Crashem,

When I read through a lot of these newbie threads, I feel like the newbies are being given the impression that when you go to the field, EACH flight ends in a pile of balsa sticks that you have to go home and fix.

In my (limited) experience, of the five guys in our flight training program last year, only one had a major crash. He hit the same dirt pile I did, but was going much faster. He's spent the winter rebuilding the fuse on his bird.

On the other hand, the "experienced" pilots in the club dropped birds like flies. Flat spin into the ground, knife edge into a tree, you name it.

So I don't disagree with the adage that "Its only a matter of time till you have a crash."

I just don't think that the risk during a conservative, instructor-led training program is that high.


GB