flycatch

My Feedback: (26)

I started off flying gliders because of cost and an individual I met who was an accomplished R/C pilot. He offered me a choice between powered and silent flight. This individual was also a full scale pilot holding ratings on gliders and single engine aircraft. He explained to me the pros and cons between powered and nonpowered flight. Learning to fly without an engine was the ultimate challenge and everything you learned on a glider transfered to a powered aircraft. I was not the only one he taught to fly but his students came away with a higer proficiency level and self confidence.

GSNut

My Feedback: (8)

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger on this.. Hypertension also called Stress will do it. Mine so bad I could not trust myself with a Exacto knife in my hand. Could not sign a check if I wanted too.
I even went to a nerve spec. and got a prescription for it. (She called it the pill roller tremors) Which did not fix the problem, just put me to sleep for eight hours.

I even built my own tray, which turned out very nice and helped somewhat.

Finaly I got a airplane that I absoluty hate...guess what you can't crash what you dislike that much. Course if you really want to you can, if you will feel better then it is theropy. Just one of the oddities of this hobby sport.

Have since learned to control where the problem was really at, In my case it was bills and the lack of money.

Once I got my bills under control my shakes went away and I still got that Darn awful airplane. wouldnyakno !

Get yourself a laid back instructor and learn to control the stress. You will crash, so live and learn.

It is bound to happen sooner or later, get back on the merry go round and go again.

You can do this.

Cheers

My home grown tray drawings are below:
All parts are from Home Depot and are alum strap and 1/4" luan ply.
And the elastic straps are from a binocular case as sold at a sporting goods store.

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

You think you hands are shaking now??? Wait till you have to explain to your wife/girlfriend/husband/spouse/parents that you just dropped $5,000 on a new plane and engine!!!!!

Welcome to the hobby. In all honesty, it sounds like your shakes are from normal nerves as you learn to fly. If you don't have an instructor you may want to find one as they will be able to help calm you down some as they can prevent a crash. But the shakes and nerves to get better as your skills improve. Hang in there!!!!

Ken

carrellh

Lots of folks mention 'get experienced help' and I totally agree. No one has mentioned how to find the help.
Open this page http://www.modelaircraft.org/clubsearch.aspx and enter your zip code. Click 'find' and it will give you a list of clubs in your area. Most clubs have volunteer instructors to help new pilots.

You will have to join AMA (for the liability insurance) and the club. Prices can vary greatly.
Our club dues are 40 per year and no 'initiation' fee. The field is 45 miles from my home.
Some clubs in the Dallas area have dues and fees that total a few hundred dollars and their fields are almost as far away.

OkadaKeisuke

My Feedback: (1)

I get shaky every now and then too. But the thing that happens to me the most is I find my self with my jaw dangling wide open while breathing heavily through my mouth. It really has little effect on my piloting capabilities, but it certainly is unflattering to say the least.

~Noah

houmax503

My Feedback: (4)

If I didn't get the shakes every so often I'd probably quit! It let's me know how excited I still am about the sport and it still get's my adrenaline pumping! Don't let it bother you, it will come and go just like the planes your flying.

tonyob

I've gotten the shakes from time to time, just nerves.

Neck straps are a very personal thing. They can be dangerous. I personally prefer to fly without any strap. Trays are cool but you need to start out on a tray, transitioning isn't easy.

Loopman

My Feedback: (195)

Man, I get a rapid, pounding heart rate, sweats and tremors whenever I maiden a new plane! As soon as I see it's gonna fly just fine, it all goes away. Almost to the point that I start to wonder if my heart's still beating! With experience comes lots of crashes, oops just kidding! I think a sim would be helpful but it still lacks the pucker factor! Just try to relax let your mind take you to a happy place (like the Oasis Club with lotsa dollar bills!). I used to charge the plane and sit in the den just twiddling the sticks and walking around the plane imagining different situations I could get myself into. Above all else, have fun dude!

Happy Flying!

Loopman

pmerritt

My Feedback: (118)

ROFLMAO....NOWI KNOWwhy I spent all those years growing my transmitter tray. LOL! Thanks for the laugh. I really needed that!

daven

My Feedback: (1)

I flew for 6 years, which included flying Pylon at the Nats with 185+ mph racers and NEVER had the shakes.

I started getting tremors and shakes in 2003 and could not even fly a trainer safely.

Went to many Doctors for a couple years and found out I had developed Essential Tremors and they effected my flying, building, tying my shoes, and shaving.....

After trying at least 10 different medications, I found I could actually fly a plane safely taking Proprollanol (a beta blocker) that slowed my heart rate down enough that the tremors did not effect my flying.

In 2009, I won the Q500 Nats using this Beta Blocker. I would be sitting at home without this medication, see a Doctor, you may find out that it is not just anxiety, but a neurological condition. Best wishes!

BradSD

My Feedback: (9)

I accidently put my TF P-39 in a upside down flat spin today and it didn't want to recover. I nearly crapped my pants, talking about getting the shakes. I lost about 200 feet in a spinning upside down on its axis crazy spin. Recovered with about 70 feet left but I really thought it was over for my plane.

GerKonig

Thank you so much for finally explaining the phenomenon! I knew there had to be a good explanation. I thought they did not work in the US because they interfere with your pulling your pants up while on the flight line... Quite frankly, around here we have no tray pilots. Never seen one... The trays I have seen are used for food exclusively...

Gerry

flycatch

My Feedback: (26)

Trays are used in Europe due to the construction of their transmitters. They use plug-in modules to enhance the capability of the transmitter. In our transmitters all advanced features are already part of the software. Example, when you buy a European transmitter is is a basic four channel set-up. If you want to expand to six channels than you purchase a module to do that. When transmitters were built in the USA such as Kraft they redesigned the electronics to put everything into a smaller case.

mkranitz

My Feedback: (60)

Easy cure for the strap is to fly jets.

Oh and be sure to grip the sticks with thumb and forefinger on both sides. Shaky hands is bad with that grip but worse with just thumbs.

wobblewobble

you should have got a jet

Gamerjoe

My Feedback: (1)

I actually have the Super Cub DSMversion, which comes with a Spektrum DX4e transmitter. Looks like it has the lanyard connector on the front.

rcpattern

My Feedback: (45)

I would definitely recommend a neckstrap or tray. I don't believe neckstraps are dangerous. I just don't wear mine when I'm starting a plane. Leave it attached to the transmitter and then put it on. A very simple cure for shaky hands is to tighten your transmitter springs. Your hands may be shaky, but it wont translate into any movement of the sticks. In competitions, I sometimes get nervous and the heavy transmitter springs eliminate the bouncing from nervous hands,

Archie

tryingagain

That is good news on a couple of fronts. Not only the lanyard ring but the ability to move that radio into another aircraft. The radio in my friends Cub was a Hobbyzone 3 channel radio that had definite limitations.
By all means try the neck strap (or tray) but I still suggest a local club and an instrctor. Try the link provided by carrellh or ask at the hobby shop where you got the plane.

All the best in your flight endeavours.

Cheers

Gord

trab1925

I learned something in one of my art classes in high school that helps with art. This technique realeases chemicals in your brain to actually calm you and clam your shaky hands.

If you inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth VERY slowly as if there was a candle infront of your face you are trying not to blow out. Do this a couple times, with deep breaths and you should at least notice a difference, so try this a couple times before you fly.

Also relax and enjoy the flight. Just ignore it and it will go away.

Nitro-Tom

[X(]


+1 on that

They just started selling the DX10T (Tray Radio) in the USA and I see pleanty of folks with trays that work fine.

I use a neck strap, and it will never get caught in the prop because I always stuff it in a pocket before I try to start the plane, then put it on at the line when I am about to taxi out.....

I have a sunday flyer, Hangar 9 ultra stick, and I take a flight or 2 with that to settle down before flying a new plane, and that seems to work for me.....

We all get the jitters from time to time....it's just part of the "High" of flying for me......[X(]

Keep at it, the sim is a great tools as well...

No drinks until after flying for sure.....

Nitro-Tom

now that's funny

true....but funny....

capo915

I don't agree about the neckstrap being dangerous. Everything is dangerous in this hobby if zero care is taken. We had an accomplished pilot this past weekend accidentally run up his electric and it cut his finger nicely. So remember nothing is safe in this hobby. That said once your shakes are gone, probably in two or three months you'll long for them to return. Its a weird feeling this hobby gives you and that's one of the more irresistible things about it.

I also do not agree that going quiet is the way to go. If that's the case it would be better and cheaper to buy a simulator and fly virtual. Sound has alot of pluses. It allows you to hear how you're engine is fairing relative to the air. It is also more dynamic than gliders and powered flight has a bigger upside than any other flight technique.

However, I do think gliders teach a very important aspect of flying and that is the stall technique. Though I would hardly tell a beginner to start off learning this technique, it is invaluable at later stages in flight, primarily warbirds.

freakingfast

My Feedback: (3)

Neck straps/ lanyards can be very dangerous! If you leave it clipped to the transmitter, the strap can snag on something and swipe the throttle stick to full power when you may not be ready for it. Yes, you should be in physical control of the aircraft when it's running or armed, however if your not expecting sudden full power........ Why take a chance?
The strap can also snag on something and pull the transmitter out of your hands and have it busted on the ground.

This being said, I use and highly endorse the use of neck straps, but only if you clip in to the transmitter at the flight line just before time of release of physical control.
The neck strap is also un-clipped just after engine shutdown/at dis-arm and before the plane enters the pit area. The strap stays around my neck when I'm at the field.

This is in lesson one when I instruct. It's also my pet peeve is seeing a transmitter with a neck strap connected to it in the pits.

stevenmax50

My Feedback: (1)

HAHAHAHAHA.....I am into my third year. And also on my third plane. And with each new model I get the shakes. I reckon they will always be there since I build my own and as my stepson says....no way he could ever try to fly one he had so much time into while building it. Way to scary. I imagine its just as scary to fly a brand new ARF. The message here is the shakes go away as you gain confidence, but may come back as you add to your fleet.
And I have never used a neck strap/tray simply cause Ihave never thought to buy one. Not opposed to either idea.