joey_d1119

Hey all,
My name is Joe, I'm a student at UCLA. I just bought my first airplane, a decathlon ep rtf. If anyone lives in the Los Angeles, San Gabrial, or Upland/Fontana area, and is in a club or willing to help me out I would really be thankful. I really need someone teach me to fly this so I dont go out on my own and crash it the first time out. I go on spring break next friday, so if anyone can help me please let me know.
Thanks much,
Joe Diaz

BasinBum

My Feedback: (2)

Joe,
Come out to the Sepulveda Basin and you will always find someone who can help you. From UCLA take the 405 North past the 101 and exit at Burbank. Left on Burbank right on Woodley and the airfield is the first left and follow the road all the way in. The sign at the road says "Apollo Field".

Here's your first lesson, ready? DON'T TURN ON YOUR TRANSMITTER AT THE FIELD UNTIL YOU LEARN ABOUT THE FREQUENCY SHARING SYSTEM. You could unintentially crash someone's plane and that would be a bad first time out.

When you get to the field be patient and ask around for who would be a good person to help you out. I am there quite often and would be glad to get you started just ask around for Richard Dragin and someone will point me out to you.

Live Wire

You have to remember he is just a "BUM"

joey_d1119

Thanks so much Richard,
Would it be possible to schedule a flying lesson with you. I've looked over a few club websites from the area and saw many sites offering to give lessons to newbies, but no one has e-mail me back. I planed on flying it on the 25th or the 26th (the last friday or saturday) of this month. If your going to be at the basin on one of those days let me know and i'd really like to come out and fly with you. After all my finals are done next thursday I think learning how to fly would be awesome.
Thanks much,
Joe

submikester

My Feedback: (6)

Hey there - have you checked out this web site?

http://www.valleyflyers.com/

It's the Vally Flyers club site and if you go to the board of directors page there is a training director listed there, Chuck - he can help set something up for you. He's usually very responsive.

Quick question - have you got an AMA membership?

The weekend of the 25th/26th is an event at the basin; it's a huge Jet event so the Basin will be closed to regular flying but you (and I) can come as a spectator. Beyond that the next weekend is probably a safe bet; one of us from the club would be glad to help you I'm sure.

BasinBum

My Feedback: (2)

Mike,
His plane is a small electric and AMA and club membership is probably almost as much as the plane itself (an issue that AMA needs to address). If he just comes out and learns to fly it and sees what else is out there he may want to continue and "move up".

Joe, Like Mike said that weekend is L.A. Jet's and the field will be closed to general flying. I am going to try for tomorrow Sun. and then midweek as my schedule allows. If I'm not there many others are very capable of helping you learn to fly.

submikester

My Feedback: (6)

Well, that's cool - somone could just meet him at a good park or something and get him up in the air.

I don't think club and AMA membership is required for him to get help from one of our instructors. The AMA started a new deal this year it seems and if the club pays a little fee the AMA will allow Club instructors some time with NON-AMA members covered. We have two or three of these "waivers" (I'm not sure of what these are called I just know we bought three because I wrote the check for them). Our current president and past president and one other fellow whose name slips me have them so they can help him without club or AMA membership. I was just asking for the sake of asking.

If he wanted to come down to our part of town I'd be happy to go out to one of the parks here in El Segundo as we have a few very nice little parks to fly at and hopefully my own new park flyer will be ready to go by the end of this weekend. I don't know if I'm going to go out to the jet rally as I was thinking of going over to whittier to get some practice in on my pattern sequence.

joey_d1119

Hey Mike,
Did you get my e-mail about teaching me how to fly. Im the guy from UCLA.