Self taught rubber & glow free-flight (late 60's - early 70's). Self taught control-line (a Cox .049 Albatross D-III from a Post Cereal promotion to begin with). Self taught two channel r/c glider late 70's. Self destruct three channel glow powered r/c 1980+/-. Even after hand launching newly finished kit Kadet with no power to make sure balance & glide was OK (Well, that's the way you did free flight. Crunch!). Many cartwheels and one final auger-in in fligt attempts.

15 years of recooperation.

Joined a club with a flight school and learned the right way.

Self taught.

Started in the mid 80's at Camp Pendleton with a Gentle Lady thrown off a hill, it would soar forever as long as it stayed in front of the hill in the wind. Next was a 2 Meter Bird of Time. I tried glow with a white foam Cessna. It was heavy but flew quite well with the .35. Then I put the same engine on a foam Spitfire. It was under powered but I did fly it a few times. I had a few other planes while stationed there but it was more difficult to store planes, fuel, and the rest of the gear in a wall locker, than it was actually flying them.
I took nearly 20 years off until I found a beat up trainer in a friend's pole barn. I rebuilt it went to the local club last spring and I'm re-hooked all over again. I flew on the box one night, it all came back, and I soloed the next time out.

Granted, it wasn't easy at first but it came fast and the Gentle Lady had hundreds of successful flights before I built the Bird of Time. I think some people have a knack and it all flows together for them.
Some people have it, and some don't have it, and the some that don't never will. I've seen all three types at the field. My wife for instance, after several attempts, has absolutely no concept of what the airplane is doing or going to do when the sticks are moved.

I will admit though, by joining the club my RC knowledge has grown ten fold. The guys are helpful to anyone that shows up and it's amazing to see what you really don't know about the sport. It's also a great place to make friends which only adds to the fun.

intructor taught .... no cord ......... and soloed on my 3rd flight

I bought a Super Star with everything you needed. I got me a trainer, who did not like the trainer cord, so 1 flight-1 crash- 1 bad looking new plane. After I repaired as best I could, I found me a club, a great trainer who used the trainer cord. No more wrecks. At least not until I thought I was good to go. I dumb thumb one every now and then, but no more than most other guys. Believe me it can be very expensive to teach oneself.
Sunny_B

SELF TAUGHT BACK IN THE NINETIES ON A SENORITA I BOUGHT IN PENSACOLA FL. (R.T.F.) PRACTICED ON THE GROUND FOR TWO MONTHS, CONVINCING MYSELF THAT THE PLANE CAN ONLY GO UP, DOWN, LEFT OR RIGHT. WELL IT DID JUST THAT AND ON ITS FIRST FLIGHT, BASHED IT INTO A TREE SHORTLY AFTER TAKE OFF. AFTER THAT FLIGHTS WERE SKETCHY AND SOMEWHAT SUCCESSFUL AND LANDING WERE CRAZY. I LOVE THIS HOBBY DONT YOU.

No one individual has the same learning curve as another. Some people pick things up naturally very fast, some slow, and some just never get it no matter how much effort they put forth.

I see it in my own line of work as a Brick Mason. Some new guys you can teach very fast how to lay correctly, and others just never develop the hand cooridnation, or the "eye" for it. I have watched iron workers walk 4" red iron a hundred feet off the ground, where I would have to sit on my behind and scoot myself across. I just don't have the mindset of an iron worker, and could never make myself walk a 4" beam from fear of falling.

Same applys to an R/C airplane where some people have such a major fear of crashing or lack of confidence that they just can't shake. Most people are nervous when they fly, but can usually still focus to some degree. In some cases I think the nerves are so severe that it makes it impossible for some to focus, and they second guess stick inputs even though they can fly hours on a sim without a single mishap. Some people IMO just have a better "eye" for what is going on with there Plane also. Usually when you first start flying everyone will complain a little about not being able to tell whether the Plane is comming or going, or is rightside up, or upside down. People develop an "eye" as they get more flight time, and most eventually can pick out what the airplane is doing at a pretty good distance. A few I believe have more trouble ever being able to see there Plane at any great distance even if there vision is perfectly fine.

What I am getting at is that no one new flyer is the same, or will learn at the exact same pace. Some do have a mindset that enables them to be able to teach themselves, but IMO a majority will benefit greatly from the help of an instructor. Just because one guy taught himself to fly in one day does not mean the next will. So when someone ask about whether to use an instructor, my best advise is yes. Can someone learn without an instructor? Some can and some can't. I just tend to recommend what I think is a persons best chance for success since I don't ever know the person I am talking to personally. No matter which way a person decides to go, the most important thing another flyer can do IMO is try and boost there confidence, and really make them feel that they can do it!

Fixed my post to please the English Teacher!

I'll tell you something you should learn and that is the use of paragraphs. Whenever I see a mass of words like yours, without any logical breaks to aid the reader, I ignore it. Your writing is what's know as stream of consciousness which is no more than emptying out of your head a collection of memories without any thought.

Ciao,

Mr Akimoto

Well, once again, so much for my subscription to a post here on RCU.
This post, like so many others, seems to be like the bottom of a freshly dug outhouse, wait long enough and someone will dump on it.

^^ Agreed.

Well that works out good then. I have read enough of your post, that I am not really interested in reading your opinions on what I write. I don't really care if someone misspells every word in there post, or how they write it as long as they are trying to be helpfull in their views. People like yourself really have no place here, because you offer nothing worth while. I am sure there are plenty of grammer based websites that would be happy to have you. You can discuss proper nouns, verbs, paragraphing, run on sentences, and the likes!

I like the new Avatar much better ICE_MAN. LOL

Rebsix
Your story of the Gentle Lady brings back memories. I tried to self teach myself many years ago on that Plane. The problem I had was that I couldn't find a spot big enough to stretch the high-start all the way out. So I shortened the high-start, which also shortened my altitude, which in turn also shortened the life of my poor old Gentle Lady!

If I had to do over, I think a Glider would be a good type Plane to try and teach yourself on, but I personally would use an electric motor to get my altitude, and forget about the high-start. That thing was alot of work!

Self taught, on an overweight 40 sized high wing trainer cant remeber the name of! Its been 15 years or more!

Overweight, because I tried to make it crash proof and added lots of reinforcement everywhere. and the extra weight only made it the worst flying airplane ever. Nevertheless when I ditched it and moved on, everthing felt so much easier.

Are you really as arrogant as you come off in your posts on RCU? I have read several, and it seems everyone does something you think is wrong, from using other than an OS engine, to bad grammar.
Chill out, and take it easy on the rest of us. We will all reach the top of your mountain someday.

ckangaroo....

There is a picture of the GL in my gallery if you had'nt looked already. Another Marine and I sort of decided one day to give it a try. He bought a Wanderer and I bought the GL. We didn't have a high start so we drove around looking for a good platform to launch from. The place we found was about 150 feet up with mountains on the left a mile away and a cliff on the right a mile away. The ocean (San Onofre Beach) was 3 miles straight out, I don't think we could have found a better place. The only thing that brought us down was darkness or the battery life. It's sort of funny, back then I'd get excited when the wind was blowing, just the opposite now.

I actually miss the peacefulness of it all, and I have thought about getting another sailplane. Dyna flight only makes the big 108" Bird of Time so I'd have to find plans to build the 2 meter version. It was much more airplane than the GL, sort of like going from a high wing trainer to a pattern ship. The trouble is, Michigan don't have the mountains Southern California has, we have too many trees up here too.

Block, Concrete, and Stone here. My Dad was a Mason for 40 years and I've been involved in it for at least 30 of my 39 years. In the early years it wasn't by choice, but I've been doing it full time for the last 9.

Huh??? Wow, an english instructor? Read up on forum etiquette, will ya. We dont get personal here.

Great looking Planes in your gallery! I wished I still had my Gentle Lady. Would be fun to tow up now on one of my 1/4 scale Planes. Either my Sig Clipped Wing Cub, or my 1/4 scale Space Walker would tow a GL up pretty easy I would guess.

Illinois is a little on the flat side also, and all that corn can gobble a Plane up in a hurry. LOL

Me and my 3 other Brothers are all masons. We all work together for Moore Masonry Inc. which is my Family business. Some real interesting days occur when you work around your Brothers everyday.

Self taught. Started back in the 80's with a FF glider, then bought a power plane and "went for it" one day. In the mid 90's I got in to helicopters, that's when I decided to give the sim a try. I went into forward flight on the 4th flight! I've never had an instructor but I've been an instructor to others.

Robert
Boston, MA

I practiced on a G2 sim until my hands were sore and then used a good friend who is a certified instructor and a cord for the first several flights.

I actually found it easier than what everybody told me it would be. My instructor took my plane off the first time and then turned it over to me. I flew it for few minutes and than landed it the very first flight. My instructor couldn't believe it. But, to me, it felt just like the sim. I'm 50 so it's not like I had a bunch of video game experience either. I flew for another 4 or 5 flights with my instructor and then he turned me loose. I did fine.

However, where I've had problems is with the 3D training. There is nobody around our area that will teach that stuff. So I've read everything I could get my hands on and I've tried every stunt in the book.

Bottom line...I've been flying 2 years and 3 months. I've crashed 9 planes that were unrepairable and crashed two more times where I was able to repair the plane. None of my crashes were with my 2nd plane or even my 3rd. It's the 3D stuff that kills me. But now I'm better (more conservative) with that. I love to take risks with my planes though. And I'm not afraid to crash. Too me it's part of the hobby. Gives me something to talk about.

It's been a fun, rocky road for me. But I can fly better than almost anyone in our club. And I invented the "Inverted Flat Spin Landing". It's a maneuver that is very impressive but you only do once for each plane.

Anyways, I vote for instructors but be sure you challenge yourself and don't stay on the buddy box too long.

Thanks
Barry

PS: Who is Mr. Akimoto? Seems, forward, almost rude.

PSS: Ice Man...is that you? Like your new picture. Didn't scare me.

Self with a Duraplane.

instructor

Everyone's learning curve is very different. Mine was rather bumpy.

Self taught, starting with small free flight and guillows in late 80s, worked up into 1/2A powered "things", usually not very sucessful. By early 90s, I had demolished many, many planes, and finally got one equipped with r/c to fly for more than a few seconds(3 plane actually survived solo). Picked up the art of building somewhere along the way, and ventured into electrics (before most had even heard of an electric powered plane). LOTS of heartache, some pain, much frustration. Didn't start flying with a club until I was stationed in Japan in 99. I Like the club thing a lot better than flying alone, not that that has ever stopped me. Finally joined AMA once I got back to the states in 2002(wow, you mean lots of other people do this too?!?!? [X(] ) I'm now an instructor, and regular flier of just about anything that has wings, and some things that dont. It's been a long hard road to profiencency, but well worth it. (and still learning) My recent interests have returned to 1/2A and electrics where I started... odd isn't it? [&:]

Could I do it again? Yep.
Would I do it again? No Way! Get an instructor and a simulator, it's easier(and cheaper) in the long run.

[8D]

Sorry, I don't agree. Maybe lacking skills in the first year or two, but those skills develop pretty much on thier own through experience and become habit (for the most part).

Self taught with a GWS Slowstick. But when I moved to glow and realized how much faster and heavier the planes are, I went with an instructor. My instructor also happens to own the LHS so good advice is just a call or 1/2 mile drive away. Seen one or two guys try self teaching themselves at the field and the results were usually pretty ugly!


Joel

Self Taught.

Taught myself with an electric heli, then progressed to a Nitro .30 class Raptor. Then moved to airplanes. First plane was a GP PT-40 that I built then flew. I'd go up the field with a friend (non-flyer) and just practice the landings. The pitch and roll controls were an easy transition from heli to the airplane but I just had to practice the landings. I also spent quite a few hours on Real Flight prior to flying anything.

So far I haven't crashed anything that caused major type damage. A few punctures in the covering and some broken props.

The first plane I flew was back in April this year and I am now regularly flying a Sig Four Star 60 and a GP P-51D .40 kit that I built. I tray and get out at least twice a week to stay sharp.

As a matter of fact the friend that went with me when I was starting into planes just finished building a Sig FS 60 and I'm teaching him to fly with a buddy box.

I'm not saying that it's for everyone, but as long as you take your time, be safe and don't get too anxious to move to more advanced maneuvers before you are ready you should be fine. The simulator was also a huge help.

Good Luck