ORIGINAL: Atzanik

Hi Folks,

I'm a newbie heli pilot with a bit of a story I thought I'd share. Back in October I purchased my very first heli... a Blade CP (and lots of spare parts). At this point I've had no flying experience, or RC experience ever! After getting it home, charging up the battery, reading through the manual, and getting everything adjusted the way it is supposed to be? I head out to the closest large parking lot I could think of. I power up the TX, plug in the battery, and find myself crashing it into the pavement within 10 seconds or so, I was headed back home for the initial repairs. Who thought that the heli would roll over and pull itself into the ground? I certainly didn't. Interestingly enough, it did manage to get about 10 feet off the ground and 20 feet away from me before that stunt.

Once repaired, I decided to take it a bit slower... I went to my front yard and thought that perhaps instead of trying to fly this thing around, I would go for a hover... nice and safe, or so I thought. I get everything powered up, the light goes green, the Blade bunny hops twice, and then explodes! Boom strike! Pieces everywhere. Hmm I thought... this isn't very fun... is getting stressful, and starting to cost a lot of money, and I'm not even doing anything yet. Well, back inside and repair it again.

By this time, I'm finished trying to fly this thing, and I get on the Internet and start doing some research.... Flight Simulators... now there is an idea! So I place the Blade CP on the work bench, and there it sits for a few weeks, while I wait for a simulator cable to arrive and start getting into the simulator (FMS). Wow, I really do suck.. I can't even fly this thing in the simulator... I don't think I'm ever going to get the Blade in the air, and moving in a way that I'm actually trying to get it to go.

I spend more time on the simulator and start to make progress. I also decided that learning on a less expensive heli would be a good idea as well, so I order a Walkera Dragonfly 22E. It's cheap, and is similar to the Blade... not the same quality, but at my level, and experience, crashing after 5 seconds and having to make repairs is cheaper on a 22E than the Blade. I also learn about RADDs, and start with that program in my basement. I eventually get to hover the heli... heart pounding, and I find myself not breathing I'm concentrating so hard!

Winter comes late (in terms of snow and cold) this year, so I was able to get out and get some practice with the 22E (crashing and repairing as I go)... starting to get the hang of this - not great, but learning, and getting air time, so it's progress. Well after much practice with the 22E a servo gives out on it, and that's the end of the 22E (until the new one arrives) it's beat and has more glue and thread holding it together than original parts. While I wait for the new "budget learner" to arrive, I find myself wanting to fly... the simulators just don't give me the same satisfaction, so I take out one of my Blade CPs (by now, I have 2 CPs, 1 CP-Pro, and an X400 - it seems I'm buying helis for when I move up, as I sure can't fly them very well, but it's coming).

After a couple weeks of pure crap spring weather (rain, snow, hail, high winds) today there is a break in the rain/hail, and wind for about 2 hours. I jump on the opportunity and head out to the soccer field to get in some air time. I drag the loving wife along to take some video (as this is getting to be a side hobby of flying). I get in the best flights I've ever had!! (videos on youtube, links below).

I'm just glad that I was able to find RCUniverse, and these forums. I'm sure if I hadn't found them I would have quit the hobby before I ever really got started. The amount of information, help, suggestions, and helpful people on here has made all the difference. I sure don't post a lot, but I read a tonne! So from one newbie to the rest of you, thank-you for all your posts and the information you so freely pass on to people like me.

Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtUkJ4-rgII
Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZm1OpEreLg