RC Sumo,

Thanks for your kind words. I am always happy to hear that some of my posts have helped a few pilots. I keep expanding them and updating them as time permits. I really enjoy helping new pilots get their start and I think the Aerobirds are a great place to start.

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Here is a new thought -

If you or any of your friends have aerobirds, aerobird challengers, aerobird xtremes, or any of the parkzone planes don't throw anything away. I believe the radios are interchangable. Never throw one out if it is bad. Keep it for parts.

The throttle slide on mine just went bad after hundreds of flights. I had been flying my plane in the snow. I think I got some water into the radio throttle slide and damaged it.

Well, I had a radio that someone had given me from an aerobird that had been lost (flying in too much wind with too little experience )

I just took the throttle slide from that radio ( which was on channel 3) and put it in my radio (channel 1) - works great.

If you have a group of friends with these planes, or if you are in a club, pool the excess/leftover radios, broken planes, whatever, and use them for a group spare parts pool. I have become that pool for our club and have helped a number of other flyers out.

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These planes are just too much fun to let them be grounded.

I have an original Aerobird (still flyable) and an Aerobird Challenger, but I also have 15 other planes ranging from parkflyers to discus launched gliders, to slope gliders, to 2 and 3 Meter sailplanes. In a little over two years, I have made over 900 flights. Last year I even started flying in sailplane contests. ( dead last but finished I am proud to say!) So I have a great selection of planes to fly. It all started with the Aerobird!

So, have I retired my Aerobird? Heck no!!!!!

The Aerobird lives in my car and goes to the field EVERYTIME. Sometimes, when I get out of work early, I head to the field, put two batteries on chargers and start to set up the Aerobird, while still in my suit. (DON'T TRY THAT WITH A GLOW PLANE ) I will put up 3-6 flights. Sometime I catch a thermal and only get two flights, but they can be really long ones.

A couple of months ago I was slope soaring with my 3M sailplane. Well it developed a problem, so I had to put it back in the car. Then I grabbed the Aerobird, flew it out into the slope lift and had a great time slope soaring with it. Like an old friend, he is alway there, ready to come out and play!

If the Aerobird needs fixing, it goes right to the head of he class. Sorry 3M sailplane, the Aerobird needs attention!

I just bought a combat module as I have a couple of new pilots who are close to ready for combat! Gonna teach them a thing or two!

I have the drop module and the night fly module! NONE OF MY OTHER PLANES CAN DO THESE THINGS!

I fly it as a parkflyer, I fly it as a thermal glider and I have flown it as a slope glider. I do a lot of training of new flyers on Aerobirds.


My Aerobird, I just love it!