I am not an instructor, however, I have taught several people how to fly.

I am a STRONG believer in the buddy box cord. There have been instances where the student feels they can save the plane and refuse to return the transmitter until it is too late. With a buddy box cord you don't have this problem. Release the trainer switch/button and you have it back immediately.

I ALWAYS preflight check the student's trainer daily and make certain all the controls, both on the master AND the buddy box, are operating the right way before we leave the pit area.

When starting out, I take the plane off and get it up to a safe height. Then the student takes it and practices "straight and level" flight and flying the pattern.

Once they can do that, I walk them through ON THE GROUND on how to do a take off. Then I do a take off while they observe what I am doing with the transmitter and what the plane is doing. I then land and the student tries it.

After the student masters the take off, I again, talk him through a landing while on the ground. I then do a landing while the student observes, then the student tries it.

In addition to this, I also teach them how to use the rudder and require them to be able to do a rudder only figure 8. We also do a couple of "deadsticks" in which I reach over and pull the throttle all the way down and say "Your engine just died." By this stage I should not have to talk the student down or basically do anything, but I am ready "just in case".

The students I have taught this way have all passed the club's requirements for solo on the first try