Learning to fly alone

[Ralph Day]

Tom,

I have been trying to learn on a Funcub too. My little Hobbyzone Champ (wingspan of 16" rudder, elev and throttle controls) has spoiled me. It can fly in my 1 acre clearing just fine. I can do most anything with it (landings are short, no roll out...the grass is long). The funcub was a challenge from the get-go. Any winds and I'm all over the place. Even the instructor at the club I belong to doubted being able to learn on it.

The problem might be the need of lots of expo. When buddy-box tethered you're flying with whatever is available. In my case a Spektrum 5e (came with the Phoenix sim), which has no expo, just dual rates. What does anyone dial in for expo when early flying of a Fun cub? (good radio is a DX6i). I suspect I don't have the expo rates high enough for starting out with a light foamy. I haven't had a Fun flight with it yet, just white knuckle experiences. Yet the little foam champ is fun to fiddle with, providing the wind is light enough not to wiggle the leaves on the trees (calm).

There's a Kadet LT40 on the bench being electrified. I've heard it's the go-to trainer (or was in years past). Maybe the FC will just be my "next" plane, once I' have more experience.

Ralph (from the wilds of Canada)

[Tom Stonell]

Hi Ralph,

I had mine at 70% travel but no expo. It can be twitchy in wind, I have found it tips the wing right over sometimes, it's just a case of keeping on top of it.

I don't have anything to compare it to but It does twitch quite a lot in light winds, it's just a case of not panicing! Are you sure the plane's CG is all balanced correctly?

[Ralph Day]

Thanks Tom

I had the travel adjusted down to the recommended for beginner, but therewas not enough reaction for saving by the pilot on the other end of the training tether. I may take a shot in a farmers field, but as this is a long time comittment (the hobby) I'm not going to rush/crash/regret.

I'm actually making a balsa kit model for my next next airplane. I'ts supposed to be my winter project, but it's largely done and it's only October. Oh well, have to get another to work on

Ralph

[Paul Langford 2]

Hi Guys,

I have been teaching myself to fly via a simulator, to see if it can be done

A little background, I am a sim racer - online car racing, very sofisticated software ( I - Racing) laser scanned tracks and cars, this stuff is used by race teams/drivers etc and I have built a very good simulator at home, triple screens high end PC - T500 F1 replica steering wheel with full Force Feed Back etc, in all about £5000 worth, and what it has done has given me the ability to transfer what I have learned into the real world and I have driven Formula Ford at Donnington a Ferrari/Formula ford at Silverstone and my own //M3 at Nurburgring and Silverstone and the Sim at home prepared me well for the tracks......

So I had beeen on my RC Sim for about 2 months in the run up to Xmas last year, with my Dynam Spitty and my Stinson SR10 ready asembled and waiting, on New Years day I could wait no longer and went out in the morning with the Stinson and 2 fully charged batt's.....the feelings where mixed at this point, excitment and absolute fear the wind was about 12mph, I had been practicing on the sim in 20mph wind so I wasn't too bothered, I did all my checks, range etc and went for it, take off was good it eventually came unstuck after a little up elevator and power and I was up and on a circuit, I had completly forgotten to select my lo-rates for the first flight and was on Hi and was letting her fly straight to see if she needed trimming anywhere.......fingers off sticks and she flew straight and true, with no trim at all needed I did a few circuits and fig 8's and then started to get a bit more confindent and did a few loops and low(ish) passes, the 8 mins I had allowed on my timer was over too quick and I brought her in for my first landing, too high, too fast, so I powered up and went around again, this time my approach was much better and she came down nice and gently and just tipped over on her nose as she was coming to a stop, no damage, RESULT ....

the second flight was with a more powerful batt and I was much more confident from the off, flight and landing went well, came home in one piece.....thanks to the time on the sim it was very familiar and felt normal, just had to get used to the wind "gusting" but it was easy to adjust to, it helped that the plane a Parkzone Stinson was very stable and predictable.....

I will get a dozen flight under my belt and then think about the Spitfire

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Erfolg]

Well Paul, you seem to be far better than me. Years of flying, and I still have moments of doubt, which way is it going, am i in front or behind the tree.

As to flying in a 20 mph wind, I would reservations, with many models. Some would be fine, like a glider. Though i find turbulence when landing an issue.

I am sure we will see you on the demonstration/show circuits shortly.

[Ernie]

wow, It took me over a year to get there.

ernie

[Chuck Plains]

I'm hoping to teach myself this year. I've had BMFA cover since last summer, and will renew again this year. I joined my local club too, and have had a couple of flights with assistance.

But I'd like to fly every evening if I can, plus Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and it takes a 23 mile round trip every time I go there.

So, as someone with, not overly generous finances, but who wants to make planes and not just have then sitting about, I decided to fly in a field at the back of my work place. It was almost completely flooded for several weeks, just at the wrong time for the farmer to get planting, so it seems to have been left 'fallow' so far. It's bare earth at the moment, but very soft, plus bits of stone in places. Heh, a bit like Mars!

If I can find the farmer, I will get proper permission, but I think my leccy scratch built foamy basher trainer does more harm to itself than the soil. In spite of the prop saver.

Stick time, stick time. That's what we need, and eventually we will learn, well, something.

[TigerOC]

Can I support the club route. New to R/C and interests lie in gliding. I was recommended by an instructor to get an EPP combat sloper (SAS Fusion 46) and 6 channel and learn from there.

Have had it since December and despite knowing that the cg was correct and R/C worked, have never been able to fly it on my own. A group from the club went out this weekend and asked me to come along to learn the ropes. Turns out the mixing on the sloper was all wrong. 5 minutes of fiddling and she was set and in the air. Have spent all winter on a simulator and it was my turn. Got a 30 second flight and was in control. The lift wasn't great and everyone was struggling to get up. Have made a start and learnt a lot in the few hours. Was out again today on my own. Lift was still not great but I have managed to keep it in the air for 3 minutes until I ran out of lift. But I am learning about trim and control.

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

You're dead right. For some there is no alternative but to go it alone - and I really feel for them. It is a very hard (and potentially expensive!) way to learn. But if you can get some instruction it very much better. Help from someone who knows the ropes results in much faster progress. A lot of lone beginners struggle because they are not only having to learn to fly - as if that isn't difficult enough - they are trying to do it on a model that isn't well set up, so they're having to fight that as well.

Glad you had a good experience - stick with it and you'll soon be giving the others a run for their money!

BEB

[Chuck Plains]

Heh. I have to laugh at myself. My last flight was on a gusty day wit hmy diy trainer, (yes a 30 inch foamboard plane is a bit small for the purpose, but cheap) and the last 2 seconds of the flight are etched in my brain like a video. The plane was moving away from me, down wind by about 50/60 metres. (you notice I didn't say 'flying' It was pointing vertically at the ground with the top facing me, and appeared to be moving quicker horizontally that towards the deck. It then entered the soft soil and I laughed out loud. Because, in my loss of orientation, I had the elevator pushed fully forwards! ROFLLLL! I'm sure it wouldn't have recovered whatever I did, but .... Twas funny.

Hopefully my next flight will be on Wednesday with me new Bixler 2. Forecast is 9 to 10 mph with no gusts.

[Chuck Plains]

Well, I stopped by the services on the top of Haldon Hill on my way back to Exeter to celebrate my first successful day of flying. Six flights with me 'landing' the plane. And by the last one I managed to put her down just 20 feet from me feet!!! I love my Bixler 2!

A choccy bar and hot coffee to celebrate, which I immediately spilled into the glove box.

[Modonaut]

Like many other pursuits in life you are doomed to failure if you are not cognicent with all the potential problems involved and how to go about solving them. Also being well in touch with reality is an essential qualification. As r/c aeroplane flying is an extremely multi disciplined pursuit its quite unlikely that many people stepping off the street would be able to meet with success totally on their own.
However, I think you could learn to fly a r/c model on your own, if you understand the essentials of how a plane flies and you read plenty of books and related magazines and are capable of taking and acting on the advice therein and obviously that includes the construction and state of readiness of your model. Plus I would add getting experience even on Microsoft Flight simulator will teach important lessons about how a plane flies and some of the problems. Many people are now saying that a r/c simulator, (like Phoenix) especially for helicopters is totally essential in order not to be constantly subject to the inevitable looming failures.

[Nev Haycox]

I for one think a r/c flight sim is essential for learing to fly helicopters if learning alone.

Having not been in the hobby that long I would be interested to know how novices learnt to fly helis before flight sims came along. There must have been some really patience instructors and beginners with deep pockets

Nev.

[Bearair]

Racing snake think on the guys who learnt to fly helis before the advent of gyros!

[Nev Haycox]

That's got to be the ultimate hand/eye coordination test.

[Erfolg]

Bearair

You are so correct, they would retreat to a corner of the field and try and get into a hover, tail on, rise a few feet. Seldom went anywhere.

In contrast today, as an observer, they seem rock solid, it seems that the machine goes where it is pointed. The trick these days seems to be able to master all the switches, to allow the inverted flight, rolls tic tocs etc. Looks easy, although I am sure it is not. As for flight simulators, the only ones i have tried, seem to be as difficult as flying a co-axial, so I am not sure they replicate the real thing.

Learning to fly by yourself must be quite a challenge though. It is knowing that when things are not going well, it is you who has to resolve the problem, without making things worse. Especially if you have just saved the model, momentarily.

Although when I learnt, there were no buddy leads, no simulators and the models seemed to be designed to be made from boiler plate and flew like a duck, that had just been shot.

So for me it is, a well done, well done indeed.

[chris sibson]

I managed to teach myself with a GWS slow stick. Brilliant little plane, let down by the need for a near calm day for flying. After getting the rudiments of control, I progressed to a Hobbyzone supercub. Wonderful plane ( with the 'training' system turned off!). Practically flew itself, with only minor corrections from myself to go where I wanted it to go. Three or so years later I can now happily fly most things, twins, bipes and EDFs. It can be done, it just takes perseverance ( and probably more cash than the average club learner spends! )

[Tony Harrison 1]

As a prospective r/c flyer I've found this thread very interesting, and useful. I've been around the club/recreational world a long time, in various fields - cinema, fishing, shooting - and have served on several committees. I recognise the picture painted of clubs, good & bad, by contributors here... OTOH re shooting in particular, I recognise the need for discipline - you can't get more rule governed than shooting, and any infringement of range safety rules attracts immediate displeasure and action up to and including suspension....

Model aeroplanes do not seem to me to be in the same category. I'm disturbed to read accounts of would-be r/c flyers getting the brush-off, being neglected, treated with disdain, and so on.

As an individualist - most of my shooting is alone, in the field, shooting quarry not targets - I'm perfectly able to exercise all the self-discipline needed for safety & consideration; I would react very adversely to some of the snotty senior club types depicted.... I hope these are untypical. I'm just starting to look around in S.Devon for a suitable club - just emailed one, waiting for a reply... If need be i'm perfectly prepared to try and teach myself, have access to land, am technically not incompetent, can build kits, did so as a teenager with rubber free-flight Keilkraft.

Let's see how we get on. Impressed by the wealth of info on this site.

[Andy48]

Hmmm as someone who was a qualified live firing range officer for a variety of weapons, I would have to say that the potential for injury or death with model planes is almost as great as with a gun. At least with a gun, the bullet generally goes where the gun is pointing.

[Rich too]

With respect Martin you could apply that to almost anything - Jetskis perhaps.....Rich

[Tony Harrison 1]

Posted by Martin Phillips on 10/06/2013 20:34:08:

Hmmm as someone who was a qualified live firing range officer for a variety of weapons, I would have to say that the potential for injury or death with model planes is almost as great as with a gun.

I wasn't belittling the potential for injury from model aircraft, just making the point that I'm perfectly familiar with safety discipline in a field that is rather more potemtailly lethal. Sure, I wouldn't want to be struck by a model aircraft at speed with a whirling prop, but it doesn't seem to me in the same league as a high-velocity varmint bullet built for explosive fragmentation and travelling at something over 3000fps... We're taking about instant death or major trauma involving the loss of a limb, if constant attention to safety is not paid.

The overriding point was that all recreations have clubs & societies, and I felt immediate sympathy with those would-be r/c flyers put off by the inadequate or hostile attitudes of certain club types that I recognise from my own long experience. And for a significant minority, the world of clubs & societies offers an irresistible opportunity for self-aggrandisement and ego-inflation by bossing other people around - which probably explains a great deal of attempts at self-teaching. Hope I don't have to follow that route myself.

[Andy Renn]

Hi Martin, I think Dickster missed a far more lethal weapon that plenty of people never think of, the motor car. I understand your concern about powerful model aircraft in unskilled hands it could be a problem, but there are a lot more responsible flyers out there than there are responsible car drivers. We will never stop idiots from doing harm to persons and property whether in cars or flying model aircraft.

You say that you "hope you dont have to follow that route" but for some it is the only route. I chose that route because I prefer to fly in a very remote area on my own where I can enjoy flying with nature and without the distractions of modern every day life poking its nose in. I hope that one day you can get out into the countryside away from everything and with every precaution taken, "enjoy flying with nature"

[Andy Renn]

And guys, this I think is the fifth anniversary of the start of this post.

Congratulations everyone

Andy

[Rich too]

Andy, I deliberately chose a "hobby". To compare the dangers of rc with any of a number of other hobbies/sports (motorsport anyone) is simply ridiculous - Rich