Sportflyer,

Unless you’ve been flying Mode I for a long time it might be more practical to switch to Mode II and retrain yourself. When I lived in the Northwest I knew a number of old Mode I flyers. Dr. Ralph Brooks was a Mode I flyer and influenced a number of new flyers back in the early 60s to learn Mode I. Ralph is gone now, along with many of the old timers that flew Mode I. As you might know, the Mode I configuration comes from the layout of the old reed radios of the 50s and really doesn’t apply anymore with digital radios. That’s how Ralph ended up with Mode I, Orbit reeds to Orbit digital. Back in those early days of digital radios many people didn’t fully understand what a fantastic thing we had going with the digital radios and just stayed with the old reed controls config. I remember one of the old timers in the club switching from reeds to a digital Mode I radio and it took us for ever to keep him from flipping and pulsing the control levers like he had with the old reeds. Looking back now, it’s funny how many people just couldn’t grasp the digital thing! Now-a-days some people propagate the myth that they can fly better with Mode I and I guess they don’t understand that they are doing a 50s reed thing.

Think about it this way: When was the last time you saw a full size aircraft with a separate stick for elevator and one for aileron control? With all of the fighter pilots looking for an edge in combat, if Mode I controls improved flight control they would have it ASAP! For fighter pilots, flight controls are super important and they all have aileron and elevator on the same stick!