Carl Robinson Posted December 25, 2019 Share Posted December 25, 2019 Hi all from soggy Devon. Complete newcomer to this hobby. My plan is to decide which would be the best club for me to go for a look and hopefully a taster and take it from there. Happy Christmas to you all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Fry Posted December 25, 2019 Share Posted December 25, 2019 Sounds like a good pl an. Welcome, from soggy France. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgwlm Posted December 25, 2019 Share Posted December 25, 2019 Hello Carl, Where are you in Devon? I am in Torquay, part of the Torbay & District Radio Flying Club. Feel free to message and we can sort out a days taster session for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cymaz Posted December 25, 2019 Share Posted December 25, 2019 Try this, hope to helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Chaddock Posted December 25, 2019 Share Posted December 25, 2019 Carl Good to find a club and to visit if possible before you buy your first plane. Worth watching how the existing members fly and ask about what flying rules they have. Don't assume all clubs are the same. If practical it may pay to visit more than one club. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Robinson Posted December 25, 2019 Author Share Posted December 25, 2019 Thanks everyone. The nearest two clubs to me are Blackdown and East Devon. I will have a look at both. I dont plan to buy anything yet until I have a look and hopefully have a try first. I like the idea of eventually getting a suitable trainer and getting a balsa kit to cut my teeth on building something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgwlm Posted December 25, 2019 Share Posted December 25, 2019 Hi Carl, have a drive over and come have a fly with us, I would recommend a max thrust riot to get you flying asap, then build something that you want to. A foam trainer is a good place to start, A hard decision is what radio to buy, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Harrison 2 Posted December 26, 2019 Share Posted December 26, 2019 Posted by Carl Robinson on 25/12/2019 22:07:43: Thanks everyone. The nearest two clubs to me are Blackdown and East Devon. I will have a look at both. I dont plan to buy anything yet until I have a look and hopefully have a try first. I like the idea of eventually getting a suitable trainer and getting a balsa kit to cut my teeth on building something. Carl, I know nothing of the clubs you mention, hope they prove worthwhile. I was in the same situation a very few years ago, so allow me a few comments. Probably like other clubs & societies (I've belonged to quite a few, helped to run several), r/c model aircraft clubs vary hugely in character. I visited some to check them out. Don't know your own preferences, but I am averse to heavy discipline! I value expertise and common sense health & safety (etc) combined with friendliness and a fairly laid-back atmosphere. One club I visited locally (Devon) was very well run, great facility, but the way tuition was arranged, and flying conducted, ruled it out for me - all too rigid, heavily procedural, hierarchical and so on. At the other end of the scale I visited (and briefly joined) a club with virtually no organisation - a bit too lax, though I preferred that one to the first... You'll find a variety of approaches to tuition for newbies, too, with most clubs (not all, some make it clear they don't encourage newcomers...) holding out the possibility of tuition, though in some cases this is more optimistic than realistic! With one or two clubs I found it all but impossible to arrange someone to tutor me at a mutually convenient time & date, plus in this country the weather conspires to muck up the best laid plans: my best flying and most reliable, helpful tuition has been in France where my club has a big site and the better weather (well, spring to autumn) permits visits to be scheduled far more reliably Probably your best bet is to suppress your personal tastes and just go for the club that offers you the best tuition - full stop. When you've learned to fly properly you can shop around for a club that fits your personal tastes and inclinations and character. It's what I should have done. Re those balsa kits, I understand your desire to get into that! Wanting to renew my youthful interest in building traditionally constructed kits was a key motivation for me too. I built a couple, and they flew very well under supervision - clearly my building skills hadn't disappeared. But when you have a go solo and crash one badly, it's upsetting... I'd advise buying an easy-flying foamie such as the Bixler 2, cheap replacement fuselage/wings if you do crash badly. Check it out. You'll find the right club, I'm sure. Took me a while but I belong to two, a medium sized club in France (owns its own large site with great facilities, good social life too with regular barbecues, quite laid back); and a very small informal English club of like-minded souls, friendly and co-operative. Best of luck, Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Gates Posted January 24, 2020 Share Posted January 24, 2020 Hello Carl, I hope you find a local club that suits you and that you enjoy your time with RC. It is not only people like you who are just starting in this hobby that have issues finding new clubs to join. I am an experienced flier but I have never really belonged to a club. I used to get involved with like minded modellers as a group who flew together and looked after each other in an atmosphere of mutual respect. With the loss of our flying site to development (gravel quarry), I had to find somewhere else to fly which meant a club to be joined. It took a while as some of the clubs I visited seemed to operate in cliques, others expected everyone to follow all the rules - except some of the established modellers, and at others the flying was awful even though "A" certificate had been gained by all solo flying members. I found a club which suited me and who excepted me and my experience. I love going flying with my new friends and look forwards to every weekend for my fix. Good luck and keep us posted of your progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Geezer Posted January 25, 2020 Share Posted January 25, 2020 Carl - do try the Blackdown Hills club - lovely bunch of blokes and probably the most beginner-friendly venue you could find ( hard to hit a tree or a hedge in the middle of an old WW2 airfield ). Oh, and it's where I caught the RC flying bug in the early 70s too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Robinson Posted January 25, 2020 Author Share Posted January 25, 2020 Posted by Old Geezer on 25/01/2020 10:03:15: Carl - do try the Blackdown Hills club - lovely bunch of blokes and probably the most beginner-friendly venue you could find ( hard to hit a tree or a hedge in the middle of an old WW2 airfield ). Oh, and it's where I caught the RC flying bug in the early 70s too. I did pop up there to have a look. I will hopefully join at a later date. I have started training with Shaun down at Torbay and with great help from Grant as well. Made to feel very welcome there. I have bought a Max Riot as my first plane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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