jet22b

Hi Guys,

I have been in this great hobby for over 35+ years and I still have weak knees and shaking hands after the maiden flight on a new bird!! I would like to hear how people do on maiden flight of their new birds. This past weekend, I maiden my Great Plane Little Toni and my knees was like rubber when I push the throttle up for take-off. This only happen on new or rebuild planes. Maybe I am getting old, but, maiden flight is not good for me!!! And yes it still happen when I let some one else fly them..
Let me your story!!!
BTW, When the weather break, I have 3 more planes to maiden!!!

Sonny
aka
jet22b

G.Barber

My Feedback: (1)

For some of us, this never goes away. I've been building and flying for 16 years, and the maiden flights still get me too! For me, though my knees feel wobbly, it's most apparent in my thumbs and fingers. I fly with my thumbs and index fingers, but on a maiden, I feel like I'm ALL thumbs...

I think that's part of the reason I love this hobby/sport- other than planes, I just don't get that feeling anymore.

If you ever find a way to cure it, don't tell me, because that would ruin part of my excitement in the hobby!

Geoff

Jetdesign

My Feedback: (8)

I'm only 3 or so years into the hobby (well I guess we'll see when I post and it lists my join date!) and definitely get nervous on maidens.

However, I've noticed that my flying gets much better as the planes get banged up a little and my nerves calm.

I don't like these feelings. If I get disoriented by shadows, lose my plane in the sun, or just have a plain 'ol brain fart while flying, it freaks me out a bit. I learned from my first year of crashes to just gain control, take a breath, and fly a loop or two around the pattern to regain my composure. Maybe I'll even land after a breath or two.

I'm sure the feelings are directly proportional to the amount of value (intrinsic and financial) of the plane at hand (stick?).

G.Barber

My Feedback: (1)

Oh yes! The value of the plane definitely is a large factor.

So is KIT vs. ARF. Performing a maiden flight on a kit that I just spent the better part of a year building is far more nerve-wracking than maidening an ARF- That's just me though...

gboulton

My Feedback: (15)

I used to stress.

jet22b

You are so right!! When I maiden a kit build and I get her back on the ground, I am done for that day. As you know, when you work for months or years on a kit build, you know in a blink of a eye it can be gone. Like you said in your first post, if you don't feel that way anymore, it is time to leave the hobby!!!

Sonny
aka
jet22b

outdoorhunting

Been at it for 5yrs or so. The thumbs definitly twitch on maidens. I have an old 40 size Hots that has been repaired more time than I'll admit. It is SO ugly, flies great !! I've learned to take it up before & after a maiden. It seems to sooth my nerves.

G.Barber

My Feedback: (1)

It definitely helps to fly an 'old Faithful' before a maiden on a new plane. It helps to calm the nerves.

I've also found that doing a maiden is easier without a huge crowd watching. The best one I did was when the only other person there was my son. All three fights that day were just for us to see, and all were perfect!

flyallday

I am with Garbarber - Old faithful, no crowds. I do like to have a buddy vid me to see how silly I look though. Getting ready to maiden H9 Camel and shaking already. Never flown a bipe. This is great, I feel like a 52 year old kid.

Harry

gboulton

My Feedback: (15)

Eh..I just can't see it that way.

I've put up airplanes that were true labors of love, scratch built over timeframes in the dozens of months, from modified plans...and I've put up "expensive" (for me) giant scale ARFs...and just the other day I put up a < $100 rebuild that represented nearly 6 months of joint labor between me and my son, his first airplane.

Each of those mentioned had an IMMENSE value to me...some in time, some in pasison, some in money...some of all of that in each one really.

And there's no question...it CAN all be gone in a blink, and that DOES suck!

But it seems to me...and maybe I'm just wired differently....that knowing that is a reason NOT to stress too much over it. If I did my best, and I'm confident in my skills, my efforts, my choices of equipment then...it's an airplane. It's meant to fly. The fact that i DO know "it can all be gone in a blink" means I accept that risk, do what i can to mitigate it, and then go on with life.

Like i said before...the money, the time, the effort, the passion...those are all already spent. it's not as though NOT wrecking it can get any of those things BACK for you...and you can't change your mind and "respend" the money on rent, or the time with family, or whatnot...

So...eh...maybe it's time for me to leave the hobby. *heh* Or maybe some of us just don't stress over the same things in the same ways.

outdoorhunting

I agree with gabarber. The only plus for having someone else around is to have help finding your stupid plane in a 50 acre field of 10 foot corn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Uh, of course THAT never happened to me. That was somebody else. I just heard about it !! Ya,ya, that's the ticket !!!

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

Personally, although I'm always more nervous than with subsequent flights, I'm not effected by spectators on a maiden. I'm too focused on procedures to be bothered by others watching. Maybe more so than any other flight. I always have a flight plan, and stick pretty close to it. With large expensive planes, I have a caller reminding me of the flight plan, and always wait for a clear pattern (no other planes to watch out for).

I maidened a 90" P-38 at a local war bird fly in a couple years ago. One engine went lean and quit on the 1st flight, about 8 minutes in. Got the gear down, and landed in the middle of the runway, on one engine, with a P-38, on the first flight. I actually got an applause, and was glad I had witnesses.

TruBlu02

I used to get nervous before a maiden flight and to be honest I was always a nervous flyer. In fact it was that mentality that eventually drove me out of the Hobby for awhile. I lost a very special plane that I had spent a great deal of time and money on. Not to mention that it was mine as a kid and I was bringing it back to life. I had gotten to attached t it. When it crashed due a freak mechanical failure I was crushed. I packed up all my gear and walked away. A few years later I got interested in the hobby again and started from scratch. I decided never again to get so attached to a plane that I couldn't enjoy flying it. I now fly only what I can afford to crash. Now I jsut don't worry about it it anyore. I spend a great deal of time setting up my planes to be mechanically sound and properly assembled. After that I put my faith in the engineers who designed it and let er rip! To be honest I never get nervous anymore before a maiden flight and thats just fine with me!!

GravityWorx

Hey  all,

I am so green that all my flights are maiden flights.  I am learning on the SkyFly max and having a blast.  Already bought a front prop ARF (The Switch by Flyzone).  After I have become fairly good in my book I will truely going to have my first maiden flight.....NO MORE HAND LAUNCHING!!

Also experimenting with a build of the Miss Hangar One.

Hands a shakin, knees a knocking but once I am up I am so focused.  Lovin this skill!

raydar

First flight of the dayI have at the club makes me weak at the knee,s, cant imagine being able to hold onto the tx if I was maidening on of my kit builts myself.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Now just imagine what gabarber and I go through on an almost weekly basis...

As product reviewers, we not only maiden several new planes per month, but technically, those planes belong to someone else!

It's true that we do get to keep the planes after a review is finished, but BEFORE the review is published, the plane still belongs to the company for whom we are reviewing it.

Talk about nerve-wracking!

outdoorhunting

Uh, hey minn. If ya need your load of too many planes to review lightened. I'll be glad to lighten your load. We wouldn't want you to over work your nerves & blow a gasket !! I've heard of people your age having to much pressure & going bonkers !! I'm sure there's a lot of the guys would be glad to help ya out. Hehehe

landeck

My Feedback: (1)

I have been flying RC for 38 years and in that time I have maidened all of my planes but two. I was shaking like a leaf in a strong wind with everyone of those flights but then I am by nature a nervous flyer. If I try to relax I loose focus and then the trouble begins. Over that time period I have lost maybe four planes on the maiden flights; the last one in 1993. It was a kit built P-40 Warhawk that always nosed over on the takeoff run. Instead of taking it back to the shop and fixing the landing gear position, I horsed it off the ground and, of course, it tip stalled and went in. That was just plain dumb on my part[:@].

Bruce

RCER88

My Feedback: (25)

I have gotten twitchy thumbs on occasions on take off of a maiden but once it is in the air and trimmed out. I let out a deep breath and smile, especially if it is flying good and the engine is running good. I have on occasion had the twitchy thumbs at large events on the first flight. After that it is all good. I test fly all my own planes.

bob2sweet2000

maiden day flights are scarey and exciting at the same time!!

SitNFly

My Feedback: (54)

Breath deep, take off, and don't forget to back off the throttle once in the air.....

KFX450

My Feedback: (30)

Maidened my first turbine last year.Even though I was on the trainer box, when he said " you have the plane" my head was shaking so bad I couldnt see the jet. Never had problems with other planes...I think it was i realized how much money I had up in the air, and how long I have waited for it..But when it landed, it was the one of the best feelings I have had..

lopflyers

My Feedback: (12)

Being in the hobby for only 1 year I dont maiden my planes. There is this very experience 3Der at my club that does my trimming. But after he is done and its my turn to fly the plane for the first time I get the same feeling, butterflies in my stomach, trembling thumbs and sweating, so I just fly the pattern twice, no rolls, no loops and land. Then I feel better.
Like they said, that is why this hobby is so wonderful

jmohn

If I didn't get goose bumps and butterflies on my maiden flights I would quit flying

I hope that never goes away. Sure some planes cause BIGGER bumps and butterflies, but they all make me excited and keep me in the hobby. Part is to see all your hard work come to fruition and fly well (not all fly well) and part is just to show you can fly anything no matter who (usually me) put that piece of crap together.

I don't like hanger queens so if they don't fly well they get sold or scrapped for parts.



Jeff

coachdavis10

Some people are like gboulton... we have a guy in our club, never phases him or it doesn't seem too. I always want him or another close friend to fly my maidens... did do my 1st maiden this past sunday and the plane was everywhereso i was fruitin out... did get it back in one piece though....