jester_s1

Wow, the guy with the turbine is a better story than either of mine. I would have explained the regulations and the reasons for them. If he still didn't get it, I'd mention that no AMA field will allow turbines without the waiver, and he isn't likely to find a suitable runway and flying space without an AMA club. Then offer to start him on the process of gaining the skills he needs. If he accepts, you get a new club member. If he leaves, you probably come across a good deal on an unused turbine on Craigslist a few weeks later.

MTK

Me too...I taught myself to fly CL one fateful afternoon at the local schoolyard. I was around 13 or 14 and became instantly "bug bitten". I was exposed to RC model planes before attempting to teach myself to fly RC. When I was about 14, I met a guy who needed planes built and since I had no job, I built models for him for spending money. I developed building skills and set-up skills first, before any RC flying skills.

When I was about 21 and still at RutgersU, I could finally afford a Cox Sanwa radio so I built a plane from a refrigerator box, stuck an Enya 15 on it and went to one of the many fields at Rutgers campus and just flew it. Been flying ever since.

To me, one of the best trainers today is the Vapor from Horizon. Yes you need dead, calm air but the model is so forgiving my son learned to fly it on his own. And now my 8 year old grandson is learning the basics on it

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

Hey Steve.. How goes it? You guys dried out yet? Jeez, I hope Manatee County floats!! BTW, Fox Sierra, Hotel.. is that something like Alpha Mike Foxtrot?

CGr

rgm762

My Feedback: (4)

all that was explained, still didn't help, he was determined to fly the jet and only the jet. is it considered rude to fall on the ground laughing in these situations?

Steve Steinbring

Ya, something like that!

Pretty wet down here in the land of sunshine. The west coast has been getting some tidal surge maybe and extra foot or two at least in Punta Gorda. Here in Homestead its been raining for over a week and really windy for at least that long. They've closed part of I-75 and I-10 around Lake City about 3-4ft of water running over the roadways. Still expecting more rain the rest of the week. Been cycling batteries and doing some small repairs on the hanger. Sort getting some cabin fever which is unusual down here in Florida.

kiwibob72

Not at all, as Forest Gump put it ... "stupid is as stupid does" ..... and there ain't no known cure for stupid after all, so why starve yourself of a good old laughing opportunity when one like that comes around!

jester_s1

Being Southern, I couldn't respond so directly as to fall on the ground laughing. It's undignified. I'd have to put on my best "taking you seriously face" and say, "Go ahead then, but I have a favor to ask. Please video it because I've always wondered what a turbine engine looks like when it hits the dirt at 100 mph and flies all to pieces."

kiwibob72

We somehow manage to be understated, yet at the same time a bit more up front down here, I'd almost consider it an art form at times, as there are some real idiots out there that deserve more than they get at times. (not too sure if the term is more than a local colloquialism or not, but we have a saying in that "a spade is a spade" meaning it is what it is - you could easily substitute "idiot" for 'spade', or a whole lot of other expletives for that matter, the result would be the same )

And to answer your 'turbine/100mph' point, this should hopefully help with what may well be in store (lol): [link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcuHOU0VnC8[/link]

nitro208ca

I know how you feel jester

I have been fling for about a little over a year now.I'm not saying that I'M a 3d pilot, I'm more of a sport flyer.There was someone that i meet alittle while ago and found out that is is new to the flying rc's.He says that he flew rc (balsa) 30 years ago and after watching him for a while i noticed that he doesnt know how to fly.I have taught him alot in the last month.The thing with him is that he is so subern there are things i tell him to do and it is like he agnores me.Yes I know that im a bad speller.Within the last monthI have to admite that he has gotten better.There are a lot of things that he does listen to , but there are a lot of things he doesnt.Example while landing i told him to S.L.O.W.L.Y lower the throttle and keep the plane level and let the plane land on it'ds own and you will get a great landing , but he still banks hard and lower ing the throttle and winds up crashing.Ppl like that what you have to do is let them crash and then say "I told you so".Some times he listens.Some ppl like that have to learn the hard way.The same day i maiden'd my Pitts Python did a great take off , great flight , and a picture perfect landing and you think after he saw me do that , that he would listen.....noooope.

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

You are not Southern, you are Texan... There is a difference... [X(]

CGr

jester_s1

Oh you are so right, CG. I've lived in Texas for 10 years now, but I grew up in Mississippi.

It's funny we've got a staff member at church who's from Chicago and is Pollock through and through. He can't understand 1/4 of the things I say, not because of the accent, but because of the slide it in sideways way I have of saying it!

Hey nitro208ca- Kudos to you for helping the guy. Sometimes you have to just step back and say, "I do the hobby my way, and he does it his way." Of course it could be that his learning style doesn't mesh with your teaching style. We run into that in training sometimes.

Steve Steinbring

Nitro,

I have had students that listen on the ground, but have trouble once the airplane is up.

They are concentrating so hard that at times I can't get a response from them on things like the transferring of control. In effect they develop a form of tunnel vision and thought.

In these cases I try to work on one issue at a time. Its difficult at times to identify exactly what they are missing, and develop an approach where things click for them.

bogbeagle

"They are concentrating so hard that at times I can't get a response from them on things like the transferring of control. In effect they develop a form of tunnel vision and thought."


I think that this response is absolutely normal; and typical ... of a human being!


Taking control of an aeroplane, for the first time, is one of the most demanding tasks that a man can perform. Even, or maybe especially, a model aeroplane. For the student, it's a leap into the unknown ... every movement is met with trepidation. Do we sometimes forget how alien is flight?

There used to be a chap on here, who was always pushing a teaching style which involved the instructor sharing the sticks with the student (at least, in the initial phases). I think that there's a lot to recommend that approach.

Charlie P.

The "passing of the box" method is effective except for takoff and landing.  Though with a three channel model (no ailerons) it works especially well to let the student with some stick time operate the throttle and rudder stick during landing and the elevator for takeoff. 

Dihedral buys you enough time to pass the transmitter back and forth.

Steve Steinbring

I only instruct on the cord, passing the box at altitude is OK, a few AWE Shucks High! Even then there can be problems if the student panics and doesn't want to give up the box easily.

In the critical phases of flight there is just not enough time to respond passing the box. When down and low one can never predict what a student will do. I've had them roll the airplane inverted on a go-around, dive the airplane on short final, and other unexpected thrills for me to recover.

Years ago and even now some folks still instruct by passing the box, hardly as reliable as the cord bar none!

SeamusG

Off topic a bit ...

The best flight line experience I've had was when I was being evaluated for being a club instructor. Pete was on the primary box (he's got excellent flying skills and a serious bit of the devil in him - with a big smile - remember Flip Wilson? The devil made me do it!). He'd fly the plane into the instructor's worst nightmare and then transfer control to me. Spent 3 flights with him. After a bit I started relaxing and just watched the behaviour of the plane and got into the flow following along with the buddy box controls. Soon things weren't a surprise. Won't say I was bullet proof but decent enough to be an instructor.

Em, might be a good drill for the student.

Yup - he taught and I learned.

acdii

My friend is teaching his nephew that method, I keep telling him, Dude, you have a DX6i and access to another one, and a trainer all setup, If you need a cord, just ask I have one.   They lost a plane in the sun a few weeks back, and totally lost it when the box was passed.  Wound up a good 130* from where they thought it went.

sebo

I taught with the pass the box method....only had one pilot who couldn't learn....He always wanted to land at full throttle.
He quit after a couple of crashes.....with his plane.
I taught him with my 3 channel De Bolt live wire champ.......To get him to land (with my plane) when I saw what he was doing, I would have him kill the engine at high altitude and dead stick it in.....was nice and slow and he succeded every time.
Have to try all the tricks when you have someone who knows it all.
I sold the plane after 8 years and never had a crash with it....

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

I started out with the pass-the-box method, usually at a very high altitude.. ha.. but was sure glad when buddy boxes were invented.

CGr.

koastrc

Some times the pass the box method became the snatch and grab method. One of the guys that has been around told the story of how in one of those grab sessions. The student refused to give up the box. The instructor tried to take the box. They dropped the box and the battery came tumbling out. The instructor parked very close to the flight line. The plane had no trouble finding the instructors windshield.
I have had my moment in the transmitter back and forth. Nothing like the story. The trainer cord was a great invention for me. However there is some that still do not use trainer cords and do a fabulous job of training. Back to the original post of how to handle the know it all type. A friend once told me that some people you can ask anything, but you can't tell them nothing.
You know when we are not getting ugly with each other there is some great stories on this site.

chuckk2

Back in the dark ages before such things as dual rate and expo, I built and tried to fly one of the "ARFs of that time (middle 70s)
There were no buddy boxes, since everyone seemed to have different TX's, and I had foolishly though that a "single stick" TX would be ideal, since the rudder wasn't that important.
Not being completely stupid, I did get one of the experienced pilots to fly and trim the ARF first. When He handed it off to me, I almost immediately over controlled it, and managed to get it back on the ground, seemingly in one piece. A second flight was attempted, and the wing folded in a tight turn. Evidently, the main spar was cracked, and the rigid plastic wing covering and balsa sheeting under the covering gave the wing enough stiffness that we though it was ok. Ensuing unrelated events involved changing jobs and relocation,eventually to Europe for several years, and an eventual return to the US, with relocation to Georgia.

Decades later, my kids grew up and more or less flew the coop, and I retired with enough spare change to get back into RC.
The first "modern" ARF was an electric powered Stinson 108. Knowing the value of buddy boxes, I managed to spring for
two compatible TXs, got one of the experienced RC Club members to trim the plane, and with him on the master, began to fly
again. The Stinson survived, as did my pride and sanity. I would have bought a trainer first, but the one I had my eye on was "out of stock"
everywhere I looked. The Stinson was on sale for $99 instead of $139. The second plane was an Alpha 40 trainer, also electric powered.
I ended up moving the wing back about an inch to eliminate the extra weight needed to balance with the specified 25 motor and battery.
The third ARF, a DH-2 Beaver with a power 32 motor is actually easier to fly than the first two, due to the wing design. It also is a very good looking plane,
and a favorite of mine to fly when there is a bit of wind .
There also is a foamy Spitfire in the collection. Unfortunately, It must be hand launched, due to wheel size and a grass field.

Moving on, the latest and greatest is a Hanger 9 40 size ARF P-51 "sport" with a power 52 motor.
It flies a lot better than the more scale versions.

I would not be able to fly any of the above models very successfully without expo, and prefer to have dual rate available as well.