<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: medium">It's hard to believe it has been 18 years since I've had an r/c airplane. I think my first plane was a Great Planes PT-60. I built it from kit form because there were no ARF's available at the time. At least not that I knew of. Anyhow I learned to solo with it but not long after that I lost interest and left the hobby. Probably 5 or so years after that I got a NextStar. I never flew it because my wife at the time was not really supporting and before I could get involved with a club she let her displeasure with my choice of hobby be known. After the divorce I soon got myself a Ziroli 1/4 Mustang. I got it together, got a club membership and flew this one for about three years. I had remarried during this time and had children and so on. Life was ok until that marriage fell apart and in the end $5,000.00 worth of P-51 was smashed to bits (by her) in my front yard. Now I am proud to say I have a wonderful spouse who doesn't care for the hobby but supports me none the less with my decision to re-enter the hobby. After 18 years I realize I'm gonna be a bit rusty so I just purchased a new E-Flite T-34 Mentor RTF with Spektrums DX6i transmitter to practice with since I'd hate to spend in excess of 5Gs on that new P-51 or F4U only to find out exactly how rusty I may be. I waswhat you'd call a die hard gas or nitro man but, when I found the T-34 on Horizon Hobbies website I instantly wanted it. These birds look great for their size andfrom what I've learned so far about them they aresupposed to fly really well too. And what a deal with the6 channel2.4Ghz radio system. Heck I can use that with my next project as long as Ionly need the standard 4 channels, flaps and retracts. I could even addan opening canopy slaved to my flap servo. Needles to say I'm excited and can't wait to get my newMentor. Horizon mailed itthe same day so I should have it in a few days. Yay! I'll post pics of it when it arrives. I may even add some weathering and eventually add the new electric retracts they have comeout with. A bigger motor,lipo,andesc maybe. Thesky is the limit right?</span></span>

David,

Welcome back and good luck.

I once laid off RC for 6 years. My advice to you is to go up the first couple of times on a buddy box. That is what I did after crashing two planes. Worked great.

Ken Erickson

David,

Welcome back to the hobby. Third time was a charm for me as well. Wife, version 3, is totally supportive of my addiction.

Have fun.

Bliksem

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: medium">Thanks guys. As for the buddy box, there are no clubs for nearly 100 miles of my location so hopefully I'll still do well enough not to crash right away. If I do crash I'll have to break out the glue and tape lol.</span></span>

My wife told me if I went flying again she'd leave me.

I'm gonna miss her.

;-)

Tom

My wife knows better.


Welcome back!


Pete

I guess I am lucky. My wife has no desire to fly but is involved in the club. She enjoys watching the planes and the fellowship. In fact, when we go someplace she will say "do you need to stop at the hobby shop" Gosh, gotta love this gal. Married almost 50 years.

Order Real Fight 5.5 and get in some stick time before you maiden or T-34. Great plane by the way!

Real flight is super for those days when you cant get out to fly (rain, wind, dark, tornadoes). Plus it lets you try crazy new moves without putting your plane at risk.

Welcome back!!

Oh ya, as far as the EX goes, I replaced her with this hobby!
My planes NEVER lie to me and they are ALWAYS IN THE MOOD.......to fly of course.

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: medium">I actually have the simulator (free version) without the transmitter, which I could get but, it seems to be hard for me to orient the aircraft properly with the field on such a small screen and, I have a good wide screen monitor. It's a whole different perception than actually being at the field and being able to see the big picture. I guess it is better than nothing though. Has anyone had the experience of flying the T-34?AreE-Flight's models any good?

Oh and my current wife is great. She would much rather have me at the field flying a model than at the bar flying something else. ; )</span></span>

The free/demo versions are nothing like Real Fight 5.5

Real Fight is a blast and WILL get you back up to speed much faster. It comes with a controller too.

Good luck!!

Oh, E-flights are good. You should have a great flying plane.

I think I would build a locking man cave that is not attached to the house so the future Mrs dlsmith976 cant get to my stuff.

A cheaper alternative to the Real Flight would be Clear View (40 dollar download) and since you are getting the DX6i with you mentor...you could get by with one of these to connect it to your PC to use with Clear View

http://www.amazon.com/USB-Flight-Sim.../dp/B000RO7JAI

In the end...all you need the SIM for is just knocking the rust off your thumbs.  No real need to spend upwards of 200 bucks for that, right?

If you mean McCrory, Ar, (you list McCroey) you are less than 50 miles from Jonesboro and less than 45 miles from Batesville. I'll bet there are clubs, or a club, in one or the other of those places. It would be worth the drive a couple of times to go there and strike up a friendship with one of the members and get on a buddy box for a couple of flights, just until you feel good about flying again. Too bad you don't still have your old PT60. It is a great flying trainer. Anyway, welcome back. If you ever get up this way, let me know. We fly on Wednesdays and Sundays, weather permitting.

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: medium">Yes it is McCrory. I must have mistyped it. According to the AMA's club finder the nearest club is in Conway. I may be willing to travel for a maiden flight but I can't go that far to join a club and fly regularly. I'll just have to find an open field which is in abundance here and hope for the best. The PT was an excellent trainer. I only wish I could have found someone at that time to help me with it. I did eventually learn to fly on my own so this isn't new to me. I sent an e-mail to a club I had tried to join years ago. They had no interest in helping noobs learn to fly at the time and I am wondering if they have changed their attitudes since then. My mother lives in the area so I thought maybe I could arrange to meet someone there when I go for a visit. Haven't heard from them yet and I doubt I will. If there was a club in Searcy or Batesville I wouldn't mind going there every now and then since my wife has doctors appointments in both cities regularly.</span></span>

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: medium">Thanks for the info atvalliance. I'll look into that. I have realflite 5.5 but it's the demo so have to use the keyboard. That bites.</span></span>

David if you flew a 1/4 scale Mustang for three years you will have no problem with this plane. It's just like a bicycle. Just take it out fire it up and go for it. Take off get some air and it will all come back to you right away. Land, step back let the heart rate settle down then do it over again. You'll have a big smile on your face all the way home.

You could try this for $17 bucks.......



http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16826127204

Congrats on your 50 years! It's a good thing if she hasn't killed you yet. I've been married for 10 going on 11 years. My wife supports me in this hobby, don't get me wrong. All she wants me to do is pay the bills first, and what little is left over I can spend it towards my hobby.

What gets her angry is she talks with the other wives of pilots who are addicted, and don't pay up on the bills first. I agree, and her feelings about it is understandable.

The only time I get the "Look of Doom" is when I tell her I have another plane I'm thinking of buying. I have 4 planes now and they are all 1/5 scale other than my Neptune Seaplane. I live in a 1 bedroom apartment house section ( Rent is fantastic) and I have a 3 year old who has the living room. Space is a little tight and I'm starting to use my wonderful ceiling for plane storage.


Pete

I must have a pretty good wife too since I just got in the hobby this same time last year and now own 16 planes (micro cub all the way upto 30% Yak 5465cc gasser)and 4 helis! Long as Im not taking food off the table for my RCaddiction...she is fine with it. And no, she has no interest in the hobby herself. Great woman!

Ain't life wonderful Irish? After 47yrs., wife still lets me enjoy RC.

The demo is not intended to be a substitute for the real thing, so it is keyboard only.....

The primary use for the demo is to see how the program runs on your computer. If it runs we'll the full version should behave identically.

Yeah airmail it should come back to me. And opjose I know know the difference in the demo and full version of the program. I may later spend the money on the full version but it is probably not necessary since I have had exprience before. Anyway my neighborhood was host to a tornado two days ago so I've been without power until just now. UPS did run on time and I got my plane yesterday. Today it is together and hanging on my office wall awaiting a good day to fly. I still have to double check throws and stuff and will probably do some taxi practice in front of the house to get the feel of things again. Did go ahead and install the flap servo but will leave the droops on the leading edges for first few flights for added stability. Plus I'll fly on low rates too. Will post pics in day or two. Gotta recover from tornado and catch college homework up first.