Why did you learn to fly without an instructor??  
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Why did you learn to fly without an instructor?? - 7/30/2003 3:32:17 AM   
troyp



Posts: 416
Joined: 8/17/2002
From: Broome, AUSTRALIA
Status: offline 		Following on from a post in the begginers forum about why I had to learn to fly without an instructor, I noticed that there were many others who had to go it alone for various reasons.
Anyway I am curious to know what is the most popular reason that some people have to learn to fly alone without help from an instructor.

Troy.

_____________________________

“Not within a thousand years would man ever fly.” Wilbur Wright, 1901
       Post #: 1

Why did you learn to fly without an instructor?? - 7/30/2003 4:40:10 AM   
Johnnylightning



Posts: 608
Joined: 10/31/2002
From: n/a, , USA
Status: offline 		27 years ago, when I was 10 years old, there was no emphasis on R/C instructors. Two of my other buddies and I used to "wing-it" w/ 1/2-A Q-TEE's and S-TEE's, on weekends, at our school feild. We did'nt have much luck and destroyed numerous aircraft including gliders, which actually led to our first sucessfull flights. Needless to say, an instructor and ARFs would've been a blessing back then. Somehow, 27 years later, I've managed to remain in the hobby and to keep in daily contact with one of my two R/C buddies. Just can't seem to "shake" it.

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OPEN YOUR MIND...but not too much, your brain might fall out.

(in reply to troyp)
       Post #: 2

Why did you learn to fly without an instructor?? - 7/30/2003 5:18:50 AM   
RSprinkel



Posts: 328
Joined: 11/8/2002
From: Waynesboro, PA, USA
Status: offline 		Well I am not learning on my own now as I met a guy on here and we have become good friends and he is training me. However I went to one of the local clubs in my area to talk and get a feel for R/C Planes and such. Well I started to talk to a couple of the guys there trying to get some help and ideas. Well about 15 minutes into the conversation the Pres or one of the big shots got up and said sorry but my turn to fly, and walked away the other guy just sat there. After that I voted that club off and started on my own till I met this guy on here and what a BIG BIG help he has been. And he is an awesome person. THANKS JIM


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RSprinkel

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       Post #: 3

Why did you learn to fly without an instructor?? - 7/30/2003 5:42:24 AM   
JohnVH



Posts: 14801
Joined: 12/5/2001
From: Lynden, WA, USA
Status: offline 		Your missing some options in your list.

My brother and I taught ourselves because we didnt know where a club was, and the guys at the field we flew at didnt want to fly our planes. My trainer was never destroyed or crashed hard enough to have to be rebuilt.

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---AIR VH---*FURY FLYER* www.3DFoamy.com

(in reply to troyp)
       Post #: 4

Why did you learn to fly without an instructor?? - 7/30/2003 5:47:24 AM   
cstevec



Posts: 1742
Joined: 5/4/2003
From: Tappahannock, VA, USA
Status: offline 		There is a club 'bout 30 minutes from my house but the first time I saw one of these things up close I said I am gonna do this and I'm gonna do it a lot. There is a sod farm 10 minutes from my house that is better flying conditions then any club I have seen and never any waiting for a freq. pin or others to fly. Then too, I am learning 3D and I kinda doubt if the guys in the local club would take too kindly to inverted flight 2 feet off the runway or hovering right in front of your face. I know they get bent if you hand launch your plane!
I will probably join them next year but after waiting almost 2 months for the AMA to process my app. (never happened, I assume it musta got lost in the mail) I realized that they would make me renew in Jan no matter what so I cancelled the check. I figure maybe I'll try again next year. In the mean time I am having a ball at the sod farm and I do have a flying buddy so it's not so bad. We fly just about every day, weather permitting. The hobby shop loves it. My fuel bill keeps them in Lights!!

(in reply to troyp)
       Post #: 5

Why did you learn to fly without an instructor?? - 7/30/2003 7:20:02 AM   
GA_fanatic



Posts: 95
Joined: 4/7/2003
From: Appleton, WI, USA
Status: offline 		Not enough options... When I started flying, there were no instructors. Buddy boxes were not available, and it simply wasn't big in my area.
I started with a 2 channel RC car radio. I bought one of those styrofoam 4 ft. gliders you can buy for $3.99 at any toy store and cut control surfaces, installed the radio with pushrods, took a 100' strip of rubber and launched it at the local schoolyard. Even with all the duct tape I used on it, it flew exceptionally well and I never did crash it. I've been hooked on RC aircraft ever since!

Craig

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Ride her 'till she bucks ya', or don't ride at all!

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       Post #: 6

Why did you learn to fly without an instructor?? - 7/31/2003 6:36:07 AM   
Wet-Tile



Posts: 22
Joined: 7/30/2003
From: Lake Havasu City, AZ, USA
Status: offline 		wow, i feel pretty lucky. my dad took me out with the buddy box and a pt40, anyways i landed my first flight and flew that acouple more times, then i moved up to an under wing plane. now i only fly heli's (raptor 30), i love it so much. i would fly both but i just cant affored it!! lol

(in reply to troyp)
       Post #: 7

Why no instructor? - 7/31/2003 6:59:21 AM   
FlyBlueSkies


 

Posts: 81
Joined: 12/7/2002
From: Aurora, OH, USA
Status: offline 		I was just too independent. I found the instructors kind of 'barked orders'. I know they did not mean it this way, but I took it this way.

I found I could not concentrate on flying with an instructor. I found it much better to be completely alone. No other people around. Yes, I made mistakes...but I learned to fly on an electric foamy. This was very easy to repair.

I now fly gas as well as electric. For me, this was the quickest way to learn and build confindence.

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       Post #: 8

Why did you learn to fly without an instructor?? - 7/31/2003 7:19:39 AM   
Geistware



Posts: 12946
Joined: 4/9/2002
From: Locust Grove, GA, USA
Status: offline 		When I first wanted to learn in the 70's the good ole boys crashed two of my planes 3 times. On the second and third times, they laughed when giving me back the transmitter. It was not until the late 90's that I got a copy of real flight and learned to fly. I then joined a club and after abot 5 times to the field, soloed.

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http://www.rcaircraft.net/
Information on the building and flying of Radio Control Aircraft.
Site for hobbyist in the R.C. Aircraft modeling world.

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       Post #: 9

Why did you learn to fly without an instructor?? - 7/31/2003 7:26:48 AM   
SDR-Hammer


 

Posts: 660
Joined: 9/9/2002
From: , MI,
Status: offline 		Interesting at the time I reviewed the results of the poll, 37% of the respondents chose:

- You went to the local club but were given the cold-shoulder by the "Good Ole Boys", or felt unwelcome at the club?

Since RCU has about half a billion members guess who made them feel unwelcome?

This is certainly a topic for another thread. I just addressed this issue in our last club newsletter. I mentioned that we need to make every visitor feel welcome. You never know when a cantankerous new neighbor or a misguided youth contemplating after dark field activities with his beat up Buick, will be a visitor. Wouldn’t it be easier if the had a friendly, welcomed first impression of the club?

< Message edited by Sdr -- Jul 31 2003 2:39AM >

(in reply to troyp)
       Post #: 10

Why did you learn to fly without an instructor?? - 7/31/2003 2:25:18 PM   
rclooney



Posts: 447
Joined: 3/11/2003
From: southport, UNITED KINGDOM
Status: offline 		What about cant be bothered getting an instructor as I want to get it flying as soon as its finished.

(in reply to troyp)
       Post #: 11

OPEN INVITATION - 7/31/2003 5:51:23 PM   
jettstarblue



Posts: 3199
Joined: 10/5/2002
From: Ashtabula county, OH, USA
Status: offline 		Here's an open invite to anyone in my area, or even within a 75 mile radius of me. (I live in Geauga County, near the Ashtabula and Lake County lines, in North Eastern Ohio.)

I will gladly give free lessons at your (private) field, with your equipment. Electric, or glow/gas. Anything you have to fly, (sorry I suck at the helicopter thing!) I can bring glue, tools field charger ect. to help if you don't think your plane is ready/up to it.
I will gladly give lessons at a small fee using my equipment,- Alpha trainer, great flying trainer.

I can give lessons at my private field with my/your equipment for a slightly higher fee, depending on whether it your's or mine.

I am not an AMA member, and I don't need to see your credentials, other than a willingness to pay attention, listen, and learn.

NO AGE, GENDER, RACIAL, OR OTHER LIMITATIONS, PERIOD.

I have successfully taught everyone I have ever tried to teach with the exception of 2 people, one was on heavy medication, and couldn't pay attention for 3 mins., and the other liked flying so much, he went straight to flying ultralights, and lost interest in the R/C thing-(thanks Dad, for teaching me how to fly ultralights in return)

Jetts

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Self employed genius visionary

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       Post #: 12

Why did you learn to fly without an instructor?? - 7/31/2003 8:05:42 PM   
PatinIdaho.


 

Posts: 93
Joined: 2/16/2003
From:
Status: offline 		I learned my self because it just did not look that hard to me and it wasnt. In 11 months i have only had one horrific crash and only had a trainer 3 weeks before flying a p-51 just fine.

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       Post #: 13

Why did you learn to fly without an instructor?? - 8/1/2003 12:20:29 AM   
Wet-Tile



Posts: 22
Joined: 7/30/2003
From: Lake Havasu City, AZ, USA
Status: offline 		im there with PatinIdaho, in the fact that it came very easy to me. and just acouple of weeks into flying i went onto heli's. i picked that up really fast also.

(in reply to troyp)
       Post #: 14

Why did you learn to fly without an instructor?? - 8/1/2003 1:08:58 AM