RC_Chick

Hello,

I am relatively new to this hobby. I have been flying for about two months solid, and I have recently embarked upon solo flights. I am able to execute landings with nearly flawless precision, except for one area: depth perception. The north end of our runway is flanked with a dense line of trees, and it becomes difficult to tell how far out your plane is when you are attempting a landing.

I was curious as to whether there is a trick that can be used to tell how far out your plane is (before it smashes into a tree or suffers some similar – yet disastrous - fate).

Thanks.

rc-sport

My Feedback: (12)

If the suns right I use the shadow of the plane on the trees at our field

BingoFlyer

RC_CHICK

I hope you get a good answer, I need the same kind of help. I lost an eye in an auto accident and am having a lot of trouble with this. I am usually just at the far side of the runway seldom on it, I set the plane up so that (to me) to would appear that it is headed right at me and I still land in the grass about ten feet off the runway.

jmulder

My Feedback: (6)

I just aim it at me like I'm gonna hit myself, but when you get close to the runway you just straighten up just a wee little bit and it will perfect every time...............

Dave Barrow-RCU

A lot of people starting out think you have to land at the far end of the runway. Learn to set your plane down as it goes past you on the runway. This will not require you to get so low, so far out, where you can't determine if your past the trees yet.

Hanger Rat

I agree with Dave Barrow. Land when the plane is in front of you and/or position yourself at the extreme upwind flying station. Also when you turn final keep the sky as a background and this way it will not be so difficult to see your model. As soon as it is apparent that you are well past the trees and near enough to easily distinguish your model against the dark (tree) background make your normal approach.

Geistware

My Feedback: (16)

Since I have only one good eye, I have to use jmulder's trick. When I am at a field, I call "On the Runway" Then go out to land. Most people will understand if you explain it to them. I like visiting different fields and I have NEVER had anyone complain.

EXCAP232

My Feedback: (12)

I learned to fly with an instructor that had only one eye. He kept the plane more in the side view rather than coming straight in or going straight away. The reason is that it is very difficult to gage speed when coming directly at yourself. This can be produce a stall on landing when the speed is reduced too much.

Try flying figure 8's in the area just out past the runway. Do this with the intersections coming in toward you and going away. Do not confuse this with a "Cuban 8" aerobatic maneuver. It is flown at one altitude with a constant bank angle on each end. The wing will be visible and will help with orientation. The two maneuvers will yield attitudes the plane will be in when taking off from either direction and landing approaches from either direction. Start making the circles larger and start to bring them closer to the runway. What you will accomplish is a very large sweeping curve to landing. This technique also works well with an engine out situation to keep note of the speed. You can adjust the circle size for a better dead stick approach. Wider if too high and fast or smaller if near the runway. Use of rudder will keep the wings level rather than using th ailerons will extend the glide.

Hope this helps,
Bill

TIGER2PLANE

You can also use the air combat landing pattern, which is a down wind run across the field from you about 50 to 100 ft high depending on your style of plane, and then turn and drop on to the runway leaving the plane about 10 ft over the runway to do your final and landing. I do this in tight fields and real open area s that the desert can give you

twister

My Feedback: (12)

I have the same situation at our field short landing approach where we have to do a sqaure approach lined with trees and a river, but i find that by blinking my eyes a few times when im approaching that it re focuses my vision to better my perception. It works for me!!!

Geistware

My Feedback: (16)

I have seen people come in just above stall and very low just short of the field and then use rudder to keep the nose up and bleed speed. When you come out of the turn to final, you are already 30 feet above the runway and all you do is land. I don't have nerve to come in that low on my final leg and turn.

TIGER2PLANE

I wouldnt do a turn like that a 30 ft either. but if you do a lot of dummie landing a lot higher, you will get the feel for short landings and it will just become natural and a thing you can do all the time. I learned to do this because I was dead stick at the time so either put it down on a highway, just off of our field. at the time I was living in no Calif just out side of Arbuckle Calif. The field was just north of Sacramento Ca. but that was 40 years ago, but I remember this great big old oak tree about 70 yards from the end of the runway and it did like to eat airplanes for lunch. So you learn to make short landings

TexAg78

I have depth perception problems, too. While judging how far out I am from the end of the runway is still difficult for me, I did get a good piece of advice to make sure you are in line with the runway and not on a parallel course too far out. Here it is:

When you first step into the "flight box" put the tips of both feet on the flight line and DON'T MOVE THEM. As you fly, follow your plane by moving your head or turning at the waist, but don't move your feet. When it is time to land, square your shoulders back up. If your toes are on the flight line and you are standing normally, then your shoulders are parallel with the runway. Follow the plane by turning your neck, and when it appears over your shoulder you are lined up with the runway. Keep it over your shoulder as you bring it in and you will be in line with the runway every time.

KidVermin

My Feedback: (3)

As you gain more experience, you'll ask yourselves what was the
big deal. Right now you have "tunnel vision", where you're seeing
only about a 10 foot halo around the plane and not an overall
perspective of the ground, trees, runway centerline, etc. After a
short while the plane will become just part of the view and not the only object your watching. Give it time and keep flying.

Randy

TIGER2PLANE

Randy is right your problem will take care of its self until you build a new bird and fly it for the first time and then you will have the same problem until you get the new bird down, then everything will return to normal. the jitters of a new bird always gets you going but what fun.....

bentgear

Quickly shift your focus to the tree line then back to the model, or to a point between the model and tree line. Flying time will cure the problem.
Ed M.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

RC Chick's problem is very real. Whether you have one good eye or two, depth perception is a tough nut to crack. The problem is that our original manufacturer didn't think we'd really need to tell how far away something was past maybe 100 yards.

Consider how we regulate depth perception. Our brains do a complex math formula requiring the triangulation of our eyes, focus, and size. But the problem is, once you get past about 20 yards, focus is about the same. Don't believe it? Look at a camera lens. It will have distance marks for 2ft, 4ft, 8ft, 12ft, 24ft, and then the symbol for infinity. Your eyes work the same way. But, if you have two good eyes, you have the advantage over a camera of triangulation. your right eye will be angled slightly to the left, and your left eye to the right. Your brain does the math and calculates distance. But, unfortunately, this is very limited also, because once an object is about 20 or 30 yards away, your eyes are both pointing virtually straight ahead, so the difference in the angles of your eyes at, say 100 and 200 yards is virtually undetectable. So, we rely on our third option, size. Looking down the street, we can see that the streetlights are getting farther away because we know that they are all the same size, yet as we look at them, they seem to get smaller and smaller. But with a model plane, we have nothing to gauge their size with. If, for example, there were a plane identical to yours that you KNEW was sitting directly above the tree line, your brain can easily detect whether your plane is in front of it, or behind it. But without such reference, you can only guess.

So bottom line, the only solution to the problem is experience. After a while, you will be able to "feel" where your plane is, and you will have mastered the art of keeping your plane visually "above" the tree line until you are sure you are past it. After a while, it becomes second nature.

Geistware

My Feedback: (16)

My present plane has over 50 landings and with this model I have over 100. I can stand in the flight box and hope I flair over the runway, or I can go out to the runway and know I will land on it. For people who are new at this, I understand that judging takes time. For those of us who cannot see, I don't think time will do a thing but make matters worse!!!

A.T.

Suggest you read =
Don't Color Me Gone
by
Dr. Robert Suding
http://www.ultimatecharger.com/color.html

and the other URL on covering & colour etc at =
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~atong/

Note that "Invasion stripes" are the most visible form of judging distances.
On a light coloured wing and use black paint or 2cm wide black vinyl tape
and put two bands across the top of each wing about 3/4 out with a
separation of same width between the bands - these will be seen as separate
bands by different people at 120-240m out (400-800') after which they form a
solid band - most people have good stereoscopic vision to 300m. (1 cm band
should allow upto 60m (200')
By putting your model on a stand or ask a friend to hold in banked position,
walk away and measure distance at which lines are seen by you to merge, then
adjust width of the bands to allow for maximum required distance so as not
to pass within say 50 feet of the trees. FWIW most of my models use this
feature so as to ensure I keep large models within range.

regards
Alan T.
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~atong/

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Unfortunately, the treeline in the distance doesn't have invasion stripes. In other words, that will help you judge how far away your plane is, but it still won't help you determine whether or not you're over the trees.

bentgear

Maybe, what I should have wrote, would be to shift your attention to the tree line momentarily instead of focus. I know when flying at a new site or when major changes are made where I normally fly, I have to make sure I don't concentrate on the plane so much that I come up short or to the side of the runway.
Ed M.

A.T.

MinnFlyer has suggested that the use of the invasion type markings is of no help.
Simply pace out or otherwise measure the distance the trees are away from your flightline. Record distances on a sign near your flight line. Then using the stripes on your plane, you quickly judge distance of model against known distance of tress, goal posts, buldings etc.
regards
Alan T.
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~atong/

jmulder

My Feedback: (6)

sheeeeze

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Huh???

Never mind.

Geistware

My Feedback: (16)

Believe me.
It is easier to just walk out to the runway and land at your feet!