Every day I see posts from new fliers looking for advice about what to buy. Where do I start? What do I get next? Do I need a simulator? Do simulators really help? How good does the sim need to be? How good does the helicopter need to be? And how big? And it's all based on questions that only the new flier can answer.

We need to build a worksheet that will resolve the advice problem. Questions about budget, expectations for the first week, first month, first year, ultimate goal and psychological profile would be good. Is the flier willing to practice? Is the flier willing to spend hours on a simulator? Is the flier willing to spend several times the cost of the helicopter on repair parts?

A well developed profile would have told me that I am not a good candidate for a helicopter. I could afford a decent helicopter. My eye hand coordination stinks. And I don't take the time to practice. I never wanted 3d, just backyard pattern flight and I'd be happy. I like the look of scale flight. I have very low tolerance for things that don't work well (like helicopters that fall out of the sky). My back yard is a bit small for a high reving collective pitch. From that, I would recommend a purpose built fixed pitch based on a brushless motor and Guru Z air frame. But I have a low tolerance for damage and repair costs. That would lead me to scale flight and one of the big coaxials (Big Lama). With the upper rotor painted a neutral color and the lower rotor painted black the appearance is a big single rotor. And if the flier is willing to accept his limitations that would be an acceptable recommendation. Of course if someone had told me that from the outset, I would have purchased the Belt CP anyhow. I'd have broken it, repaired it. Sold it. And then admitted that the adviser was correct. Some things ya just gotta learn the hard way.

Any thoughts on the worksheet? It might be a fun project.
Soloboss