Learning to fly

[Peter Eve]

Hi Andy - just found your blog and it was like reading my life history but with one exception, my mentor didn't have a buddy box so there were a few hours in the repair shop now and again and, eventually, a replacement plane!

 I can confirm that starting with elev/rudder systems have their limitations but my Super Cub with its simple anti-crash system avoided most misfortunes.  The change to a Tutor 46 was nerve racking because it seemed to be so much faster.  When that hit the deck after quite some time - I had started loops and was landing every time - my lovely wife bought me a Phoenix RC sim and since then all has been well.  When I bought the Speedair 40 the sim was very much the same but, as you found, slightly more difficult, and I'm now on to rolling and Immelmanns - the sim is really working for me but the nerves still get to me when it's real!

 Wish you had written this 18 months ago!  Keep at it.

Peter 

[andy watson]

Hi Peter,

well although I did go out and buy a buddy lead neither of the guys that teach me use futaba!! So it's £10 completely unused!

The weather was surprisingly good today, so I managed to sneak out about 11 to find the field deserted. What is it with these guys- it's been raining a week, and looks like raining for another week! I went and got a haircut and decided to pop back to the field as I was still close. Hooray, a couple of people had ventured out- including Mark who had phoned me to let me know, except my mobile was on charge at home .

Got set up and as I pulled out the tube to fuel up noticed something was loose. A quick check of the engine revealed one of the 4 screws holding the back plate onto the casing had vibrated out completely, and another was loose. Sometimes things just don't go your way. So instead of flying I was heading off to the model shop, wallet in hand..........again. Fortunately only £1.50, although I did invest £2.50 in some thread lock to prevent it happening again. It was also cheaper noticing on the ground than up in the air! But I was annoyed to lose a perfectly good day of flying.

Spent the afternoon taking off the engine & replacing all 4 screws on the back plate. Took the opportunity to reorientate my exhaust, which has been venting straight over the wing and causing a bit of a mess.

The evening has also been fine, so I drove down again, hearing non stop weather forecasts about wind and rain over the next few days to discover another empty field. Blast it. Had fish and chips instead.

[andy watson]

Oh, in taking the engine off to change the screws I found the one that had fallen out had somehow fallen inside the fuselage, and it could have been fixed at the field.

[Kursal]

What a fantastic idea. I really enjoyed reading about your progress.

I just wanted to point out something that Peter mentioned:

 ...my Super Cub with its simple anti-crash system avoided most misfortunes. 

I think the Super Cub, for a starter plane, is a brilliant choice. Myself, I started on a Great Planes PT-40 MKII but the one thing about the Super Cub is that when you are ready to upgrade you can just strip out the electrics and rebuild them, and it's easy enough for a beginner to use as there first build.

[David Martin 2]

Sounds like a big disappointment for you Andy...!

Always worth giving everything a look over when you clean up the model at the end of each session to avoid that type of nightmare..........

[Tim Kearsley]

Just wanted to say Andy that I think you're doing the novice flyer a real service by posting your progress here.  I know when I was making those first few sorties into the great blue yonder I would have felt less lonely had a blog like this been around then!

Best of luck to you.

Tim.

[andy watson]

ell after the frustrations of yesterday I took a chance and drove the 15 miles to the flying field again.  I love my coupe, with it's 3 litre engine, but at this rate I might be looking for something more economical!   Disappointment again as it's pretty blustery and there is no one there.  I hang around and eventually someone does turn up- another pilot without an A.  Someone with a B shows up later, but he isn't staying- think he just popped down for a social, so after listening to the other guy complain about how the rule for unaccompanied non qualified fliers was stupid and didn't have any point  I headed back home.  If I had not listened so long I could have beaten the missus back and pretended not to have left the house, but I was rumbled.

Luckily she was playing netball tonight, so with her being out she was receptive to the idea of me trying again this evening.  I had a period of worry when her match was cancelled, but I managed to get away with it, and back off down the M66 I go.  I drive this road every day for work- and I am driving it more on my holiday!!

Having spent all afternoon moaning about what a bloody  stupid hobby this is, and that I should just buy a disposable park flyer so I could at least fly a plane once in a while, I saw a wondorous sight.  Not only was the sky beautifully clear, but there was barely a breath of wind.  Better than both of these though was the Andy messing around with some kind of WWII American fighter.  So for once I had all my ducks in a row: I was there, the weather was good, the plane was ready and an instructor was there...........let's fly.

Normally I like to take my time setting up, have a chat, a smoke, generally get myself settled.  I (graciously) allowed Andy to fly his plane, and was disappointed  when he said that was the last of his battery- uninterupted flying for me!!!

I

[andy watson]

Lesson 6

I took off, and immediately felt comfortable with the circuits.  It sounds silly, but the throttle makes a real difference (dur.....) but this is a sign I am using it more to control my flight.  Thinking back when I started I was flying one handed- aileron/elevator only, but now I am flying 2 handed most of the time- although the rudder seems a bit redundant at the minute!  So full power on take off, a bit of height, back on the throttle to just above half power to continue the climb then wings level and a bit more off the throttle.  At about 1/3 power the plane flys really slowly, straight and level.  I also feel like I have loads of time to do anything.  Just this variation in throttle makes things so much easier.

Andy wants to go straight into low passes as if landing- I told you he was pushy, so I start getting into position and dropping the engine to idle.  When I am turning I am doing a couple of things wrong- coming in too high, and not close enough to me.  This means my low passes, which are perfectly in control as well as being nice and flat, are not very low, and run parallel to the landing field rather than over it!!!  Whilst this is obviously not what we are looking for, I do get used to using the throttle to pull out, and start to get a feel for where I need to be.  The too high is a problem because I am feeding in too much elevator as I turn to approach- in effect trying to keep the turn level as in a circuit.  It takes a few goes but I start to get used to watching the 'plane drop off in the turn.  I don't like it when the plane falls out of the sky like that- but I need to get it close to terra firma sooner or later!!  It seems a long way out, but it glides in nicely, and soon enough my altitude is about right- I'm even getting the hang of blipping the throttle if I need a bit more, but I am still parallelling the runway too much.

We mess around with my angle of approach, and soon enough I am bringing it down the middle of the runway, and all at the right height too!!  Andy says to land it if I feel comfortable with everything (he's not that pushy really!) and next time round my little jumper lightly makes a 3 point landing down the middle of the field!!  I'm delighted- although I have landed it a couple of times before this time was different- I felt in control the whole way, and it went where I wanted when I wanted!  Up we go again, slow circuit and back for another.

Over the course of 3 flights (I normally only do 2) I must have landed that little plane more than a dozen times.  I had a couple where I pulled up and went round again- but never out of control.  Actually there was one early one where I was a bit out of shape, but recognised it very early and applied power, pulled back and comfortably got up and away.  I did overfly the pits that time - which might have got me a telling off, but that was the worst of it.  Anyway- maybe 20 landings, and it would be fair to sat the nosewheel was showing some wear with a small amount of bend backwards.  Still perfectly servicable- I think wear is a better description rather than damage!!

I really felt like 2 steps forwards today- or at least one big one.  ood news too in that Andy is on holiday next week, and weather permitting will be at the field a lot.  Starting to think maybe I will get my A before I go back to work after all.

I need some kind of sign off for these posts!  Suggestions welcome!

[David Martin 2]

Tally Ho..............?

 You sound like a natural to me Andy.........

[Bruce Richards]

How about "Up up and away"? May be tempting fate though

[Rick Tee]

How about 'bin liner still in the car'....

[andy watson]

Wow- over a thousand views..........

Anyway, you wait a week for a decent flying day, then 2 come along at once!!

Lesson 7

Got to the field brimming with confidence after yesterday- I should have known that would spell trouble.  One thing I didn't mention yesterday was the engine sounded a little rough, and we actually had a couple of dead sticks.  I was supposed to have checked the clunk hadn't come out, but what with finishing flying late and starting (relatively) early today I never quite got round to it. 

Actually there seemed to be something going around today.  I watched as one blokes plane tipped over and flew into the ground, one hit the longer grass and shear off half a prop, and another lost all control and headed off to make a reasonable landing on it's own on the neighbouring golf course!  So off I set, and I take off, hit a nice height, throttle back and do a few circuits.  I'm with Mark today, so I tell him I will try some landings.  First one drops in about 5 feet short of the runway and goes over.   blast, 20 landings yesterday and first one today is worse than all the others put together!  Nosewheel has caught the grass and bent.  I grab the mole grips, remove the nosewheel and straighten it.  Off we go again, and I bring it in ok a couple of times before I get a dead stick.  Hmm, maybe I should have looked at that clunk. 

The problem is I know the instructions told me to glue a big block of wood behind the tank, and it won't come out.  So I take a knife to it, trying to slither away enough to slide out the tank.  No luck, and in the end I cut it out completely.  I immediately see the clunk has somehow got wedged up by the neck of the tank, so the actual fix is easy enough.  The threading of the pipes back through the holes in the fuse was more awkward with the engine in place- but I didn't want to take that off again!!  I eventually managed it, and the engine seemed a lot happier for it.

Up, up and away.  I wanted to check the engine, so rather than landing I did some circuits in both directions to practise those.  For some reason I always go off clockwise, never anti.  When satisfied the engine was fine I did another couple of landings and called it a day.

In hindsight it wasn't a bad day by any event, but it was a lot more stop start than yesterday, which just went perfectly.  I felt like I was doing a lot of running repairs and not doing as well as before, although I am happy when the plane comes back in one piece- anything beyond that is a bonus!!  So if not a step backwards it was a stuttering step sideways today!!

[David Martin 2]

I had that problem when I used to use the square tanks that have coloured tops....the pick up pipe would somehow bend round on itself and get trapped in a bottom corner and no end of shaking the model would release it..!  I would take out the tank, hold it up and the bloody thing would fall down on it's own..!!!  Mine always showed itself by starving the engine if inverted for more than about 10 seconds and with an Acrowot, that was annoying..!  I fitted a tank with more rounded corners and that cured that straight away..

Seems odd you saying about you naturally seem to turn clockwise, I think it's more natural to pull the aileron stick to the right than push it over to the left and I used to roll a lot more to the right when I started aeros as a concequence, to this day, a quarter of a century later, right rolls seem more natural than left to me..!!

As your flight numbers increase, keep an eye on the tubing where it slides over the muffler pressure nipple, it'll brittle up with the heat and reduce back pressure to the tank, making a rough engine, mine wants a little snipping off and refitting about every 30-40 flights....

Keep up the good work mate, we're all watching..........cheers...........

[andy watson]

Lesson 8.

Not even sure if this should count, but never mind.  One trip to the field earlier found Andy just setting off to look for his glider which he had lost sight of in low cloud and had disappeared!  The weather was pretty crappy, and a couple of us sat in the rain huddled under umbrellas looking at the weather to see if it would clear and writing off Andys chances of seeing his glider again.  After about 30 minutes Andy returned with his glider in bits, but happy to be able to rescue the electronics.  No sign of a break in the weather, we all gave up.

Late the girls announcede their intention to go see a chick flick, I refused and promptly snuck back out to the field as the weather was now perfect.  No one there. .  In the end I sat and listened to the football on the radio, then chatted to another wanabe flyer who turned up, listened to a bit of the post match phone in, gave up and set off home.  I was about 1/2 a mile from the field when I noticed a tail sticking up on the back seat of a car going the other way, so I turned round and went back to the field.

It was a guy called Ray I had met a few times.  Seems like a nice enough guy, but he is (or at least looks and sounds like) one of the "gruff older gentlemen" that make up a good proportion of the club.   He said he was prepared to take me up. but warned me he flys mode 1, whereas I fly mode 2- so if I get out of shape it would be much harder for him to help.  On my head be it- I said lets go for it.

Took the plane up, and apart from a low sun which had suddenly burst radiantly through a gap in the clouds, all was well.  The "warm up circuits" were fine, and we started to do some low passes.  I was doing OK, but making some of the same mistakes as before with regard to my angle of approach.   They were all there or there abouts, but some a bit diagonal or over the grass next to the field.  Ray pointed out that my turns into the approach were not 2 90 degree turns, but actually 1 long banking 180, and that was what was causing me to be too far over.  He was absolutely right when I saw it, and was determined to make the necessary correction.  I landed it, which stopped the prop, so I went to refuel whilst Ray had a bash on one of his planes. 

Took off again, did a circuit, and was coming round for another when the plane suddenly darted off in a strange direction.  Now the obvious cause for this is pilor error, but I couldn't think that I had done anything to cause it; and a few seconds later it happened again.  Was this the result of an over correction from the previous episode?  To be honest I have no clue.  If I did something, I don't know what it was.  I brought the plane down for a reasonable, but very tense landing, and there was no obvious cause.  We did a range check- just to see, but that was fine, and there was no obvious thing to have caused it.  I don't mind if it was me, but if it was I would like to have known what I did.  I will give the plane a good going over before flying again, and will make sure I am with Andy or Mark who fly mode 2 before I take it up again- not that this is any reflection on Rays ability to fly mode 1! 

So in total I got maybe half a tank of fuel through the plane- but as I said to Ray, any flight where I put it into the car in the same number of pieces as I took it out is a good one for me

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Well done Andy, check batteries - they're often the cause. Give the receiver pack a good cycle if you have the requisite charger.

[Peter Eve]

Hi Andy - yes, I guess what David is saying is that when the battery gets low and you make demands on more than one servo at a time, the volts can dip below the working level for the receiver. I use a Spektrum and they modified their receiver to give a 100ms recovery time for such dips.  I'm sure David will know if Futaba have a similar problem.  I fitted a simple battery voltage monitor, you can stir the sticks and watch it to see if things are getting tight.

 Knocked the front off my Hangar 9 Mustang yesterday so it's a good job rain is forecast, there's a bit of workshop time ahead.  You might like to know though that it has been an easy move from my Speedair 40 to the Mustang - just remember to keep the stick back when taxying and at start of take off!  When it's fixed I hope to discover what I did wrong, but higher up!

I still try to share your target - take home the same number of bits.  keep going, you must be nearly there. 

[andy watson]

Well after the latest crap weather, I had been looking forwards to the best day according to the weatherforecast.  (Is that 1 word or 2?).  Warning the family I wouldn't be home until I ran out of fuel, I set off and found a field packed with people.    No sign of the cause of the plane to misbehave last time- so I put it down to me doing something.

Lesson 9

Andy was with another learner who turned up with a plane for it's (and his) maiden flight.  It looked as if he was going to be some time, but Warren was there, so he kindly took me up. 

Circuits were nice and tight straight away. I had realised, after my short lesson with Ray that on my down wind cross wind leg (if that makes any sense) before landing I wasn't actually doing a proper circuit.  I was doing a long gradual 180 rather than 2 nice 90's.  It's really funny how swapping an instructor makes you really analyse your flying.  This was meaning I wasn't coming across far enough and was angling into the field.  I made effort to pull myself further over and turn properly, and soon enough I was routinely coming over the middle of the patch.  I was doing a low (well low for me anyway!) pass right over the field when I got a dead stick.  Too low to even think about handing over, I pulled back on the elevator to lose some speed, brought it down on the field- although it was spoiled by going too fast towards the long grass, and I turned the wrong way on the rudder and steered straight into it!!  Warren was really pleased with how I had dealt with it.  He thought I had panicked a bit when I applied the up, but actually I didn't.  I wanted to slow the plane down, and that was how I chose to do it.  Apparantly that was a mistake, because if I had stalled it would have been much worse than a slightly fast landing at the bottom of the field.   should have just let it glide in, since it was straight and level when it cut.  So the first of many trips today to the hole in the fence which is just the right size to straighten out a bent nosewheel.

That was the first of maybe a dozen flights.  Warren, Andy & Mark took me up at various times, and whilst some of my landings were a bit bumpy they were all on the field and good enough.  A few minor bent nosewheels were repaired faster than a F1 pit crew.  There was no repeat of the dead stick.  I think that was my fault as I left the fuel in from the last time I flew (which I know is very bad practice) and I guess that will have degraded it.  There was also no sign of the plane misbehaving as it had done last time- so again I think I have to assume I did something stupid. 

[andy watson]

Lesson 9 continued 

The wind got progressively stronger through the day.  Whilst never strong enough to be a problem to any experienced pilot, it was starting to challenge me a bit.  One reason is I try to fly on minimum throttle.  Flying upwind the plane was going almost walking pace, yet it was picked up as I turned downwind and raced along.  That took some getting used to, but what was worse was it was shifting a little bit, so sometimes it was pushing me around a bit on my approaches. 

I was starting to get a bit tired, and had more or less decided I had had my last flight for the day- especially as the wind was up a bit, but I decided to have one more.  I took it up, flew my circuits no problem, when I heard a thump.  There was another learner flying at the same time as me, and as I was concentrating on my plane I didn't see what he had done, but it sounded grim.  That was plane #3 of the day as a glider and an SE5 had had mishaps earlier. 

My turn to land, and the wind was making me a little uncomfortable, as the downwind leg felt like the plane was running away from me.  Maybe I should hand over to Mark- possibly, but even with hindsight that would have been cautious to the point of cowardice.  There wasn't any real reason to hand over.  he turn in and approach didn't "feel" right.  Nothing so bad as to really show up, but constant corrections and adjustments.  I nearly applied the power for another go, but I was in about the right place at about the right time.  So I brought it in, and somehow at the last moment got in a bit of a tangle.  I think there was a bit of a crosswind gust, and in correcting that I really bumped it in.  The plane bounced and rolled slightly- hitting the left wingtip and flipping over.  Was my plane #4?  I was worried, as it went in with a bit of a thud, but on inspection the wing tip had held up fine, and though the undercarriage was bent (not just the nosewheel this time) everything was fine.  I returned to the pits slightly embarrassed after my worst ever landing.  It could have been worse though- the other guy was trying what to do with his wings that were in bits!  So a lucky escape and a bit of a lesson, although sooner or later you need to push what you are comfortable with to improve.

[Fog Dart]

Im sure most of what Andy has blogged here wouldnt go amiss in your mag.  Just what you need when your starting out i reckon (like me) as its a real insight into what to expect, the highs and the lows.

 My personal effort to get airbourne is no further ahead than it was 3 weeks ago due to lack of funds and not wanting to buy cheap crap just to get in the air, but hey pay-day is just around the corner which should cover the 2.4 setup and drivetrain, then i am ready (After joining bmfa)

Keep up the good work fella, a well deserved pat on the back

[David Ashby - Moderator]

No I agree Foggy, it's a really good honest account with all the highs and lows. You're doing well Andy, keep up the good work.

[Rick Tee]

Andy there's never any need to feel embarrassed, no matter what others may say, there is NOTHING you can do that most of us haven't done at some time or another.

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Andy, can I quote some of your learnings in the magazine beginners series?

[andy watson]

Of course David- I would be delighted!  I subscribed the other day- so make sure it's in an issue I will get!!

Well today is officially the last day of my holiday, since the rest of it is weekend.  I have completely failed in passing my A before the end of the holiday.   As you can see from the fact today is the 10th time I have got a plane into the air, the weather has really worked against me.  Anyway, I have been working most of the week, after looking and seeing the weather was better this weekend, so a dart into work, and then sloping off to the field. 

 Lesson 10

Well the weather was perfect for flying, just about dead calm, and overcast- so no glare from the sun.  Unfortunately it was also the kind of weather that wouldn't get people desperate to stand in a field.  I nearly left it, but thought I would chance it.  Only 1 person there when I arrived, a septegenerian called Bill who has a nice collection of little electric planes that he flys round gently.  It's probably a sign of growing competence and confidence that I was happy to ask him to take me up, even though he is not a recognised instructor within the club.  I took off, but only just- the grass hasn't been cut this week (too wet) and my little plane struggled to get speed up.  Bill was the one that first mentioned about throttle control to me, a number of weeks ago, about flying slowly to give myself more time.  I think he was quite pleased to see me reigning in and pottering round on my circuits.  We then did a good number of low approach passes and all of them were nice and straight down the field.  Unfortunately the only one that wasn't perfectly straight was the one I actually landed with, and my jumper ended up in its regular position at the side of the field nose into the long grass!  Still, it's easier than pinching the fuel line to stop the engine

Whilst I was recovering another guy called Jack turned up.  Jack has a lot of respect around the club as he builds his own engines- he is also a pretty good flier to boot .  Jack took me up for my second flight of the day, and I think he was a bit nervous.  The jumper will fly really slowly, but Jack was worried about me stalling, and constantly on at me to feed a bit more power in!  Bill, like Andy, likes me to use all the space around me, so I was flying nice wide circuits.  I said I wanted to do some more approaches, and for some reason suddenly started cutting the corner where I throttled back.  I have no idea why, and I did it repeatedly.  So whilst my approaches were still on line, I was generally too high.  We did a few- and I struggled not to cut the corner- again for no good reason.  Anyway, we then went back to circuits, but he asked me to reverse them, and it was really useful practice.  They were tidy and level.  I reversed again and landed down the middle of the park!

[andy watson]

Lesson 10 cont.Gerry offered to take me up, but did warn me he would give me a hard time.    He started right from the off, being very strict on my whole starting procedure!  It was actually very good, because it felt like I was taking my test, and really focused my mind. Circuits, and I was really enjoying Gerry's sharp instructions of left, right, up, down etc.  He then had me flying some strange shaped circuits, and I was simply following instructions, but concentrating on keeping my turns neat and sharp.  I was a bit flummoxed at certain instructions, like "turn towards the farmers house." I don't know where the farmer lives!   Approaches, but Gerry wanted me to adjust my line using the rudder, but the snap command of rudder left took me by surprise, and I didn't do a very good job.  We did a couple more, and they went better.

Gerry was happy, so asked if I wanted to try something new.  I said yes, and he said we would do a loop.  The last loop I did was fly straight, full throttle, pull back, release throttle, level off.  Gerry does it slightly differently in that likes the plane in a shallow dive to build speed first.  Got a decent approach and looped!     Time for some figure 8s.  They weren't the tidiest, and I noticed that the plane was often going behind me, or that my circles were getting smaller and smaller as I banked more sharply.  I was struggling to control it.  Gerry then suggested we try something different, and sent me off to the corner, and started firing off instructions- lefts and rights.  I was soon doing tidy square figure of 8s until Gerry called a left, and I turned right!   Gerry then said we would do something else, and told me to get the plane high.  I climbed and climbed, and Gerry said throw both sticks across to the right.  The plane dived into a spiral......I held it......... then released and pulled out comfortably.  It might have been nicer to know what to expect, but by this stage I was simply following instructions.  Another loop says Gerry, and as I was getting into position he was saying something about being inverted.  Anyway, nice loop height, Gerry calls nose down (meaning for the gentle dive) and I misunderstood what he wanted and put full down elevator in!!!   Instead of the gentle dive Gerry was expecting I did an outside loop!!!  Gerry didn't know what I was doing, and I thought I was doing what he wanted!!  When the plane was inverted I did a half roll and pulled up and out to level flight!!    The funny thing is that at no time did I think I was in any trouble- I knew where the plane was, I knew which way up it was, and which controls were required to bring the plane to where I wanted it.  There was only one real danger, and that was we were at a good height to do a normal (upwards) loop; which I guess is lower than you might prefer to be for an outside (downwards) loop.  Gerry was amazed- partly that we had managed to get our wires so badly crossed, but also that I kept in control throughout.

[andy watson]

Lesson 10 cont again!!

 I think I had terrified Gerry with my acrobatics, so we went back to circuits, and landed without further incident!   Funnily enough I felt really happy with everything.  I know Gerry didn't intend me to do what I did, but (mistakenly) set the challenge I coped with it, and didn't panic.  I was comfortable throughout- who knows, maybe there is a career for me as an acrobatic pilot.

I did another couple of flights, but to be honest I can't remember much about them!

My last flight was with Jack again, and we went back to figure 8s.  He was generally telling me off (in a good way!) about a lack of control in my 8's, when suddenly something clicked.  We moved the figure 8's further away, so they weren't going over my head, and sudddenly gave me a much better perspective to see the full circles.  They became, if not perfect, then perfectly accpetable figure 8s in the sky.

 So a strange day.  I almost flew my plane at full power into the ground, but actually everything went well.  I did everything on the A test, and passed them all at some point.  Landings were fine all day, so it was only the figure 8 which gave me some problems, but were fine by the end. 

And the aerobatics were fun!