Have you flown full scale?

Just a to a SELCI ticket.

Yes, Single Engine Land about 240 hours. Have flown 150, 152, 172, 182,

208, 210, P140, others I can't remember. Time in 1 hour in Glider, 50 hours in Weight Shift Ultralight, 1 hour in Helicopter, 1 hour in Power Parasail. All a blast. Love to be at altitude. Always wanted my own plane but time and economics always say no. R/C is my escape. I am sure you understand.

Congrats on the 140 Ownership. Take care of it and it will take care of you.

Blue Skies and be careful of the sucker holes.

Les

I have Commercial ASMEL inst LRjet and DC3 type ratings. Models are harder to fly.

I rarely turn around in the seat of a full size bird and try to fly it looking aft to simulate the reversed controls as it comes toward you.

I am absolutely sure of the airspeed and altitude above ground at all times. If that were only true with my models.

I'm a retired military pilot with over 9000 hours in various aircraft including gliders, helicopters and a multitude of sel aircraft which I flew prior to military service. After also flying R/C for the past 20 years, I agree with the others that R/C is definately more difficult to master.

R/C is definitely more difficult...if you every get the oppurtunity, go up for a couple of hours in a Decathlon for some aerobatics...best roller coaster ride I've ever been on-I go up at least every other weekend, and fly R/C on the others. The Mrs. doesn't really appreciate it, though. Jim

What are the odds of two DC3 rated pilots in one newsgroup? World's slowest groundloop ~ just tell the tower you're checking for traffic.

I began R/C after years of full-scale ~ couldn't figure out why the guys at the field were giggling, until I attemped takeoff.........

Discounting navigation, (voice) radio, airspace restrictions, constantly changing FARs, weather, and other complications, flying full-scale is WAY easier than R/C!

DC3

The statistic I have heard is that 25% of modelers have a FAA ticket.

Personally, I started RC in '62 and 1:1 in '64. I have owned three planes and still have two of them on a strip beside my house.

In our model club we have B29, F101, Airline (767 etc) and medivac (King Air) pilots. I know I've left some out. Anyway, several of us are still active in both models and rider scale.

Dan

Dan Thompson (AMA 32873, EAA 60974, WB4GUK, GROL) remove POST in address for email

Yup. I fly (in) a 100% Corben Junior Ace.

-- Scott

RV-4 Gotta Fly or Gonna Die!

I think if you ask around most R/C flying clubs, that you'll find that quite a few people persue their love of aviation through full scale as well as R/C. Among my R/C friends are guys who own 172's, a 172RG, a 182, and a Baron twin. I'm not "loaded" so I can't afford to go out and buy what I would like. I got my ticket in the mid 80's and am currently building a Vans's RV-7A that I hope to have flying within 18 months (that, I can afford). The only conflict is that all my building time now goes to the RV so I now buy flying R/C aircraft when I need one rather than spend the time building them myself.

MJC

Fly gliders, used to fly hanggliders. Syndicated into a Duo Discus presently.

Flying full size is easier and when at a decent alt in the glider, much more relaxing. however, it takes all day to go gliding. It takes a couple of hours to tke the model out for a bash. (bash being the operative word today, don't you just love thin cyano?)

To All, Thanks for your responses. Regarding which is more difficult: I have been aware that most pilots find full scale to be easier than flying R/C. I know that I'm an exception.

You should know that I was a terrible student full scale pilot. I had no knack for it whatsoever. I didn't solo until 60 hours. 60. I eventually acquired what others have said are good pilot skills, but learning to fly full scale was the most difficult challenge I've undertaken, except for maybe learning differential equations. Having about 6 different instructors didn't help, I should add.

OTOH, I soloed R/C after about 3 days of instruction. So again, I'm an unusual exception. Dave

I started in a C46 carrying freight out of YIP, I had a commercial license smel with Inst. At age 40 (25 years ago) I went through a midlife crisis and give up a $100,000 a year job and went to work hauling auto parts for $300.00 a week and 3 cents a mile for all miles over 10,000. I flew for US Airways until the CIA , then went to work for Kalletta flying service flying Volperized Beech 18's an Lear 23 and 24's.

A few years later, when it got hungry out I went back into engineering (grin).

I also have private pilot glider rating. About 8000 hours total and 2 hours in helicopter. ( a whole 'nuther story)

ARF models have improved tremendously in the past couple of years. For many of us who used to build, they are attractive because they 1. cost less than building your own. 2. require little time (which I have so precious little of these days) and 3. You don't have the 'emotional' investment in an ARF that you would have in something you labored over.

I believe ARFs are almost singularly responsible for the explosive growth in the hobby. Anything that will be new blood and youth into our hobby is a good thing. "Dad" may not have the interest or time to build "junior" a kit but he'll spring for the ARF....thus getting both Dad and Junior involved.

I will still build something I am absolutely in love with and there is no ARF available. There still is a lack of ARFs in the large scale (80" or greater) warbirds (except for P51's which I am sick of). That's the area I am currently concentrating on so will be building some kits and plans.

BTW, yes, I have flown full scale and find it infinitely EASIER than flying R/C models because you can 'feel' the full sized aircraft in the seat of your pants and you are IN it! I used to teach Air Force fighter pilots to fly R/C. They had a terrible time! I made up a phrase they could understand which helped them: "When you fly R/C you are dealing with a moving air mass from a fixed land base"

Boy am I in the minority here!:) 3000+ hours J-3, T-6, T-28, T-33, F-84, F-86, F-100 and all the usual Cessna and Piper suspects + a slew of odd-balls. Most fun = J-3, PA-21 Supercub, and F-86. Scariest = T-6 and F-100. Easiest = T-28. Got my Ticket (Commercial, single engine land, instrument in 1955).

I soloed RC on my 3rd flight with a Senior Falcon /Merco 61 and I was looping, rolling, and spinning (sloppy but at least I knew how, by virtue of my full scale experience).

I've been sitting here for about an hour reading the responses, reminiscing, and wondering what's wrong with me for thinking that full scale is much more difficult than R/C. Then I thought about landing stages in the T-6, night landings in the T-6 (especially without landing lights), ITOs (instrument takeoffs) under the hood in the T-6, night formation (especially the join-ups), formation aerobatics (especially flying the slot), flameouts in the F-100 when if you couldn't make a suitable runway you ejected (*that* was easy ). My first solo instrument flight was especially harrowing. Had it not been for a great GCA operator at Eglin AFB I'd be dead.We had an incredibly high wash-out rate in training and I've never heard of or seen anyone washout of RC training.

In any event, the only difficulty I had in RC was losing orientation and learning to land facing the bird. For me full scale was much more difficult. It was incredibly more demanding both physically and mentally and if you screwed up death was a probability .

Maybe I just take things too seriously ;-))

Learned to fly full size back in the mid 80`s. Have the most time in 150, 152,

172, and a few Pipers. Have time with a buddy in his sailplane, also have time on hang gliders and an Ultralight and a few hours in a helicopter. Overall if I had to choose between the two (without any monetary concerns) I would choose R/C. Just thrills me a bit more. rick

Exactly. The mental load is much greater. Learning to land even a Cherokee in stiff crosswinds or our roller coaster 1800' grass field was exhausting. Navigating, communications, multi-tasking, ...you've got to be kidding me.

Of course this highly subjective, but I still do not see how anyone could conclude flying full scale is easier than flying R/C. Dave

How many R/C planes have you crashed, and how many Full Scale? I don't know of anyone that has a higher count in the second category, especially when you figure in crashes/hour. I don't think this is the defining criteria, but it does tend to skew your perspective.

I had learned to fly R/C first. Even with years of C/L experience, I went through a few planes pretty quick.

My first flight in a 172 surprised me pretty quick with the amount of right rudder required. Didn't take long to figure out, though. I put in my first landing a few minutes into the first flight, on the third time around the pattern. Soloed at 11 hours one week later, but I felt I was ready at the end of my second flight. Those numbers are pretty typical. That's not seen much in R/C, even with a lot of simulator practice.