Noir

WOW!!!!

Went out yesterday and had my first lesson. It was 2 hours, and I went up 3 times. I did good I think, no crashes...and the instructor only had to rescue me 3 times out. But when I read some of the post on here, I feel like I SUCK bigtime. People solo on their 1st flight, people land on there 1st flight. I don't even think I got 100 feet close to the ground

Also I felt nervous the whole time, especially in turns. Am I alone in felling this. I guess I just kept thinking....I hope I don't crash

My instructor is great though. He was flying the plane, with one hand, while explaining all kinds of stuff to me. I feel like my dream P-51 Mustang is years away. Can you guys give me hope. How Long before I soar by myself???

Noir

N8theSk8

I wouldn't worry about it. Some people learn quicker than others. Alot of people fly alot of hours on a sim which does help them with orientation and getting comfortable with the sticks. The best thing to do is take you time don't rush it. I would rather go slow and get it right than go fast and crash alot of equipment.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

I know people who have been flying for 20+ years and still need someone to stand next to them.

You did great! Most people need an entire season to solo. Many are doing it sooner nowadays due to the help of Flight Sims. Also, many have already aquired the much needed hand/eye coordination from playing video games. At any rate, a first day solo is rare. You deserve to feel GREAT!

wings

Is this your first plane ever? I learned on a cheapo electric plane before I went to glow. I crashed it over and over and over and over. Unless you are used to racing rc cars or something and have the control reversal down, I doubt very seriously that many people can solo alone first time without crashing.

Just my opinon.

Good job,


Wings

JohnW

My Feedback: (6)

Dude.. You seriously suck! OK, I just had to say that. First lesson and only 3 instructor saves? I'd say you are well above average already. The average pilot probably takes the greater part of a summer before they can solo. But don't worry about how long it takes you. Everyone learns at their own pace. You're there to have fun right? So have fun learning!

FHHuber

a lot of the guys claiming solo in one flight... could keep the Goodyear blimp up for a month. A few could have floated the Hindenberg for a world tour.

I've actually seen ONE guy solo first day... on his 5th flight. That's seeing literally 100's of beginners over 30 years.

BGR

I doesnt matter if it takes you 1 flight or 20 flights before you are ready to go it on your own. The guy that got it down on his first flight most likely had no mishaps or odd situations of any kind.

The real test is how one does when for example a sudden gust pops out of nowhere while on final approch. The guy with 1 flight who seems to have magically become Chuck Yeager will most likely not be ready for it. The more you fly with your Instructor the more situations you will face, you will be better prepared to handle these things when you eventually become the sole master of your ship.

aimmaintenance

I've been flyin for 3 or 4 years now and most of the time you couldn't drive a pencil up my ass while I'm in the air.

No you are not alone.

As you get better you will notice that the nervousness goes out of each little part.

I'll tell ya the thing that helped me the most. This sounds stupid but if you really think about it, it may help you.

(the plane ONLY does what YOU tell it to)

it took me a LONG time to get that through my head and I still have to repeat it to myself every time I fly.

I have difficulty with orientation therefore I have to fly a little lower and closer than alot of people. I used to let my planes get to far away before turning (like I was scared to move the sticks)(caused the demise of many a plane)
After I finally got that phrase of it only doing what I tell it in my head, when I get near my max distance I now just yank the sticks and turn the plane.
I stay on the sticks, so to speak, constantly now like I'm ordering the plane around. Go here, Go there, Go up, Go down,
If my plane is just flying straight and level it's because that's what I want.
I never let the plane fly itself.

That one phrase did more for my flyin than anything.

Maybe it will help you too.

Good luck, Enjoy

BAMAFLY

Sounds to me like you`re doing fine! I know, it`s discouraging to read about the " one flight wonders", but as others have said, they`re few and far between. It took me TWO YEARS to solo, what with schedule conflicts, weather, a crash, etc. etc. Some days I`d fly great, the next time out it was like I`d never flown before. Frustrating!! Just enjoy each trip to the field, don`t be too demanding on yourself and it`ll come soon enough. I think we appreciate things a little more that challenge us, so if it takes a little longer, you might actually get more satisfaction out of succeeding than the rare guy who solos first time out. Keep at it!!

pt19 flyer

My Feedback: (1)

HI

don't get discouraged and don't expect real fast learning curve. I help as an instructor in our club and have helped many learn to fly, but rarely do very many progress as fast as you expect. I would look at least 30 days of instruction to get to the take-off and landing and solo stage. It does take time to get the orientation and airplane attitude to become second nature. Bet you didn't learn to drive a car in one lesson...right.

just hang in there and stick with it you will enjoy the hobby...been there about 40 years.

good luck
joe

hookedonrc

Hey....Don't Worry About it. Have you ever personally met of the 1 flight solo wonders here on this website? As far as I am concerned, it's the same as everything else. some are naturals and some need just more practice. The more important question is not how long it took you to solo, but how long did you fly before losing a plane. If an accurate survey was done, it would probably show that just soloing does not make you a pilot. It makes you a beginner pilot. The rest takes practice no matter who you are. Have fun, don't worry about being scared it's natural, regardless what anyone says. By the way, it took me 25 flights to solo, but I have never lost one one take off, on landing, never ran into the catch fence, engine always started on first turn, all dead sticks have been successful, never lost an aircraft due to my fault and can fly in wind up to 40mph. (Now do you believe that?....sure you do! LOL)

Enjoy it!

FHHuber

BTW... you want the beginner who COULDN'T learn?

After 14 years of trying... I FINALLY brought a plane home in one piece (having flown it)... first question I was asked: "Why didn't you fly?" So used to me bringing it home in a bag... they "KNEW" it had to have never left the ground to still be intact.

wings

Damn dude, 14 years? I commend you on your patience. I would had said the hell with it after 6 months.


Wings

FHHuber

LOL... I'm even WORSE with C/L. haven't brought one of them home in one piece YET!

wings

Are you being serious? 14 years of air planes in pieces after every flight adds up to some serious jack!

FHHuber

Average one plane about every 8 to 10 months... not a total loss EVERY crash.

One time I might need to patch a busted horizontal stab... another... put the belly back in from ripping out the landing gear, another put the firewall back in... Occasionally I had to put together a shattered wing.

Usually... I would do the repairs from the scrap balsa that came in the kit. Just cost time and glue. I also was covering with Silkspan and Dope... and that is actually easier than Monokote for hiding the repair.

I have been known to take a plane that was broken in half and repair it at the field between rounds at a Fun-Fly....(just to crunch it and break it in half AGAIN in a different spot...)

Took a LOT of time for me to feel prepared to fly this triplane...

Noir

Thanks for all of the words of incouragement. I thought I was alone out here for a second, but I'll keep you all up on how I do over my flight training.

Noir

aimmaintenance

Whew am I feeling better!

nascarjoe

What seems to be missing here is the teaching talents of the instructor. Some pilots who call themselves instructors, teaching talents consists of simply standing next his student and hoping that essentially, the student teaches himself. Other instructors offer extremely limited communication and at best, the lesson consists of preventing the newbie from crashing. This is usually a 6-10 minute session and the student goes back to the end of the line and/or is told to return next week. Although, I imagine there are those who are excellent communicators and truly dedicated instructors, who will spend much more than 10 minutes per student, per day.

My instructor spends at least 30 minutes and more times than not, 60 minutes per flight lesson. That way, many times, his student does indeed learn to fly very skillfully, even to solo on his first ever RC flying experience, and this is without simulator experience. Solo on their first ever RC flying experience? In this case, it is more so the rule than the exception. Any beginners curious about learning to solo ASAP? Send me an email for more information. For the cynics and skeptics out there, we will give anyone an hour of FREE instruction on OUR airplane or helicopter.

Nascarjoe

Skillit

No you don't suck. I've been with my instructor now for 2mos. Unfortunately I don't have a flight sim so most of my stick time is at the field. Here in florida, it rains allot, so out of the last 2mos I haven't even put a gallon of fuel through my trainer. I am getting better, Anyone can take off, its the landings that hurt. I can land but they are usually 2 to 3 bounces.I 'm not in any hurry to solo. Don't get me wrong I want to, but I want to learn everything my instructor can teach, so if it takes 1yr it takes 1yr. so, practice and be patient grasshopper...

FHHuber

You want to make landing practice easier?

Take it high... VERY slowly reduce throttle... adjust elevator trim to maintain altitude. When it stalls, back up one click elevator. (put a click of down in)

Now make your landing approach, just using the left stick. The plane will basicly land itself, you just guide it to the runway.

AND: Don't worry so much about hitting the runway centerline... off in the weeds is OK (as long as its not in a tree or something.) Learning to hit center of the runway will come later. Learn to get it down in one piece first.

Amazing When the "Hot Stick" in the local club told me to do that... I quit breaking things.

DBCherry

My Feedback: (4)

Noir,
I just had to chime in and tell you not to worry about it. I didn't have a sim, and it took me 20 to 25 flights (at least) before I soloed. But that was done over the course of about eight weeks on the buddy box. I think my instructor was great! Talked to me calmly through each flight, "easy on the sticks", "a little left, add some up, not too much". You get the idea.

The important thing is to have fun. And the knocking knees WILL go away eventually, but I'm always nervous on a new plane, or first few flights of the new year (we have long winters).
Dennis-

zetor

My Feedback: (2)

People who solo really quick have had a lot of simulator time. I don't think it is a matter of ability nearly as much as it is having practice on the sim. I believe that soloing without having practiced on a sim is actually a bigger accomplishment than practicing on a sim for 3 months and soloing on a first or second flight. I believe that if you sat a chimp in font of a computer and made him play with the sim for 3 months, he could probably fly. I'm a walking example of that.