paul devereux

But what you are saying isn't valid. The fatality rate is per passenger mile travelled, which makes flying safer than other modes of transport. Your argument is akin to saying the worst place to go if you are ill is to a hospital as so many people die there.

@Lima Hotel Foxtrot Thanks for posting this- fascinating! But the estimate they decided on was not £400 in the end- it was £1000 -£2,500!

@MattyB @Flying Squirrel@Andy Symons - BMFA @Ron Gray and others: on re-reading, I can see why my post was so controversial. I intended to say "if there was recklessness involved" it should be followed up with legal proceedings,etc. Of course, there may not have been- it could have been a mechanical failure that was unforeseen, for example. I was immediately thinking in terms of the Shoreham disaster- I know many think Andy Hill escaped justice. I was just trying to provide some balance to our gut reaction to feel sorry for everyone involved, when we should also be looking at wider causes and consequences- which I referred to. Of course it is tragic, no one would deny that.

I'm sorry to cause offence, it was not my intention to upset anyone. My reaction was just to the sentiment that it was an accident- it was of course, but it is also the sort of thing that will get aeromodelling banned- the public don't make distinctions between different types of model planes and neither do legislators. @Kim Taylor Don't leave, the mods will take appropriate action, which may be me leaving! Once again, I apologize for any offence, it was most certainly not my intention.

The model, according to the Express article was: a turbine-powered aircraft that weighs about eight kilograms and was flying at a speed of about 60 kilometres per hour at the time of the impact. It's incidents like this that give all RC planes a bad name with the public. And it is the kind of thing that will get all model flying banned. There will obviously be an inquest- I hope there is also a criminal investigation and prosecution. I have no sympathy with people being reckless with a turbine-powered plane or LSMs- it is the kind of thing that may affect us all, whether we fly them or not.

Well, you could knock me down with a feather! The CG is spot on now, it was over a quarter inch out previously. No wonder it was a pig to fly- I did wonder why it was recommended for beginners. And why SAFE made it worse. (I didn't realise the Tx had D/R either- it is quite sophisticated for a little model). I wonder why the manual didn't stress the CG stuff a bit more, I was using it straight out the box, so their QR should have told them it was variable? Not that I would have read the manual, of course, but some people might.

I can't check the manual as I threw it away with the box. But I usually balance a model on my fingers, between 25-30% back is good for a first flight, I reckon (I'm drawing on 50-year-old memories of aeromodelling as a child). I assumed because it is so small and light it wouldn't be critical. It now balances on the one and only spar. But it now flies where I point it and flies level hands off, which is the main thing.

toto, I hadn't been able to practise at all for over two weeks because of the wind- when I went out yesterday, contrary to my expectations my confidence had increased a lot, not decreased! So a complete break may do you good.

I have said I have very limited experience of SAFE, but what I had experienced I didn't like. I have a HZ Champ (I mistakenly called it a Cub) and found it almost impossible to fly with SAFE, and a handful without it. A couple of days ago I went to our local rec where people fly their little Eachine 400 mm warbirds. One saw the Champ in the air, thought it looked tail heavy, and suggested taping a pebble to the nose to see if it helped (pebble is pictured). It transformed its flight. I've since replaced the pebble with a more aerodynamic penny. Now that the model flies straight and true, SAFE is no longer a liability. Not that I use it anyway. I am surprised it came out of the box tail heavy. I thought they were designed down to the merest detail. And I hadn't read the manual so I didn't see the recommended CoG even if it was in it. It just goes to show.

But why would they get used to flying left hand circuits more?

A guy walks into a bar and orders three beers, downs them, then orders three more. The bartender decides to ask what it's all about. The guy replies "well, I've got two brothers, both serving abroad in the military. We used to meet up every evening for a beer, so now I'm drinking theirs in their absence". The guy continues to do this for about a year, until he comes in one day and orders only two beers. "I'm sorry for your loss", says the bartender gently, as he serves him. The guy is confused, and then says "oh no, nobody died. I just quit drinking."

I find left turns more instinctive, particularly when lining up to land. I thought it was due to having flown C/L planes as a child.

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I have used Kings Lynn Models Shop, Model Shop Leeds, Wheelspin Models, and a few others based in the UK - great helpful service from all. I often phone first (for advice) and they have always been helpful. Perhaps it helps that they are all bricks and mortar shops and not just an online supplier.

A rapid beeping was a reversed throttle for me (it was Futaba Tx being used on an ARTF).

Several forecasts say the unusually windy weather will end on Sunday. I managed one short flight Tuesday morning at 6am but that is all. I know it is good discipline to fly in wind but I don't find it pleasurable- for one thing, if the wind is coming from the sun I have to fly downwind all the time and I never like that.

Good ideas for making flying more structured, thanks all. I have been sort of trying to fly the criteria for A and B already (though I'm no where near there). What I have been doing is, doing stuff like rolling vertically and cutting the throttle, then recovering so that I get used to the odd orientation the plane is in- though I dare say it shouldn't really be in an odd orientation, it should be under control. I have had to practise spot landings because I'm flying from a quite restricted area.

Thing is, after two flights I feel that is enough. For a while.

Good ideas, thanks! In fact, enough ideas to last me a year or so! Stall turn and flying inverted is what I need to learn to do anyway never mind landing. The forecast says this wind will abate by the weekend so I can get some more practise in. Dead-stick, - I guess you mean from some altitude as I close the throttle before touch down anyway? I just saw this on YT while browsing landing:

I did a double-take when you suggested that take-offs and landings come after learning figure 8s and circuits, but then realised you were assuming an instructor. Solo learners have an advantage, in a way, of always having to practise them.

I'm lucky enough to own 2 acres of pasture land I can use for now, but when our surviving horse crosses the Rainbow Bridge it'll be rented out.

I'm confused by the above posts. So in this photo, which is the male connector and which is the female? I'm guessing left is male, right is female. Is this correct?

I was told about the Phoenix site and Flying Tech by someone on this forum a month or so ago, so I was more than pleased to pass the info on. For me, the money saved from buying Real Flight can go on another model.

I have been in the habit since the Autumn to fly one battery a day to practice. It was for over 10 mins but I've reduced the timer to 8 mins. Now the days are longer and warmer, should I try to get longer or is 8 minutes enough, I wonder? Sometimes one flight seems enough, especially if I have a bit of a near miss when orientation is a problem; then I revert to some straight and level flying for the rest of the flight. I wonder if I should push myself to do more, though?

Planes can't really fly backwards- they would stall. It's just a joke, because the ground speed is lowered..