Comeback flier needs a little info
06-22-2003, 05:12 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Wahoo
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Comeback flier needs a little info
Hi all!
I've been out of the game for about 10 years after having flown for two seasons. I still have my Avistar trainer (albeit with a bit more plywood than when I bought it!) as well as a Tiger II. I also have my 4 channel Futaba Conqest radio, servos, receiver, and batteries.
My question is this: I'd like to get back into it, and I wondered if my current equipment is still legal (they haven't messed with freqs or anything in the last 10 yrs, have they?) and viable? I am probably going to purchase new batteries for my field box and radio gear, and I'm going to zip off my AMA application later this week as well.
Any other tips to help a comeback guy would be greatly appreciated!
I've been out of the game for about 10 years after having flown for two seasons. I still have my Avistar trainer (albeit with a bit more plywood than when I bought it!) as well as a Tiger II. I also have my 4 channel Futaba Conqest radio, servos, receiver, and batteries.
My question is this: I'd like to get back into it, and I wondered if my current equipment is still legal (they haven't messed with freqs or anything in the last 10 yrs, have they?) and viable? I am probably going to purchase new batteries for my field box and radio gear, and I'm going to zip off my AMA application later this week as well.
Any other tips to help a comeback guy would be greatly appreciated!
06-22-2003, 05:54 PM
#2
Senior Member
My Feedback: (19)
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Orchard park,
NY
Posts: 784
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Comeback flier needs a little info
After being out of it for 12 years my Conquest is just fine. It's on channel 18 so I knew it was one of the newer narrow low band types. AM is still legal and can be mixed with the prevalent FM setups now used but not on the same channel obviously. I do get some interference at our field but the guys with the dual conversion FMs do too. A lot of the older guys still fly their AMs so don't feel and hesitation to do it.
I found my 4.8 V flight pack to be just fine. I cycled it a bunch of times before I flew it to be sure.
Several cells in the transmitter pack were bad and I just wired in new ones that had tabs on them. Then cycled that battery a number of times to be sure. A couple of cycles showed another cell bad and it was replaced. Now I fly this radio regularly although I watch it like a hawk for failure. Incidentally, I had to open my transmitter and spray some contact cleaner on my on/off switch to get it back to perfect.
I bought the Realflight G2 simulator and flew the heck out of it to get my thumbs back. That worked well and I figured the cost was less than a couple of crashes that would have resulted had I not used it. I found that the thumbs came back with relative ease but the judgment about where the plane was over the field took longer. It was a little tougher to line up for a landing than I though it would be and judging where the plane is when it is down field took some practice.
I found my 4.8 V flight pack to be just fine. I cycled it a bunch of times before I flew it to be sure.
Several cells in the transmitter pack were bad and I just wired in new ones that had tabs on them. Then cycled that battery a number of times to be sure. A couple of cycles showed another cell bad and it was replaced. Now I fly this radio regularly although I watch it like a hawk for failure. Incidentally, I had to open my transmitter and spray some contact cleaner on my on/off switch to get it back to perfect.
I bought the Realflight G2 simulator and flew the heck out of it to get my thumbs back. That worked well and I figured the cost was less than a couple of crashes that would have resulted had I not used it. I found that the thumbs came back with relative ease but the judgment about where the plane was over the field took longer. It was a little tougher to line up for a landing than I though it would be and judging where the plane is when it is down field took some practice.
06-22-2003, 06:08 PM
#4
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Wahoo
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Comeback flier needs a little info
Stripes-
Thanks for the reply. I'm actually in Lancaster, and yeah,
I was planning on going to Hamburg. Though there is someone
in my neighborhood who has been flying behind Lancaster HS (almost in my backyard) and I was going to spend some time there as well.
I hadn't thought much about clubs yet, I'm going to hit Fields tomorrow to have them set up an engine for me as well as get some club info and an AMA app.
My conquest is an FM, btw, so I guess I should be ok with that.
Thanks for the reply. I'm actually in Lancaster, and yeah,
I was planning on going to Hamburg. Though there is someone
in my neighborhood who has been flying behind Lancaster HS (almost in my backyard) and I was going to spend some time there as well.
I hadn't thought much about clubs yet, I'm going to hit Fields tomorrow to have them set up an engine for me as well as get some club info and an AMA app.
My conquest is an FM, btw, so I guess I should be ok with that.
06-23-2003, 12:21 AM
#5
Senior Member
My Feedback: (19)
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Orchard park,
NY
Posts: 784
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Comeback flier needs a little info
Well you have the Aircrafters and the Flying Knights right in the area. Just had a pattern contest in Hamburg. There are regular pylon races too. Lots of nice people in the clubs and endless help too. We would have to leave it to the experts but I think that whole Conquest series was narrow band.
