Rikflip Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 Hi. I’m looking at buying my son (and possibly myself) a good rc plane. some questions though. 1. Do I need a licence? 2. Can we fly wherever we can in a field or do we have to join a club or something? 3. Any recommendations for a plane? Budget being £80-£200 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarlyBird Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 Welcome to the forum @Rikflip. Where about in the world are you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Griff Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 You have a lot of research to do, lots of research. If you live in a hilly area or on the coast, watch what the birds do. If you see then "soaring" or hanging in the air or traveling along a ridge, is it a bird or an RC slope soarer ? Look at beginners threads on here and look on Bmfa website, as new "LAWS" came into effect in Jan this year. If there is a club near you, soarers and/or powered, find out if you can visit and watch, but remember Covid ! A glider, either electric powered to get to hight ( how high are you allowed ? ) and/or slope soarer 2 channel, as 2 controls is enough at the begining, out is the fresh air, silence and the fuel ( s westerly winds ) is free ! So, research research research. Your training starts now by saying out load " when the aircraft is coming towards me, for straight and level flight, prop the dipping wing with the stick " After a week you will "think it" and after a few flights it will be "instinctive" which it needs to be ! You will know why after some practical flying research. The other research is legal stuff and which model, NOT a spitfire, thats at least 3 years away. Sonata or similar.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Griff Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 Load should read loud Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 (edited) If you are in Britain there is the legal requirement to pass the CAA test or BMFA equivalent to fly any model over 250 grams or with a camera at any weight. See the British Model Flying Association guide for a start. Joining a club is the best way - see BMFA for list of clubs near you Edited March 21, 2021 by kc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 Model planes are a great hobby for fathers and sons. There are really two sides to the hobby - building planes and also flying them. Most people do both but some only fly and rely on ready built planes. If you state which interests you we can advise you of a suitable trainer to start with. If you state roughly where you live then probably the forum members will tell you of their club. You need the landowners permission to fly and that's why it's better to join a club. You should go along to a club and find what radio makes their instructor uses before you buy any radio gear. Instructors probably want you to have the same make they use so they can connect with a buddy lead for training. Also find what Mode they fly ( Mode 1 throttle right or Mode 2 throttle left ) as once you learn you won't change. The CAA test is easy and designed to ensure you know the laws that apply to model flying. Then you get an Operators Number to put on your plane. Insurance is ( strangely) not a legal requirement but only a fool would fly without insurance nowadays. BMFA membership includes insurance and your club can arrange that as they won't let you join without insurance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Whisky Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 Welcome to our wonderful hobby. There are several interesting learning curves ahead of you, and learning to fly the model is only one of them. There is a lot of useful information on our Club website here ... https://dmfc.org.uk/articles and the website also has links to many other sources too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyGnome Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 (edited) Hi Rikflip. Welcome! Do you know if this is likely to be along term hobby with aspirations to fly, for example, a Spitfire? Or is it just a taster to see how you enjoy it? Times are changing. Previous advice was always to join a club, get taught properly on a 'standard' trainer, using a buddy box with an instructor so he could take control when you got into difficulty..... these would have been made of wood, and required a significant investment in time and money. Technology has moved on and you can now purchase a ready to fly model, packed with technology to help you teach yourself. However, I suspect that many people still fail as it is not simple. Re your questions: a) you need to register with the CAA if the model you buy is over 250 grams, or if it is capable of image capture b) you can fly on public land (e.g. a park) as long as it is not forbidden under local byelaws. BUT you will probably be restricted as to when you fly as you need a large empty space; you will certainly be restricted as to what you fly. Again, there are CAA restrictions. Whilst not required by law, you should obtain insurance - you may lose control and cause damage. You may also hit a person/dog - another reason not to use public land........ If a landowner lets you fly on private land, e.g. a farmers field, great! You should still get insurance though. Most people get insurance through BMFA I believe (other policies are available). Personally, I would recommend you want until 29/3 (if you are in England) and visiting your local club - they often have a club trainer so you can 'have a go' before spending/wasting money.... c) hard to say until you've read the CAA (and BMFA stuff) and can give an indication of what you fancy..... BMFA website : British Model Flying Association (bmfa.org) BMFA club finder: Find a Club (bmfa.org) Hope this helps, GG Edited March 22, 2021 by GrumpyGnome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Davis Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 First of all Rik, welcome to the hobby and the forum. I agree with all of the above and would merely ask that if you were to buy a model complete with all of the latest self stabilising equipment, are you really flying it or is it the equipment? Besides, I think you'll find that the price of such a model would excede your budget. I have no wish to dampen your enthusiasm Rik, but I am currently teaching a retired gentleman both how to build and how to fly. His ultimate aim is to build and fly a large twin engined model of the Douglas Dakota. As he has no internet connection where he lives and he has asked me to order everything he needs. I'm Old School, I'll admit to it, and we are in the process of building a trainer from a kit, balsa, plywood and glue, stick by stick. The kit cost £100 plus postage. He wants to buy a Spektrum 8 channel transmitter, but to that we need to add the cost of: a receiver; two servos; two or three Lithium polymer flight batteries (LiPos;) a charger; glues; a covering iron; a suitable electric motor; a speed controller; some propellers and covering material. He won't get much change out of £550 for that little lot, £650 if he buys the latest Spektrum 8 channel transmitter. Of course there are cheaper options. You do not have to buy such a sophisticated transmitter for example and you can buy a ready made foam trainer such as the Bixler for less than £50 but you still have to buy a transmitter, receiver, servos, LiPos and a charger. The Bixler is currently on back order anyway so not immediately available. https://hobbyking.com/en_us/h-king-bixler-2-epo-1500mm-glider-arf.html?queryID=be6e43eb947a390211ba3790449c716d&objectID=70163&indexName=hbk_live_magento_en_us_products The best advice that I can give you at the moment would be to wait until the Covid 19 regulations are relaxed then visit your nearest club and take their advice. Many clubs have their own trainer and will give you a go on the sticks before you part with your money and people are always selling old models so you may be able to pick up a bargain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyGnome Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 @Rikflipplease don't think we are trying to put you off. We want you to enjoy this wonderful hobby right from the start... GG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Davis Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 41 minutes ago, GrumpyGnome said: @Rikflipplease don't think we are trying to put you off. We want you to enjoy this wonderful hobby right from the start... GG Absolutely! You'll meet some wonderful people in this hobby Rik! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Carlton Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 My advice? Don't buy anything yet. Once Covid restrictions are lifted a bit more, have a look on the BMFA website and look for a club near you, ideally offering taster sessions. Try Flying Also as others said, do research. Think about what you want from the hobby, what your aspirations are, what your budget might be in future years. Think about what you can afford to lose, as you will probably break something so don't spend everything you have all at once. Ask questions, ask them again, visit clubs, watch videos, read magazines. Get a real feel for what floats your boat. Ask opinions, not all so called "ideal trainers" are ideal. Not all ideal trainers are called trainers. Welcome to the hobby. It's insidious, expensive, frustrating. But it has given me more hours of fun, relaxation, excitement, community and joy than any other hobby I have been involved in. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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