Tialar

Technology is why I fly, how about you? On another thread we discusssed the aid of Gyros or Copilot. What is wrong with improving a planes performance through the aid of Gizmo's? Isn't that why you got in to the sport in the first place... The Gadgetry and amazement of something so unpractible as a model airplane.
You can't tell me that the sound of a .28 four-stroke doesn't turn your crank...... If it wasn't for Freeflights paving the way none of RC's would be flying@ 140 mph 2ft off the deck inverted. Technology is great! Nobody can tell me otherwise.
And your thoughts.

jetmex-RCU

My Feedback: (8)

Technology can be wonderful, if it's used as a tool to aid in improvement of skills instead of a crutch to replace them. What the current technology is basically doing is breeding a group of pilots (RC and full scale) who can't fly airplanes without the toys. I agree the autopilots and such are neat, but if you can't recover from an unusal attitude on your own, or do a crosswind takeoff or landing without a gyro, either you need more practice or you shouldn't be flying.

I fly just for the pleasure of it. Nothing better than seeing an airplane you built take off and fly well. No sense getting too worked up about it, it's a hobby!

Just my 2cents worth.....

Dave Barrow-RCU

Jetmex:
Do you own a computer radio?
The same could be said about them, they do a lot of stuff that we used to do manually, or at least try to. How about auto start Turbines, and ECU's? Would you own one? I would, if I could afford it. H&ll, I'd settle for an air start.
Your right it's a hobby, and we can get excited if we want to. What other reason would we do it for?
To each his own.

ramcharger

I fly for the challenge. I use technology to increase or reduce the challenge. It depends on what I feel up too.

JNorton

My Feedback: (2)

I fly for the challenge. I use 4 channels - no computer mixing. To me it is more of a challenge. My job is entirely computers and keeping up with technology. I fly to calm down. To each their own. Cheers!

MikeL

My Feedback: (3)

There's no change to be found in the performance of the airplane through the use of autopilots and gyros. It's still the same airframe, with the same engine and servos moving the surfaces.

They change the level of ability a pilot needs to fly a given maneuver. I enjoy flying just because it's fun. It's satisfying to see my skills grow over time, and to feel the progress that practice and dedication bring.

Dumbing down our hobby is dangerous. Moving people along faster than their actual skill level allows is dangerous. If a crutch is a learning tool, that's fine. If it serves as a substitute for knowledge and ability I don't want any part of it.

Roadrunner

I fly as a result of technology not as a "reason" for flying. Thanks to all you technitions who made modern R/C what it is. Just a laid back R/C Couch Potatoe.

seafury_fb11

The challenge for me is trying to figure out how to program my stinkeen' radio. Seriously, I don't use any of the auto mixing stuff or other gadgets. I just don't see any reason for it. I'd rather fly the plane myself. I like knowing that I am the one responsible for how my plane flies.

Russ.

RC Pilot56

My Feedback: (4)

SEAFURY FB 11 is a mind reader. I agree 100 96 and fly for the pure enjoyment of the sport. I also like to take credit for the manuvers I preform and know the mixing had nothin to do with it. I do however like the advantage of being able to program 6 models on one transmitter and the use of ATV and Dual Rates, but other than that I'm the one in control of my aircraft.

If you like a real challenge, do what I did a few years ago and become a flight instructor! I love to take a person (man, woman or teenager) and teach them the ART of flying, or like I refer to as "The Gift of Flight." Once that has been accomplished, the real challenge starts with take offs and then landings. Your job is to build their confidence and keep them and their aircraft in one piece at the end of the day. I can honestly say nobody has ever crashed or been injured under my tutelage.

This mans opinion.........

jetmex-RCU

My Feedback: (8)

Dave, I don't own a computer radio, partly because at the moment I have no interest in one, and partly because I can't afford it!!

I work for an airline on the Boeing 777, which is a hundred computers wrapped in an aluminum tube supported by two huge engines and tons of kerosene. The airplane can basically operate itself and the biggest gripe from the pilots is that they don't do much actual flying. It's lead to a lot of complacency, and has also lead to a decline in flying skills. You should hear them gripe when the autopilots and the toys don't work!

I see the same thing in RC. Someone who does snap rolls by clicking a switch on their radio doesn't impress me as a pilot.

Like I said before, it's a hobby. Have fun with it.

DESERT RATT

My Feedback: (7)

I fly for the FUN of it. I fly for the SPORT of it. And I fly for the SOCIALIZATION of it..

Yes I own a computer radio, and I don't like using the SNAP ROLL switch! I do program EXPO. into it so as to smooth out the center of the sticks though and I like the TIMER!

Just fly and teach others to fly so they can carry on where we leave off. And for whatever reason they want to fly for? It's a great fun thing to do. So they'll figure it out for themselves..

JUST AS WE HAVE!

Oh yea, I also fly to see how it flies after I've built it.

RON in NEVADA

Unstable

tech is fun ... tech can be a good thing.... but i dont rely on tech (i work in computers i know that everything WILL fail)

If I had a autopilot I would only use it for say fast low inverted passes (yeah.... ill be doing those realsoon )

or maybe have it in a twin to help in an engine out or something.... but to fly with it all the time..... why.

I have a heli and for about a month the gyro was dead.... so I flew without one.

now when i fly with one I have acually fooled people into thinking I had a heading hold (its just a cheap helimax)

tech is fine.... and I say use all the tech you want.... but dont rely on it as it could get dangerous if it fails and you dont have the skill to save it.

glowplug

My Feedback: (1)

I fly for the sheer fun of it......no gadgets, no gizmos......half of the fun is the challenge of flying. As much as I would like to preserve my favorite airplanes with gyros, etc.., that takes away from the sense of accomplishment that I feel when I bring her back down and she lives to fly another day.

Mike

Grumpy Monkey

My Feedback: (7)

Bear with me here, my reasons are a little more sentimental.
I fly cause there is nothing like the site of a scale warbird with the sun on its wings and the gear down on final, or a mustang, spit, 109. etc. on a low pass pullin out into a slow victory roll. It is a site that takes me away and puts me in another time. It is my way of never forgetting what sacrifices all those brave young men of long ago did for a greater cause. It is my own little flying memorial so to speak. I fly cause my Grandfather flew and introduced me to this wonderful hobby many years ago. It was a passion of his and now one of my own. Its just something that burns deep inside me. I get to the field and see all the caps, extras, sport planes , etc. and they are fun to watch, but nothing really lights my fire like a warbird. Technology is great and can be a valuable aid, but it isnt the reason I fly, it is much, much deeper then that.
My flying consists of a computer radio with maybe a lil expo, occasionally d/r, and a retrct switch. No gadgets or gizmos other then maybe inc flaps or a bomb drop.


Fly high, fly proud and fly in remembrance.

Warren

DF_Flyer

I like all the bells and whistles too, but I always try to trim the bad habits out of an airframe by changing incidence, engine thrust line, etc, etc, to make it into a good flyer. Then I have the option of whether or not to use the bells and whistles to enhance it even more.

One thing I'm toying with is the idea of putting a gyro on the nose gear to smooth out ground handling on a paved runway. A lot of guys seem to be happy with that.

DavidR

My Feedback: (1)

OK I'll bite on the techno junkie side. I fly jets so technology is a big part of my hobby. The complexity of a scale (or not) turbine model is a challenge that I enjoy. I have a computer radio and extensively use mixing etc.... not as much to make the airplane do something on its own but to make things work together in a certain way. For example my new F-4 has a scale nose strut that not only retracts but extends/and retracts to give the scale stance while taxiing and then extends to increase the AOA just like the full scale does. I use 2 seperate mixes to accomplish this so that I don't have to flip another switch at a busy time during my flight. I also use a mix that mixes a channel to itself so that I can use the snap roll button to deploy the drogue chute. I also use a gyro to smooth out the dutch roll that is an aerodynamic phenomenon of all highly swept wings. Does this make me less competent as a pilot??? Come to a jet rally and see for yourself...... technology is a good thing. Do I enjoy flying as much as the next guy? YUP.... does it help me relax? YOU BETCHA.


David Reid

Dave Bowles

My Feedback: (7)

I fly to have fun, I would fly if were all still using Pulse and eescapment radios. I do use a computer radio and do some mixing, Airbrakes (which only adds another ability) sometimes throttle and elevator or throttle and rudder. I don't see anything wrong with using Elecronic assist for Aircraft that probibly require it and it should be allowed for scale aircraft where the full scale uses it. Although I don't do much Competition, I do believe that mixing should not be allowed for some types, I do believe that manuvers should be purley pilot and not computer assisted, no Knife edge mixing, Snap roll buttons or flat spin buttons, rudder and elevator mixing for loops , Gyros for Hover and correcting mistakes, Etc. It's all fine a neat for playing around but if you are putting pilot aginst pilot let it be the pilot that does it not the Tech. No matter how much mixing you do the tx computer doesn't do the flying , and you do have to learn to use the mixing, But lets face it, if it didn't make it easier we wouldn't use it. The National Competition Fun Fly Association has made rules aginst computer mixing for sportsman classes, for one to make it even playing field, and two to allow people to compete who may not be able to afford computer stuff or just may not want to buy it.

Obviously there are areas were using Gyros and mixing does not mean you are substituting skill, but there are areas that it does, I don't see it as making someone a dangerous pilot just because they can't knife edge or hover without mixing or a Gyro , but it dosn't make you a better pilot or an impressive pilot becasue you can do it with mixing and a Gyro. Basiclly the best pilots can do it with ot without. And being a good skilled pilot dosen't mean they are a safe or responsible pilot.

funfly1

i fly because i have to.my wife insists that i buy a new kit every winter and have it ready to fly by early spring.if i don't go fly at least every other weekend i catch all kinds of grief.if i crash a plane she makes me fix it or buy and build another one just like it.
she's all the time buying me rc stuff that i really don't need but thinks i should have.sometimes the pressure gets almost overwhelming but i do as i am told...

not really,i just like it and hope someday to get good at it.

seafury_fb11

When I was wee lad, I was watching Hee Haw or Lawrence Welk, and Roy Clark was on, playing some song (don't remember which one). Right in the middle of the song he broke a guitar string. But he just kept on playing, stretching his fingers to hit the notes on the remaining strings. He never missed a single note. That's a talented musician who knows his instrument.

I think we should know our planes just as well. Then if we want to use gadgets, then use them. But lets not use them as a crutch.

Russ.

DF_Flyer

Funfly 1 - You had me going for a minute there. I was going to ask if your wife would consider talking some sense into mine. Just kidding. Seriously, my wife is my fuller time spotter/caller. She's very supportive.

Russ - I agree with your point that the gadgets shouldn't be allowed to defeat a superior pilot in competition, but feel that it would be hard to prevent if someone had a mind to.

Jim_McIntyre

I fly becaue I like flying....
I build because I like building....
I use technology as an aide, not because I like it but, because it makes some tasks easier.

Technology is a small part of my hobby. Sometimes the least enjoyable part like when the gyro in your heli decides to fail and holds the yaw 'hard over' .

I enjoy my high tech job (Software Architect) but, when the stress gets high, I fly (or build) to reduce this stress. If something technical goes wrong (or complicates what should be a simple thing), It really doesn't improve my mood.

In some ways I detest the technology in the hobby, I prefer older prop-driven, hand fashioned organic material flying works of art (eg. Jenny, Tigermoth, Waco YMF etc.) to the high polish, high-tech composite, jet-driven look-alike flying triangles....

Yes, I also own several computer radios and yes, I fly some ugly high-tech helis but, that's a very different kind of enjoyment.

And, the day computer radios run M$ software is the day I go back to free flight!

Gordon Mc

My Feedback: (11)

Hey Jim - long time no see !

I saw the above post and had instant flashback to the days of rec.models.rc.air and Deja news. Glad to see that you finally made it over here to RCU !

Gordon Mc.

seafury_fb11

DF,
I'm a little confused... What I meant to say was that if someone likes using gadgets, then more power to them. But lets know how to fly our planes without them first. As far as competitions go, I don't know what the rules are regarding the use of mixing and gadgets. I don't fly competition, I just fly for the fun of it.

Russ.

DF_Flyer

Russ - Actually I was agreeing 100% with you. I'm not a regular competitor, but would feel really bad if a guy beat me in a pattern competition just because his wallet was thicker than mine and he could afford a better radio that allowed him to fly better than he could otherwise. Like yourself, I feel that we should first learn to fly the plane with as little electronic assistance as possible.

BTW, flying for the fun of it is the main reason I fly too. I feel no need to compete.

However - that's just my opinion.

RC Pilot56

My Feedback: (4)

What you mean DF-Flyer, I was gonna ask Funfly1 if he wanted to swap wives. I do have a friend whos wife is really involved in the sport and I'm teaching her to fly right now. She was at our fun fly last weekend and saw a plane for sale and almost drove him nuts until he bought it for her. It was a 102 size One Design that the guy only wanted 100.00 for. Oh, and the only reason she wanted it was because it was covered in Pink and White monokote. I only wish my wife was more involved in the sport. I get planes given to me often, and at first it was not a problem, but now when I come home with a FREE plane she don't have the same look on her face. The last free plane cost me 700.00 by the time I put an engine, PCM receiver and servos, etc...to get it in the air. It was a 120 size Laser 200 that I put a RCS 140 on it and it flies lights out.
Ya'll have a good day.