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RE: How Did You Learn To Fly R/C - 12/2/2012 6:04 PM

sensei

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quote:

ORIGINAL: benbishop98

I just got into flying rc planes about one year ago. I got RealFlight 6 and then about a month later I got a Nexstar. After playing with the simulator for a few months I got the plane up and landed it safely. I was so nervous it wasn't even fun. I've gotten better with every flight. IMO the simulator is the best investment I ever made.

Give it some time and you just might agree that the friendships that you made while in this hobby was some of the best investments you ever made.

Bob

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RE: How Did You Learn To Fly R/C - 12/2/2012 7:05 PM

eldoren

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In 1972, I started flying a Cox Pitts Special ( control line ) as well as a Stuka Bomber (.049). While flying control line, I moved on to building aircraft kits in Balsa ( A company called Guillows I think). Most were rubber band models and I cover the balsa with tissue and dope. I had a slow time in the mid to late 70's as I struggled with my parents divorce. In 1980 I met a couple of people who taught me how to fly RC planes. I was flying a Eagle 63 Trainer with a .40 and flew that for a while.

While flying the Eagle 63, I bought a quarter scale J3 cub with a float kit and built that. I also went big and tackled building a large Hirobo DDF Jetranger with a .60. It was pretty cool and took alot of time (2 years). I continued flying to this day. I have built a DC3 kit (Royal), a J3 cub on floats ( the EFLITE KIT), a couple aerobatic planes, a Hawk Pro Heli, a P51 Mustang, a Multiplex Fun Cub on floats ( I fly this every weekend at the lake) and I am current scratch building a C-130 Hercules kit from Keith Sparks Plans. Once that is complete, I will be building a PBM Mariner from Keith Sparks plans as well.

Thats how I started!

Gordon

ps. This Winter, I am flying a Charger R/C Fuzion as well as a electric RT Sirius Eleven aerobatic plane.

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RE: How Did You Learn To Fly R/C - 12/2/2012 8:38 PM

FuzzyDice

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I learned to really fly and be consistent with a Jensen Das Ugly Stick with a Veco .45 for power and an old Kraft open gimbal
radio . I could fly in the air fine but I couldn't land worth a flip till I got my Stik . My first r/c plane was an all foam chipmunk that
even an experienced flyer could barely keep in the air..........the guys at the field told me to dump that thing and get an airplane that
flew ! lol

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RE: How Did You Learn To Fly R/C - 12/2/2012 8:58 PM

topgun1958

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I can remember my mom taking her Green stamp book up too the S&H GREEN STAMP STORE WHEN I WAS 10 YEARS OLD . I figured we were going shopping for mom again i walked out of that store with the biggest smile i every had i had a brand new cox string control airplane a corsair with gas a battery all for two books of green stamps. That was the greatest gift my mom every bought me that was 44 years ago . From there i flew that plane for years in the front of my old elementry school every summer .Then when i was 25 years old my wife bought my first rc plane a midwest aerostar 40. No buddy box back then flew and wrecked fixed it and went and did it all over i have been flying since i was 10 years old . Thanks to my mom . [image][/image]

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RE: How Did You Learn To Fly R/C - 12/2/2012 11:13 PM

JethroTull

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I started in the early 80s when my parents bought me a Testors C/L Spirit of 76. After I don't remember how many crash my dad bought me a balsa profile .o49 which he showed me how to build. Back in the days when my dad was a kid they kitted there own planes by using lead and razor blades for stamping dies. After I learned how to fly that it was onto a .35 C/L Profile Skyraider, which as a kid felt like is was going to take my arm off. One day when I didn't pull out of a wing over it was time to move on to R/C and my Grandparents bought me a Falcon 56 for Christmas and my parents bought me an Airtronics Vanguard radio. Luckily for me our across the street neighbor flew R/C planes and he became my instructor and taught me how to fly at Luke AFB auxilary field in AZ.

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RE: How Did You Learn To Fly R/C - 12/3/2012 12:40 AM

retransit

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Great thread. Thanks sensei.

I started in the 1950's with controlline aircraft that had sheeted balsa construction and Cox .049's for power. I continued while in grade school. A few years after my enlistment in the Air Force I found some fellow fliers in NYC and built Guillows kits along with some .35 powered profile stunters and some Sterling built-up scale models. This continued for a few years, using the controlline circles in Flushing Meadow Park in NYC. I gravitated toward RC with the build of a Goldberg Skylane 62 and an MRC five channel radio that my wife bought for me. I didn't fly that model until 1982. Good thing. I would have smashed it.

In 1982 I hooked up with a family friend that had been flying RC for a number of years. With a Headmaster powered by an O.S .25 I learned to fly, by passing the transmitter back and forth. Eventually I had the transmitter in my hands more then my instructor. After awhile felt confident enough to fly the Skylane.

Been having fun flying and building ever since, only more so retired and here in Florida.

Bob

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RE: How Did You Learn To Fly R/C - 12/3/2012 12:41 AM

GravityTester

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My dad flew in the late 80s and early 90s. In 2003 I came home with the Aerobird. After a few lessons in the horse pasture from the old man off I went. I have flown everything from the vapor to the funtanta to 50cc to now also Full Scale. The aerobird had its flaws but it got me going in the hobby and I had a ball flying it.

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RE: How Did You Learn To Fly R/C - 12/3/2012 1:57 AM

brenthampton79

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School of hard knocks. My brother and I started building rubber band models in the late 80's moved up to cox u control stuff, then got me a cox ez bee 2 for Xmas and dad kinda helped since he flew RC back when he was a kid and he then had started the dusting biz. So I crashed and glued till I figured it out then got a 40 size trainer and kept progressing

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RE: How Did You Learn To Fly R/C - 12/6/2012 9:24 PM

KitBuilder

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My kit built M.E.N Trainer using my Kraft KP-4A. I saved all summer cutting lawns to buy in the mid 70's....passing it back and forth to my instructor

Good times.....

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RE: How Did You Learn To Fly R/C - 12/7/2012 1:47 AM

buzzard bait

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In 1958 a friend's big brother had a towline glider that was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I built my own smaller version from memory using balsa sticks and tissue I bought at a hobby shop. After that it was rubber models that crashed every try, then learned to fly control line and a couple of towline gliders. Later I learned to make rubber powered models fly by reading the magazines and building from scratch with light wood. Then CO2 FF and finally got a radio and a TF Schoolmaster, powered by a Cox .049. That was a terrific plane and my only one for a few years. I learned to fly on my own with it and the all balsa sheet construction held up through many crashes. Then I built a really light one from scratch using the kit plans. That one had an amazing glide and I did some thermaling with it.

The Schoolmaster could not takeoff and do touch and goes but my next plane could. That was a Midwest Livewire Champ Mk.III powered with an OS .15FP. That plane was a pure delight. I joined a club and flew it over and over for about 3 years before I felt a need for anything else. Best memories of all. That one really gave me a proper start. I never had an instructor. Later when I got an aileron plane I had no trouble. Many, many others since, but I still have a soft spot for the old Champ.

Jim

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RE: How Did You Learn To Fly R/C - 12/9/2012 3:39 AM

bhady

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Self taught started with a Sig _LT 40 ARF after using a GP REAL FLIGHT Sim over the winter. Things actually went very well.

Bhady

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RE: How Did You Learn To Fly R/C - 12/11/2012 6:10 PM

tesol1

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I saw a bunch of guys flying Zagi's at a local park, stopped and asked about it. The next week I bought one along with a transmitter and some batteries. One of the guys taught me to fly on Sunday afternoons. After four or five lessons, I got the hang of it and flew solo. After about three years, I wanted to fly bigger planes, but the batteries were too expensive at the time. I switched to glow fuel and now fly an assortment of sport and aerobatic planes at my local club.

I love every aspect of the hobby, e.g., flying, building, shooting the shat with the guys-you name it, but the most enjoyable part of this hobby has been teaching my eleven-year-old son to fly. I started him about year ago on a glow fuel trainer, and he now flies the Hanger 9 Katana. Hardly a weekend goes by where we aren't flying at the local club punching holes in the sky laughing it up about what a kick it is to fly RC planes. My eight-year-old has been building his skills on the simulator and wants to start flying as well. I bought him a neat looking slow flier and will teach him when the weather gets a little better. My dad fixes the planes when we smack them up or they need some kind of repair. He used to fly as well, but he's up there in years now and so enjoys the hobby by working on the planes. We are three generations of RC flying enthusiasts and still enjoy this amazing hobby.

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RE: How Did You Learn To Fly R/C - 12/12/2012 1:51 AM

HighPlains

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Falcon 56, OS 19, and three channels of a 4 channel Orbit (REM). Took it to a field, had the only guy there take it off, trimmed it out and hand me the transmitter. Flew it around for the tank, then landed it myself. Second flight, I took it off and flew it around, he landed it. Third flight completely solo, but from that point on I was on my own because nobody flew RC where I lived. I already knew how to flare for landings because I had flown CL for 6 years, and the airplane/engine was well built and prepared for flight. I was just 16, then and it cost a lot more then to fly than today. My first radio was about $400 ( it be about $2500 in today's money), so it took a while to save up. Actually it cost the same as my HP 45 calculator that I bought 3 years later while in engineering school. It was nice to retire the slip-stick.

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RE: How Did You Learn To Fly R/C - 12/12/2012 9:57 AM

cvint

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In late 70s built a Thermic 72 free flight and flew it in front of our apt. Later got Jr. Falcon with reed valve Cox 049 and cox 2 channel.
Never was able to fly this even with help of flying buddy. I really learned to fly RC with my second RC plane-Midwest lil Tri Squire
with cox 049.Now I am flying all electric-New Era 1,Hustler Delta ,and a free flight converted to RC-a Polish design called a Wicherek.
The problem with learning to fly with Cox 2 channel was that the elevator was on left stick and rudder (or aileron) was on
right stick (Mode 1) . Now I am only able to fly Mode 1-tried Mode 2 and almost crashed another flyers plane.

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RE: How Did You Learn To Fly R/C - 12/12/2012 6:37 PM

JMZ

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Grew up next to a flying farmer and watched him take off and land over our farm house as a child. He'd wave to me as he flew over and eventually took me for rides as I got a bit older. I was hooked! I just had to fly after that! Of course, model planes were a given at that point until I got old enough to fly the real thing. Eventually became a commercial pilot....but I digress.

I started with Control Line for a year or two as a young boy, and then progressed from my Noblers to RC (40+ years ago now.) Completely Self taught in a hay field on the family farm with a Goldberg Senior Falcon. Minor crash on the first flight. I fixed the plane and flew again, "sucessfully" this time. No more serious crashes after that. Mostly just broken props and bent nose gears after less than perfect landings. I just flew in large, (and admittedly erratic) circles around myself, control line style, until I got comfortable with the basic controls and then progressed from there. Self taught helicopter pilot too (about 20 years later). I mostly fly giant scale aerobats now, and enjoy 3D flying with both planes and helis these days. Great Fun and I never get tired of it!

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