Okay, I know that simulators can help a LOT, and I know that the guys that grew up on video games and stuff learn quicker, but I recently saw first hand just how much this stuff can help.

A few weeks ago my brother Brad was given some RC planes. He has his own contracting business and went to give an estimate on installing new windows in a home. When he went into the barn with the woman it was partly filled with RC stuff, and when he expressed his surprise the woman said it was her husbands and that he had passed away. If he wanted anything he should take it! [X(]

She did tell him that if he wasn't going to use it, that she didn't want him to take anything though.

Well, he's known that I've been flying for a few years and decided that this would be a good opportunity to get involved. (I never even knew he was interested.)

To shorten the story up a bit, I went by his house and looked at the stuff, made some recommendations about what might work to start, how to free up engines and stuff, then he came to my house to try Real Flight.

Guys, he flew on Real flight right off the bat. Crashed a couple times while trying aerobatics, but did VERY well.

A couple weeks ago he met me at the field and I took him up on my Four Star 40 on the buddy box and he did very well. I only took the plane back once that I can remember.

That week we went to the hobby shop and he bought a trainer and Real Flight.

This past Saturday I was going to the field to meet Ahfoo again, and called Brad to see if he could come too. He said yes, and that he wanted to bring one of the planes he had been given. I said sure, bring it along.

Well, the plane he brought is (I think) an older Super Hots. If anyone remembers them, they're a quick, short coupled plane with a tall, fat fuselage.

Well it was pretty windy but I flew a few flights with the Four Star and Brad was considering having me take up the Hots to trim it and see how it flew. He decided that the plane and stuff had been free, so why not?

I took the plane up and it required quite a bit of left aileron trim, but aside from that flew fine. It really is a quick little thing too! Covered a few hundred feet every 2 to 3 seconds.

Now, we hadn't set up a buddy box for this thing yet, but Brad was stading next to me and I asked if he wanted to take the sticks. He said sure. I handed him the Tx and he flew that like he'd been flying for months. Loops, rolls and inverted passes a hundred feet up! [8D]

I asked if he wanted to land it. He said yes, and did. Not sure I could have put it down better. []

After he's had time for his knees to settle down we figured we get it up there again. This time he took off, wobbled jsut a bit as it left the grass, but really did well. He flew around for a bit, and at one point was doing a low (30 to 40 foot!) inverted pass; he was below tree top height, and the trees across the runway are closer than they appear, so I said, "watch the trees".

Well, Brad decided that he shouldn't push his luck much further and pulled "up". And yes, the plane went from 30 to 40 feet, at full throttle, straight into the field. Now, I'm also guessing that if I hadn't distracted him by talking to him, he probably wouldn't have planted it, but....

We walked out to where the plane hit. The plane itself was laying on the ground, the landing gear was about two feet away, the nylon bolts holding it on had broken, but no fuse damage. The wing had a good, long tear in it, but no structural damage.

The front of the fuse, ahead of the firewall, and the engine were no where to be seen. But I finally spotted a hole in the ground amidst the three foot tall grass. The back of the engine was down fully 4 or 5 inches, and it took some digging to get it out. [&:]

That was the ONLY damage. If we'd had a clean engine, an engine mount, 4 nylon bolts and some packing tape, we could have been flying it again in twenty minutes!! [X(]

In any case, Brad will probably solo on his next trip to the field. I'd like to think it was in the genes, but if it is, he got the good ones!

The woman that gave the stuff to Brad told him, "when you come back next time, I'll show you the basement"! We're going this weekend!!
Dennis-