Tiger

42, used Tower 4 channel radio with a new flight pack, built the plane and installed everything for $250. I also provided the person a used flight box, a spare glo plug, manual fuel pump and a couple of extra props in the deal.

Well yes and NO. The program itself has no bearing on whose airplane it is. If a club or an Introductory Pilot provides an airplane, then that is just a plus, but is not a requirement. The program is the Introductory Pilot program, and the Chartered Club designates and pays $5 for each designated Intro. Pilot. Said Intro Pilot is an Intro Pilot ONLY on the designating club's facility. Lots of paperwork included.

HC Intro pilot Jetero RC Club, Inc.

Three posibilities.

(i) The club route. See other posters.

(ii) The dedicated loner route. Get a simulator and when you can fly that get a cheap electric model and find a safe place to crash it, and chuck it in the air.

(iii) teh teenage mutant ninja turtle route. Get a foamie electric and simply chuck it up, randomly wiggling the sticks until you get to level two as it were ;-) A represented by it staying in the air longer than the bateries last.

We tried the intro pilot program at our club and it didn't work out very well. We had folks wanting us to train them when they had no intention of joining the club. We had a few that used it for entertainment for themselves or should I say abused it. We operated in good faith but the "students" didn't. Funny how people will take advantage of you if they can. Then get mad when we discontinue it. Eddie Fulmer, Pres West Alabama Aero Modlers, former intro pilot, now, just club instructor.

That's the big failure of it. We had to require membership before ANY instruction. The majority of our novices only stayed members one year or long enough to solo. Afterwards, we heard of them flying at private backyards or fields. I guess the carmaderie and assurance of a flying site from a club is not for some. Dr.1 Driver "There's a Hun in the sun!"

Actually Dr, I think most are turned away from clubs because of the political BS. While learning to fly they frequently sit in the pits and hear all the club, AMA, IMAA, etc dirty laundry. Who in their right mind would consider that a plus to the hobby?

So in the meantime, they find out about various types of flying, room required etc. They pick their style and find their spot to do it. And when they solo they leave the politics behind and peruse this hobby for the reasons it should be. FUN!

That's why I have my own field on my own property. If I want a contest, I'll sanction it myself. All the hobby politics I "hear" come from this news group and various on-line forums. And I don't spend more than a few minutes a day on any of them. And when we fly! We talk about flying, and airplanes and space. The only politics we talk about comes from Washington DC. Not Muncie or Dist V or where ever the IMAA hails from. Because that is all counter productive to the reason we at my field are in the hobby. There's fifty of us now. And most belong to clubs in the area. But of that fifty, twenty five (and not all the same 25) or more can be seen flying every good weekend. Not a club in the area can boast that and some have four times the members.

To many, the enjoyment of the hobby is too precious, too dear to them to let the political Bozos of the various groups spoil it. So they walk away form the politics and the organizations that seem to foster it. These are the true renegades. In the meantime, the Bozos continue to practice their politics all in the name of saving this and that. While in reality they drive away the future of the hobby. Sad really! The only question is, will all this blow up eventually and whose face will it blow up in?

Chuck

Would you be the "Jones" who glues together sailplanes as a day job ?

regards Roy

I'm afraid you may be right. Having been a club officer for many years, in all capacities, and now being just a plain old member, I've seen both sides.

In my first club, we had 20 Field Rules. Eighteen of them direcely concerned safety, and most were simple common sense conclusions. However, you will always have two or three Philiadelphia lawyers in a club who will nitpick down to the last period.

As you listen in the pits, you will hear members bad-mouth other members, then glad-hand them when approached. You will hear how bad one type of flying is compared to another (usually what the nay-sayer is flying). If a safety rule is broken and dangerous conditions do exist, the complainers will run to the Officers rather than handle the problem quietly. The Officers will then be forced to make a big deal about it, sometimes at the next club meeting.

The AMA, IMAA, and most local clubs are terribly top heavy when it comes to management and organization. One club I was a member of had 75 members on role, 10-15 of which could be expected to show up weekly and on work and event days, and 4 Officers, not including a Newsletter Editor.

Yes, it will all blow up one day, and the fuse is being lit by the likes of the IMAA BOD with their latest BS in the form of the Petition to the AMA. The flame is being fanned by the AMA devoting such tremendous time and $$$ to the "Nats", an even that less than 1% of AMA members attend, compete in, or assist with. The extinguisher is being blocked by officious IMAA, AMA, and local club members who want a forum for THEIR type of flying, and nothing else.

That is why, when I moved, I quickly told the two new clubs I joined that I was NOT interested in ANY club office. Yes, I was asked. :)

You're absolutely right, all that most sport modelers want to have is a secure, safe field from which to fly, and as little hassle and expense as possible. There has to be compromise, but no one is willing.

Duck and cover, people! Dr.1 Driver "There's a Hun in the sun!"

Good on yer mate!

If the club biores the pants off you and won't help, just go ahead and fly anyway. The sim will help a lot.

OTOH if the club is a fantastic friendly place and you feel right at home - well thats bloody fantastic.

Dsalky, most clubs I have come across are run by a bunch of dedicarted and long standing modellers, who have seen many newbies come, and go. They are concerned about the safety aspects of learners, they have rules they are bound to enfiorce to keep the flying fields and insurance, and they only oput up with teh hasle of running the club in order to keep a space where THEY can fly THEIR planes.

Which is totally no problem for me. Once I realised that was indeed where they were at, I buggered off and taught myself. I didn't raise objections, and I still pay my club fees. If I need a mown strip to take off from one day, I'll go back - able to fly. And probably get accepted much quicker.

Look at it their way. Why should they take time and effort to help you? Will you last in the hobby? Will you endanger them, their models, their cars and their friends? Probably.

That's why everyone is flying parkflyers. Cheap, relatively much safer, learn on your own, no engine starting tuning issues. Just need a spare piece of waste ground and you are up and away. IF you then decide something the size of your car with a chainsaw engine up the front is what you want to fly, well - try the club :-)

The two greatest assets to my re-entry onto RC models have been Realflight G2, and the E-zone

Using those and a 10 acre field at the back of the house, I can now build fly and land reasonable sized models. and HAVE FUN.

There is a poll running currently on the E-zone, and the MAJORITY of people there are self taught.

My wife recently gave me an Aerobird Challenger and, after having gotten a lot of good tips from you kind folks, I'm doing pretty well goofing around with the FMS R/C simulator. Now that spring's around the corner, I'm thinking to the real thing, but have some additional thoughts:

With FMS, I've been using my joystick. At first, all I did was crash using the slow "Silky" model. Now, I've gotten to the point where I can go around and land on the strip. Am I kidding myself that the R/C controller will "feel" like my MS joystick? Should I get the adaptor that uses the controller or head for a club and do it for real?

Regardless of how adept I become with FMS, should I seek out an instructor anyway? (I've already sent in an application to AMA)

Should I buy a less expensive model to ruin before I ruin my wife's gift? Of course, the other question that arises is: Will she be PO's when if I don't fly the model she got me...but that's my own dilemma.

Regards!

Paul W. NJ

p.s. When I was 11, I got a RTF Aroura L-19 Bird Dog for my birthday -

1959, no R/C then. My sister took me to a ball field and I managed to get the .049 started (with a fat finger the next day). Approx 15 seconds later, there I was in tears with a wrecked plane. Hope I have a guts not to cry if this happens again at 55.

The parallel adapter for FMS is cheap - and a very good thing. I would NOT recommend a joystick, as you'll quickly have to re-learn the controls - when it really counts!

I have been ruining my first plane (hehe...) for two months now - the GWS slowstick - and she holds up to crashes rather well. Shes been crashed maybe 40 times by now, and damage (that couldnt be repaired with epoxy & packing tape) has been limited to propellers and bent prop shafts.

I will get a .40 trainer aloft soon, but i will approach a local club for help. With the skills i picked up from the 'stick, my training should go rather well, instead of me being a bungling idiot just wasting an instructors time.

G/L, mike

Not to throw cold water on the interface idea, but does the Aerobird come with a "real" transmitter with a trainer port? It loks like it comes with a basic 27Mhz transmitter, but I couldn't find the specifics.....

PCPhill

slowstick - and

repaired with epoxy &

instead of me being

yes, they have the basic transmitter and there is no way to hook up the FMS interface. They do fly quite well though for what they are, and they are very tough! I've seen a couple of guys at our club beat them to death and they still keep kicking.

the two channel version is harder to fly as the controls are not what we're used to but the three channel ones are pretty darned good. decent flight times too. add an extra cell to the pack in the three channel one and it really starts to sing.

cheers astroflyer

park flyer plans