tsands

My Feedback: (3)

I learned to fly this yr at my own field(never been to a club)and have spent the last several month's trying to figure out the things I needed to know to not look like an idiot when I take the plunge and go fly at a club. You know. Do I need to do cuban 8s immelmans, loops, rolls, what? I've searched and searched for the things I need to figure out before I go. I love to just go out and fly in circles, maybe some loops and rolls, stall's....you get the point I just love the thrill of flying. So I guess the problem is is I feel like a teen trying to find my way and I stumbled upon this forum and realized: What the hell have I been doing all this time? I'm just a sport flyer and I love it. Heres my planes. The sonic looks like a "sport plane" fuse been in two pieces twice nice lil hole in the front of the wing too flies like adream STILL

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

The first step is admitting it..............................



oh yeah, there is no solution to this problem. just buying more planes and fuel.


Ken (fellow addict) [8D]

DavidAgar

My Feedback: (108)

All you need do is fly like you want to and not worry about what everyone else is doing. If you want to fly in circles, then so be it. Just live within the flight line and flight pattern rules of the club and enjoy the hobby as you see fit. Good Luck, Dave

tsands

My Feedback: (3)

I feel silly for trying so hard to figure out what I was "supposed" to be doing whilst flying. HAVE FUN!!! THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO and I dang sure do that

happypappy

My Feedback: (10)

Hey Tsands.....Hows the Slow Poke flying? I just bought the ARF 40 kit and am looking at everything at the moment. Have heard that the landing gear needs improvement and the tailwheel is weak as well. Am in the same boat as you in that I fly outside of a club with a bunch of guys. Tell me what has been the weak points of the Poke so I can have a fighting chance of heading it off at the pass. Thanks!

tsands

My Feedback: (3)

Mine is the ARF that I bought used from a guy. I have only flown it about 5 times. The main got bent on the second landing and I just bent it back and it's been fine. The tail wheel is fine imo. Out field is pretty rough at this point since it's fairly new and in a hay meadow. There are many places that the grass han't grown so little divots everywhere. Holding up well so far. NOW the thing I did have issue with is the cg is a little off. It took alot of lead under the engine in the very front with a .46 ax. The batterie and rx are as far forward as possible. Get it balances and I think you'll love it. The few flights I've had have been great. MAN WHAT A STALL TURN. Enjoy just dont' get spooked when you have to start adding lead. RCKEN Had to put a bunch in his too. Very nice flying bird

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Yep, that's a Sport Flier's Hangar all right!

BTW, we have one guy in our club that flys trainers. He's a very good pilot who's been flying for 20 some years, but he just LIKES flying trainers.

To each his own!

nickj

The club you want to join is the one that encourages you to have fun and fly within your limits. Most are like that.

tsands

My Feedback: (3)

thanks minn. problem is is the club is 60 miles away and my lil hay meadow is great but can't learn much and get much comaradare while flying alone or with a brother that is busy most of the time but hey I have a ton of fun flying alone jsut would be nice to see others fly and do some b.s.'n. Besides I hear flying alone is unsafe
edit: the guy that taught me MOSTLY flew trainers too. he had many others but mostly just trainers. I did get the super sportster from him.(I cant take credit for that covering job)

tigger_roo

I like the tread I fly with my dad he taught me and a buddy we are traning we fly at or local airport. been flying there for three years now only seen one real airplane fly in we ask and our local parks and rec. told us to go there they did not like us flying in town. From north dakota

tsands

My Feedback: (3)

The airport sounds like a good place to fly. Too many things to go wrong in town If you know any farmers maybe you could pay them a hundred buck or something to warrant them giving up a couple balesof hay a year. That's what I did except I got lucky and he wouldn't take my money. I'd think there is some pasture or hay meadow in N.D. Good luck and HAVE FUN It's the most wonderful hobby in the world. I can't wait for my son to get big enough to fly with me.

tigger_roo

I can't wait until my son can fly to. The airport is only a mile away so it is nice to fly there. All we do is sport fly. we have a 23 year old bipe by balsa usa we love to fly looking at putting it out to pasture tho. and replace with great plane tiger moth. any body now about this arf

Charlie P.

Yep. That's me, too.

I admire and am awed by the folks who build the Top Gun scale and have the 1/4 scale bugs on the windscreens and 1/4 scale mechanics' greasy thumbprints on the instrument bezels.

I haven't figured out the IMAC guys, but it looks like they're having fun (I have a plane "hovering" in my den right now. Don't even need to run the engine, just hook the wheels to the wall - but theirs are bigger). I guess it gives a better flight to have a 52% scale aerobatic model, but the word "compensating" keeps floating to the top of my mental cess pool.

For me, it's still enough to have something roughly recognizable as an airplane that flies. I like the slow ones. I like the fast ones. Gas, 4-stroke or 2-stroke glow, doesn't matter. The important thing is that it starts and runs. I get enough aggrivation at work tha tI don't need to make everything outside the job a competition, also.

I often head to the field after work on a weeknight with just 45 minutes of light left and it's just me and the sunset having a good time in the sky. Challenging myself and my plane to see how slow we can do a loop, how smoothly we can touch a landing. Flying like I was inside . . . wishing I was inside . . . being inside.

It's all about the flying.

Hi! I'm Charlie and I'm a sport flier.

piper_chuck

My Feedback: (12)

Here's my formula for not looking like an idiot.
1) Learn and respect field rules and practices.
2) Start your plane with little fuss.
3) Keep your plane going in a straight line during the takeoff run.
4) Do a moderate climbout rather than 80 degrees and bordering on stalling.
5) Smooth flight with gradual turns and elevation changes.
6) Controlled approach.
7) Smooth, no bounce landing.
8) Engine shuts off on command.

Do all of these things and (even without any aerobatics) you will have outflown a significant number of people who never took the time to learn how to do these very basic things correctly. I've got way more respect for people who demonstrate smooth controlled flight than those who horse the plane off the ground, spend the next x minutes banging the sticks from endpoint to endpoint and then do a controlled crash somewhere in the general area of the runway.

tsands

My Feedback: (3)

Chuck, I should be ok then. I usually just fly in circles and do touch and go's some low speed passes and the sort. I shouldn't make myself look silly if that's all I have to do.

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

Never ever, under any circumstance, yell "Hey, watch this!!!!!!!"

I don't know how many times I've heard somebody yell this, and then have to bring their plane back in a bag!!'

Ken

tsands

My Feedback: (3)

LOL I'll keep that in mind since I don't really like to play pick up sticks.

taildragger21

My Feedback: (197)

Everyone at our field is always in competition.. We got a few extreme talented pilots and eveyone goes by that.. We also have a few That cant fly a plane correctly that owns 40-50% aircraft, and they look down on you because you didn't invest4-7k in your half scale model... When you make a bad landing or two, there the first to poke fun.I have a few 1/4 scales, and some 60 size and I have a blast when I fly them.. I fly them around smooth and with finese... I dont care what others think ..To me it's just a hobby.. The whole point of a hobby is to relax and enjoy free time...........

Jim_McIntyre

Exactly ... to some of us, relax and enjoy have different meanings though. Myself, after a stressful day at work, I relax and enjoy recreating reality in the workshop .... in preparation for competition.[8D]

Oh I enjoy sport flying as much as the next guy but, I get somewhat bored flying without discipline.
To me, a 3 point full stall landing with no bounce performed on a high AOA biplane is the most impressive maneuvre. It beats any hovering tail dunk in the river by a long shot.

tsands

My Feedback: (3)

To me, a 3 point full stall landing with no bounce performed on a high AOA biplane is the most impressive maneuvre. It beats any hovering tail dunk in the river by a long shot.


This is one of the main reasons (BESIDES being with people that enjoy my hobby) I want to go to a club and fly around people more often. I have no idea what a 3 pt stall landing is.[sm=confused.gif]

ptulmer

My Feedback: (5)

tsands, it's just what it sounds like. With a taildragger, you bring it in on three wheels with the wing stalled. It's not terribly difficult, but some airplanes don't do it well. You're right, join a club and go make some friends! Piper Chuck is 100% correct about the skills needed, but you can get them at the club field also. Even the harrasment I get at the field is done in fun. I've got a couple dozen more friends than before. All age ranges!

piper_chuck

My Feedback: (12)

Be very careful about low speed passes. Some clubs have very strong taboos about such things, while at others it's anything goes. I think the issue comes from warbird fliers doing too many bombing runs. It's always best to ask about the local practices before doing things over the runway.

tsands

My Feedback: (3)

the club I will fly at has a member (maybe the prez) that owns a hobby shop and I have bought quite a bit from him and he told me he'd keep me under his wing the first time I go. Should be OK just need to find time to go. A wife and 2 kids makes that kinda hard. They always wanna go boating instead of dad going to fly that's life I guess. Boating season is over soon so I should get some time to go

tsands

My Feedback: (3)

Man I love that super sportster. A little windy today so I took it and the sonic low wing and what a difference in the 2. That ss really gets it and handles great

happypappy

My Feedback: (10)

Well Tsands.......I got my Slow Poke in the air as well now. Have flown it about 7 times to date. Powered it with a used OS.48 FS and what a great plane! Have already done what so many said I would do and have removed weight from the nose and shifted the CG back some. Did 22 touch and goes on one 8 OZ tank my last flight plus some goofing around upstairs. This plane will be added to my herd of electrics and my gas 80" Cub and Tiger 60............do I qualify ??