Grampaw
Posts: 499
Joined: 10/31/2002 From: Opelousas,
LA, USA Status: offline
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This is not a reply with reasons to either buy an Airtronics or not. I haven't even seen an Airtronics radio in years and just the mention here of the name triggered a brain burp in my head. Back in the 70s I built the first "Proportional Radio" I had. It was a Heathkit, and you had to build it yourself. I chose to build the Heath Single Stick 3 Channel, but got the 4 Channel conversion kit as I wanted a 4 channel radio. It was a simple mod, the Aileron right stick was hollow, so the conversion kit had a new hollow stick threaded to mount a pod to hold the Pot, which was the Rudder controls. It was really neat. Twist the knob right or left and the rudder followed. Move the Aileron stick right or left and the ailerons reacted. I taught myself to fly on that thing and had a ball. Later on we got some new guys in the group that wanted me to teach them to fly. I said OK, bring your planes and radios next Sunday and we'll get started. They all showed up with their airplanes and their brand new two stick Airtronic radios! I just stood out there wondering what I had done! I'd never flown a two stick! So the first thing I had to do was learn to fly with it, so I could then teach them how to fly! After I soloed, I went to work on them. The Airtronics radio was as good as any other moderately priced radio available in those days. As time passed I must have flown any and all that showed up. There was one time a whole month passed in which I didn't fly my Heath once! Another story along the same lines, about an FBO friend of mine. Early one morning out at the local airport, I saw a pretty little Silver and Red Ercoupe parked next to the main hangar and strolled over to check it out. The Ercoupe was the little plane that had no Rudder pedals on the floor, but it was a nice little airplane. Anyway, once I got close to the 'Coupe my FBO friend walked out with a handful of papers. I asked what he was up to. He told me in a non too polite manner that he didn't have time to fool with me, that he was busy boning up on how to fly that danged Ercoupe with the missing Pedals! He had never even sat in one before that morning! I was amused as it reminded me of my Airtronics deal, and similar to my case, He had to learn to fly it before he could teach it's new owner to fly it! It had been ferried up from another city and the new owner was to come in for his Flying lessons! He was non too amused, and shouting some not so nice things in my direction as I walked away laughing my head off at his predictament! Oh yes, he got it figured out, and eventually soloed the new owner and added the hours in the pretty Silver and Red little Ercoupe in his Log Book.
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