ORIGINAL: Rufcut
Hi JChrisjohn ,
I've been involved in this sport for almost 10 years but since it's been over 4 years since I flew, I consider myself a beginner.
Allow me to pass along one bit of wisdom my instructor gave to me; "There are only 2 types of RC pilots. Those that have crashed and those that are going to crash." It's part of the hobby. If crashing really bothers you, you may want to consider another pasttime. Best thing is to say goodbye to that pretty bird just prior to the maiden flight.
I know what you mean about the distances involved to get to a club. My club is almost 50 miles away and with today's fuel prices that can start to run into money. If you can arrange it, a few flights with an instructor you are comfortable with can really help get you over that initial learning curve. Don't let one negative experience overcome the fact that most of the people involved in RC airplanes are truly some of the finest and more than willing to help a beginner learn the basics.
If you are determined to teach yourself, I think the simulators can really help.
Best of luck
Rufcut
I just joined a club last month-I went online to see if there was a local club and found their website. They have meetings the first Wednesday of every month, so I went to their meeting. I found a bunch of good guys who are all into RC planes, and who are really willing to help me get flying on my own. Once I'm comfortable flying solo, there are races and dogfights at my club, people to learn from, and people to help get good deals on fuel (if everyone buys from the same place, you can get quantity discounts...$12/gallon!). This is an expensive (and frustrating) hobby to learn alone. Using a trainer will almost guarantee a few good flights without crashing, so you can learn how the plane responds to different levels of input, and I will learn how to get the right elevation so that if you make a mistake, there will be room for corrections before you hit the ground.
I did an RC plane club search and found hundreds in your state; I really think it's worth it (glow or electric).