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RE: How many here fly full-scale? - 11/16/2012 3:17 PM   
maxmwill


 

Posts: 19
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Joined: 5/6/2012
Last Login: 11/24/2012
From: edmonton, KY, USA
Status: offline 		Well, I have to confess that I do no fly full scale, and at this stage in my life, I most likely never will, unless it would be behind the controls of an ultralight. This is not to say that I never harbored the desire to get my ticket and then punch big holes in the sky; I just never got arround to it, whether due to a lack of finances, or simply circumstances in general(Life has a funny way of "getting in the way" of one's hopes and/or desires). Instead, I embarked upon a career as an A&P, which enabled me to "rub shoulders" with the flying machines I've always dreamed of being around(because after all, a real aeroplane has two wings and a round motor).

And now, at the young age of 56, with all the attendant degrading the body goes through(such as an increase in floaties in the old mk1 mod 1 eyeball, which would put a damper on any desire to fly), I'll have to either continue to keep my feet on the ground and buck rivets, finish up the latest dope and fabric project, or just help prop the engines on the DC3 that's about to take off, or decide which ultralight kit I'd like to build and learn how to smash bugs at 60mph.

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RE: How many here fly full-scale? - 11/24/2012 11:14 PM   
rcsoar4fun


 

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Last Login: 4/30/2013
From: Portland, TX, USA
Status: offline 		I have been flying r/c for way, way too long. IIRC I started when I was 8-9, so that works out to about 26 years. Geez, I'm getting old. :-)

I work at one of the largest helicopter repair depots in the world. Very cool stuff to see every day, but can't say I have any desire to fly in a full size heli.

Started flying full scale last year. Soloed around 12 hours, then took a long break when my son was born. Now I am sitting at 35 hours and starting checkride prep. So far all of it in a C172. Next spring I intend to add on my glider rating as well. In the next few years looking to build something, haven't decided what yet.

To anyone thinking of doing flying, its well worth all the trouble and expense if you can swing it. It's a lot of fun and won't be getting any cheaper until they get the electric power systems worked out.

To anyone worried about being too old or having health problems, look into the Light Sport stuff. No medical required and some of the LSA aircraft are pretty neat, much more capable than ultralights.

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RE: How many here fly full-scale? - 11/24/2012 11:42 PM   
maxmwill


 

Posts: 19
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Joined: 5/6/2012
Last Login: 11/24/2012
From: edmonton, KY, USA
Status: offline 		Worked at an FBO back in the early nineties which also trained people to fly helicopters. The boss was a former captain in the Army, and flew Blackhawks(he helped out with SAR after St. Helens blew her top). He retired out(at urging of his wife) and tried to teach people how to fly helos with, of all things, a Hiller UH23C(it had flown all through the Korean War, and was shipped back to the states to be put in storage. The log book was a fascinating read).

I learned to respect the Franklinstein engine, especially the fact that the starter/generator was on the very bottom of the engine, and could not tolerate liquids of any kind or in any quantity(such as oil, and the Franklin was a leaky beast).

He took me up for my first helo ride, after we had finally gotten the blessings from the local FAA inspector(while the boss did hover it off the trailer after buying it and bringing it to the hangar, we still had many months to get her up to snuff).

We were at 2500 feet, when the engine burped. The boss and I looked at each other, when the engine burped once more, only harder. He called the tower and declared an emergency, and we got down really fast(not as fast as an autorotation or even a rotor stoppage might've been).

He shut down, I went into the hangar and got the wheels and the bar to help put the wheels on, and I got her into the hangar.

Started pulling plugs, and found the electrodes covered in little balls.

The balls were magnetic.

That told me that something very serious had gone wrong with the transmission, so the boss, his 2nd in command(it was a three man shop), and I moved the chopper under the chain hoist, and we prepped the machine to pull the rotor/transmission/engine off the machine.

I helped tear the tranny apart and found a couple gears and one of the bearing were just about digested. The transmission has oil common to the engine. The mercury clutch, of which we had 3 extra spares, was fine.

Had we kept flying for any longer, the crash would've been quite unpretty.

The Hiller was fun, but the boss didn't want to teach anyone to fly with a Robinson(he said he got a better deal on the Hiller).

As far as my wanting to fly, yes, LSA might be the way to go, but if I can get away with having a Pietenpol on that ticket, then I wouldn't mind(I worked at a radial engine repair station, in a blast booth blasting cylinder jugs, and one of the other guys had me blasting Model T and Model A engine blocks for Piets, and that was a lot of fun. I later helped him build a Piet for someone, and that was quite a learning experience, especially when he asked me to build a 1/4 scale model of one with scrap spruce from the project we were building. That was an interesting experience, because I could keep checking scale fidelity not only against the plans, but als against the full size version. He also had me help him build ribs for Stearmans).

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RE: How many here fly full-scale? - 11/25/2012 1:57 AM   
Mooney_driver



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From: Ellensburg, WA, USA
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Rv7garage

Just curious to see how many of us are also paying dues to the FAA! Seriously, I'm curious about percentages- how many folks out there started with an R/C trainer, moved up, and eventually tried the real thing?

Actually I went the other way.  I started out with a full sized airplane then took up RC.  A couple years out of high school I started taking lessons along with co workers (1972).  Our FBO had a Cessna 172 and a 150.  Time was $22 per hour wet,  with an instructor for the 150.  I went for my check ride but got sick in the process.  I stuck my head out the window to throw up and...my glasses took off without a parachute!  I was better prepared the second time around and got my license.  Then I went out and bought a 1961 Mooney MK21 model 20B (N74531) with a 180hp Lycoming engine and manual retracts.  It was the first all metal Mooney.

2 years later I moved to the Denver area.  I had Clinton Aviation do the annual.  They crashed my prized Mooney on the hangar floor and then charged me to fix their screw up.  I then moved to New Mexico where all the Navcoms were stolen.  That was enough for me so I arranged with my old FBO and instructor (then owner of the FBO) to sell my plane so I flew it back to Idaho and parked it. 

I used to check to see where N74531 was based at the time but the last time I checked I found that it had moved to Kentucky and was being cannabalized and the parts sold.

2 weeks after ferrying my plane back to Idaho  I got word that the instructor/owner had taken a passenger to Missoula, MT and was enroute back where he crashed the Cessna 180 with one person onboard and his 5 year old son.  7 months later a summer fire spotter was out walking a half mile from his fire tower where he found the wreckage in heavy timber.  The 2 adults died on impact but the 5 year old son had lived for a while and was found outside under a wing where bears had eaten him.

Then the original owner of the FBO bought the operation back.  A year later he rode with  a friend in a newly overhauled C182 from Orofino (elevation 1000 feet) enroute to Cour D Alene and crashed 6 miles down the road within full site of the main highway and 2 small commuties.  That was at 6AM.  At 6pm a search was called and then people just looked up to spot the wreckage in full view.  Both died on impact.

That was enough for me.  I have not flown since but did take up RC flying since it is a lot safer and a lot cheaper!

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RE: How many here fly full-scale? - 11/25/2012 2:05 AM   
rcsoar4fun


 

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From: Portland, TX, USA
Status: offline 		I have spent a lot of time in Idaho and it is a place I would live in a heartbeat if I could find a job. I love it a lot. However, Idaho is no place to be screwing around on the ground or in the air.

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RE: How many here fly full-scale? - 1/11/2013 5:38 AM   
P-39 fan


 

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From: Fond Du Lac, WI, USA
Status: offline 		My Father got his Private Pilot's license in 1955. I obtained mine in 1967.Started flying RC in 1968. My father had owner a Cessna 140, Cessna 175 Skylark, a Cessna 210 and the one I flew- a brand new 1968 Cessna 182 Skylane. Along the way, I flew Cessna 150, 172, 177, Piper Cherokee 140 to 235, Aero Commander Lark and Darter. Have stayed with scale RC for 45 years.- glow for 30 yrs, electric for the last 15

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RE: How many here fly full-scale? - 1/27/2013 8:43 AM   
tc-62


 

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From: Marinette, WI, USA
Status: offline 		 Yo Bret , keep talking we like what your saying

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RE: How many here fly full-scale? - 1/27/2013 10:13 AM   
tc-62


 

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From: Marinette, WI, USA
Status: offline 		der I wuz. As you all know any story from a Vet. starts that way.Pease AFB New Hampshere,1985ish,I got a awared for the best plane in SAC. Well wo wo  thanks for doing your job, I know what your thinking. Anyway, I got a flight in a FB-111A . I don't know if anyone other than a pilot of those aircraft can realy grasp and understand the power of two tf30-p107 with after burner .Well her'es the deal, first ,with the brakes on, the engines compresses the nose strut till it cluncks on the bottom. That's 18000 lbs x 2. The pilot looks a the EGR ,checks good , then he askes the tower for permition to take off. Granted ,the pilot releases the brake and the aircraft lurches forward with the nose strut "cluncking " on the up side. With wings full forward, @345K,he let me have the stick. It handled worse than a172, hold on he says , we'll go out beyond the isle of sholes. .9 MACH wings swept to 72 deg. straight up ,straight down, sea sky sea sky sea sky sky sea waahhhat ,Momma. My "instuctor" pilot was just exelent, allthogh, I think he lost a bet about making me through up.

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RE: How many here fly full-scale? - 2/16/2013 1:00 AM   
hankjackson


 

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Last Login: 5/23/2013
From: York, ME, USA
Status: offline 		Hi, I'm another one lucky enough to grow up in an airplane. My Dad started taking lessons at 14...still has a medical and flies at 84. Still sharp too. I soloed a Cub after my 16th bday and flew a variety of planes over the years. Mostly antique stuff, late 20's and early 30's, many very rare. Got my multi engine in a 1939 Lockheed 12-A. I restored and owned 1934 Waco UMF NC14031 (airplane the subject of Paul Matt's drawings) for38 years.  Started building models at an early age and we started getting into RC in the mid-late 60's, although Dad had some early stuff from the 50's. and had been an avid modeler since age 8. Have not done too much modeling in the last 10 years, but I'm starting to do rubber scale to eflight conversions. Still think building is half the fun, even if time consuming!

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RE: How many here fly full-scale? - 2/18/2013 1:12 PM   
thailazer



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From: Ampur Mae TaengChiang Mai, THAILAND
Status: offline 		I learned to fly at Henley Aerodrome (now Silverwood) in Athol Idaho which was a great place to hang out. Lots of museum quality planes in the hangars and some rather famous pilots to jaw with over a cup of coffee. Saw the maiden flight of Samson there after Steve Wolf built that incredible Pitts. Years later I bought a Horton STOL Cessna 182 with a 3 blade and 206 gear and had a lot of fun flying it in and out of the tamer mountain strips. Those were great days and a part of me regrets parting with that -182.

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RE: How many here fly full-scale? - 3/3/2013 12:24 AM   
Arrowflyer


 

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Last Login: 5/19/2013
From: Cedar Rapids, IA, USA
Status: offline 		Started flying full scale when I was 18. My dad was an engineer for Boeing for 38 years. His first project was the B-17 and progressed up through the 747. Did all my math homework on the back of old computer print outs of the landing gear specs on the 747. Been in my blood since birth. Been flying full scale for 38 years most of it in a Piper Arrow. Started flying RC about 15 years ago, what a blast!. Still fly an Arrow and take care of the maint on it. Love making small design changes on the RC stuff to make them fly better or better yet FASTER Yes, have seen some awesome structural failures How much more fun can you have!

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RE: How many here fly full-scale? - 4/30/2013 1:40 AM   
vulcancruiser


 

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Last Login: 5/15/2013
From: Ontario, CA, USA
Status: offline 		I soloed in 1969 in an almost new 150 that was $12 an hour wet!...........lol.........airlines weren't hiring pilots so I had fun in operations for 38 years.  Finally got my Private in 1995.  Started flying RC in 1972 and have been one of the addicted ever since,  started off soaring at Torrey Pines.......the Mecca of the glider world.  Been a great time..........and count yourself fortunate if you've gotten to see the planet from 10,000ft or higher..........a really surreal thrill................... 



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RE: How many here fly full-scale? - 5/1/2013 3:20 AM   
RV7guy


 

Posts: 21
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Joined: 8/17/2004
Last Login: 5/18/2013
From: Chandler, AZ, USA
Status: offline 		57 now. Started models when I was about 6. U-control, Cox PT-19. First RC at 10. Competed in Pattern for a few years. Dad taught me building skills. Love building but not many "real" kits out there now. No breaks in RC since I started.

Graduated in 1973. I wanted to be a fighter pilot but the AF wasn't taking anyone as Nam wound down. Same with helicopters. Got into Law Enforcement. Earned my PPL fixed wing in June of 1977, Helicopter in October of 1977. Spent 30 years in LE and flew quite a bit.

Retired for 3.5 years and built a Van's RV7. Was talked out of retirement to fly medical helicopters. I didn't have an Instrument ticket that was required. Got my IFR fixed wing and added on the Helo fixed wing. Got both IFR tickets in under 2 months.

Now flying medical helicopters in Casa Grande AZ. Member of Team Futaba and fly some small electrics at work. Hours of organized boredom allows me to bring planes to work to build. I have a mobile build center

I have over 700 hours on my RV7. I have another one about 3/4 completed that will be full IFR with dual screen EFIS systems, weather, auto pilot. I am very fortunate to live in a residential airpark. Hangar right out my kitchen door.

If you are really interested in full scale flying, consider building a plane. Any modeler with building skills and easily complete a full scale. Of course it is more but if you analyze what you spend on toys, it might within reach. I'll see if I can post a picture of my plane.

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Darwin N. Barrie, Chandler, AZ
Team Futaba

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