R U SELF taught or INSTRUCTOR taught?
 

Just wanted to know,

and if you were self taught, how did you do it, (i.e. books, lots of forum browsing, sheer guts)

and if you were instructor taught, do you think you could have done it on your own looking back at it today.

Thanks,
Dan

(P.S. I just bought my Hobbistar RTF, and am trying to get into this hobby<i've never flown>, but want to hear from other people how they started)

RE: R U SELF taught or INSTRUCTOR taught?
 

Instructor taught -
Done it alone? Doubtful and I'd be a heck of a lot poorer too.

RE: R U SELF taught or INSTRUCTOR taught?
 

Instructor taught .
Pay'd off too. Still takes time to learn your own style and quit taking chances so much.

RE: R U SELF taught or INSTRUCTOR taught?
 

self taught learned on a firebird 2 and then went to a fighter bird then to a aro bird then to GWS formosa then to a tower hobbies kaos, and the hangar 9 cap 232, and finaly where i'm at now hangar 9 extra 260,

RE: R U SELF taught or INSTRUCTOR taught?
 

Is both a good answer? I used G2 for quite a while ... and then had a great instructor fill in the gaps. I honestly think this is the best and fastest method .... and cheapest ;)

RE: R U SELF taught or INSTRUCTOR taught?
 

I wouldnt recommend the self taught method. Not to say it cant be done, I just wouldnt recommend it. There is an awful lot too learn in your first couple weeks of flying. How to charge/monitor/field charge batteries. How to start the engine and properly tune and adjust the carb. How to set up your flight controls and linkages making sure none of the flight controls are reversed. How to make sure your are using the frequency board so you dont have to buy someone elses airplane after you shoot them down accidently. Also the instructor can look at your installation and make any necessary fixes before it is test flown.
Do yourself a favor and get an instructor, it does not make you look like more of a man to not have an instructor. In fact quite the contrary, it shows a level of maturity and intelligence and a person who wants to protect his investment. It will only take a few flying sessions with an instructor until you get signed off to solo. My $.02 later....... and good luck whichever way you choose.

RE: R U SELF taught or INSTRUCTOR taught?
 

Self taught (ex aeronautical engineer) on Kyosho Spitfire.

- Fly all my warbirds like I stole them and have lots of fun doing it.

RE: R U SELF taught or INSTRUCTOR taught?
 

Self-taught.

I did well enough, but I also totaled 3 planes before my skills were sufficient to land consistantly. I strongly recommend an instructor. It would have saved me several hundred dollars (but denied me a lot of personal satisfaction... hehe...)

RE: R U SELF taught or INSTRUCTOR taught?
 

instructor taught

2 days on the cord
on the 3rd day i had it on my own.

RE: R U SELF taught or INSTRUCTOR taught?
 

Either way works, but most of the pilots I have seen that were self taught lacked a lot of the basic skills that you need to know, but don't get to use all the time. IE: rudder use, stall recovery, comfort when flying from either direction etc.

RE: R U SELF taught or INSTRUCTOR taught?
 

I agree with Ad Clark. I was instructor -taught. I think they can give their knowledge about the hobby that is worth so much. I have learned so much from my instructors. I have read a lot about this hobby, but sometimes having instructors they can give insight into this hobby that you can read about. They have experience.

I can understand people want to be self-instructed, but I just think it is a safety issue, too. I know instructors are human and human beings do make mistake, but if you can gain some insight from them then it is worth it.

RE: R U SELF taught or INSTRUCTOR taught?
 

Self taught. Started out with two channel motor gliders (one has survived). Still learning and crashing too!:D My full scale experience helps a little too.;)

RE: R U SELF taught or INSTRUCTOR taught?
 

I learned on realflight g3

RE: R U SELF taught or INSTRUCTOR taught?
 

Completely self-taught.

It wasn't easy, but easier than I'd anticipated. I did a lot to prepare for it, including what I call 'poor man's simulator' training--sitting with the plane on a table and tx in hand, and visualizing movements of the plane based on my stick inputs--and choosing a small, inexpensive repairable airframe to teach myself on. I used a Goldberg Junior Falcon, built from a balsa kit. Last, waiting for the best possible windless day to attempt it. I had a couple minor mishaps, but I soloed with a full takeoff and landing the same day I tried.

Rick

RE: R U SELF taught or INSTRUCTOR taught?
 

I'm self-taught...but I think I had a few things working in my favor too. I started in RC with electric offroad buggies, which got me used to controlling a vehicle while it's coming and going. It also taught me a lot about servos, linkages, batteries, charging and the like.
I also spent literally years (during high school and college) playing with flight simulators before i ever made my first flight with a model. This time taught me a lot about flight controls and the basics of flight....my physics classes helped a bunch here too.
By the time I could afford my first trainer (a great plains PT-40 ARF), I had no problem with assembly or setup.....and had a great first-flight over the farm land next to my in-laws house. A couple years later, I had my first real crash while flying an old Midwest Mustang .60....low, inverted pass.....pulled when I should have pushed. :D

RE: R U SELF taught or INSTRUCTOR taught?
 

I started with a 3 ch Sig Kadet MK II, Kraft radio and my pops taking it from me every 2 minutes. That was 25 years ago!

RE: R U SELF taught or INSTRUCTOR taught?
 

self taught - but had lots of "stick" time on flight sims like MS Flight Sim. but i recommend instructor. well worth it! but hard to find where i was. i basically had to do it myself tresspassing on government property.

RE: R U SELF taught or INSTRUCTOR taught?
 

self taught with the help of the GP Flight sim [:-]

RE: R U SELF taught or INSTRUCTOR taught?
 

Self taught. Crash, crash, crash!
Got a Zagi and finally learned to fly. Built a Bowman's Hobby Scooter sloper and really learned to fly with that.
Went back to crunchies after that.
Still crash occasionally.
Instructor is really the way to go. Wish I had. Would have saved a lot of money and heartbreak.

RE: R U SELF taught or INSTRUCTOR taught?
 

Self-taught around 1975. I didn't keep a logbook, but I estimate my first 35-50 flights all ended up in some sort of crash damage. The plane was repairable each time but by the time I flew it completely out of gas to a landing for the first time it didn't look the same as it did when new! And it weighed a lot more because of all the balsa and plywood patching.

My second plane I started flying at Sepulveda Basin and having a runway and dedicated flying field was a lot better than flying in the parking lot of the L.A. Zoo! :)

2nd plane, circa 1975:

RE: R U SELF taught or INSTRUCTOR taught?
 

I was self taught. The only help I had was my dad telling me what the control surfaces did to the aircraft. I spent 1.5 years teaching myself. I wanted a glider to start with and was told that I needed a Duraplane that it would be much easier to learn on. Nope, liars, it was much harder, far to hard, more dangerous and more costly. After several months I got a CG Sophisticated Lady glider and spent almost a year crashing before I got it down. Then went back to the Duraplane with few issues. 2 years after getting the hang of planes I tried to learn helis on my own and never got past hovering. Last October, after a 13 year break from helis, I got a Raptor 50 heli. I spent about 2 years on the sim prior to this, got some initial assistance and advanced very quickly this time.

Would I ever suggest learning on your own, NO WAY. Too hard, too frustrating and too expensive. At 15 years old I was determined though.

My 2 daughters fly with me now using me as the instructor of course, at ages 4 and 7. They use the RF G2 sim and my 7 year old soloed after 17 flights at the age of 6. Sept 19 she is getting a full house 4 channel glow powered plane for her birthday since her Aerobird Challenger is now boring her. My 4 year old started flying this season and can fly around no problems, but can’t take off or land yet. An instructor and a sim are invaluable IMO. BTW, neither have crashed, yet.

RE: R U SELF taught or INSTRUCTOR taught?
 

I was instructor-taught. Saved me a lot of money and headaches.

RE: R U SELF taught or INSTRUCTOR taught?
 

I tried to do it myself with a hand launch glider then the CG Gentle Lady for about 8 months. Finally joined a club and built a .25 trainer and with an instructor soloed shorty after. I have seen new people come to the field after using the sim and solo after a few flights. If I had to do it again I would work on a sim then find and instructor with a .40 trainer. It would have been much faster but at least I can now repair what ever breaks.

Carl

RE: R U SELF taught or INSTRUCTOR taught?
 

I'm father taught!

Ciao,

Mr Akimoto

RE: R U SELF taught or INSTRUCTOR taught?
 

I hope you are not thinking of making this some type of survey because your data is seriously flawed. You must take into account the person's age, experience and in born ability.

Age affects reflexes and perhaps the ability to learn and the speed of learning. The young just learn quicker and easier.

Experience can mean a lot. A full scale pilot may not know how to steer when flying toward himself, but he does know about using ailerons and elevator to turn as opposed to the rudder like a boat. He also knows what trim is. A control line flier will know how to build and understand how only small movements are needed on the controls. As RC car driver will know how to steer backwards when coming toward himself, but won't know about elevator.

Some people are just born with better hand-eye coordination and learn faster.

I once taught a 10-year old who made a landing on his second flight without me touching anythng, then said, "There isn't anything to this!"

I have also taught people in their late 60's or 70's who took over a year to learn and 2 years to be able to fly a .46 powered high performance plane.