If you fly it, it will crash... maybe not on the first flight, maybe not on the tenth, maybe not until the 100th flight. But eventually a gust of wind, a boost of overconfidence, or some combination thereof.

But building is fun, and saved for the days when the weather is not good for flight (e.g. winter).

DAMN!!! Popeye beat me to it. That being said, crashes are normally caused by one or more of the following:

• failing to inspect the plane for issues that can cause a failure
• flying in conditions that the plane was never intended to fly in
• pushing the plane beyond it's capabilities
• the ever present "Hey, Watch this"

Granted, there are more reasons that are beyond the pilot's control like engines failing in flight, radio interference(though not as much with the modern 2.4GHz systems), bird strikes and various other things that can happen so a crash isn't always the pilot's fault

The impression that crashes happen a lot is part of the social media "highlight reel" effect. Out of thousands of hours of flight that gets recorded on smartphone cameras, there might be 3-4 crashes that happen. So sure, it's a part of this hobby. As Kenny Rogers once sang, "If you can't afford to lose, you can't afford to play." But being a good pilot improves the odds a lot. I went several years without a crash and then dinked in my newly built Tiporare last year due to being distracted and not hooking up the ailerons. Then lawn darted my Sweetater because I lost orientation due to early morning glare. Major bummers for both, but I had over 400 flights on the 'Tater.
There are guys who crash a lot, and they usually don't last long in the hobby. They tend to be the impetuous types who want to skip past learning the skills and go straight to the fun. Thing is, they often still have a great time tearing up equipment.

I got all the paperwork done with the FAA and AMA. I joined one of the local clubs, Dayton Wingmasters. So all the preliminary stuff is done. They have trainer night on Wednesdays so by next week I should have the new plane all put together and ready to go. Should be a fun day.

So I got with the guy I work with that is big into this and I dropped the plane and radio off to him. He said he would work at getting all the settings right on the plane with the radio. Thank God. I mean I know that the radio is far from the top of the line but honestly it might as well been quantum physics. Im picking up on some of the stuff but man o man. Without his help I dont know .......lol

So, you're saying you are learning how much you don't know? If that is the case, it's a good thing. Many beginners think they know more than they really do and, as we've said, it usually ends up badly. If your coworker is as good as you make him sound, it will reduce your initial learning curve considerably

Oh I freely admit my ignorance in this.lol... He has been in it for a number of years so he knows his stuff. Biggest thing now is to get out to the clubs field area on training Wednesday which is specifically their training day so I can go hands on with someone who does training. That will make a huge difference. Im good with it taking some time to do. I work so much I dont have a lot of free time anyway. Im going to get him to go through the whole set up and adjustment stage with the radio which will help.

After a few flights and you get more confidence , skill, and feel more comfortable with flying you will wonder why you worried so much. Enjoy your flights.

It's great that you have some help. I do however suggest that you ask your buddy to teach you about the adjustments he is making and why. Learning how to make adjustments and the results of these adjustments will allow you to fully understand how to correct certain behaviors. The difference between a poor flying airplane and a good flying airplane is just a little time investment in making some minor changes.

For sure we are going to go through the steps etc. Cant have someone else do my work for me besides thats half the fun in this. I got the plane back and its all set so I will head out some time within a few days and see how it goes. Probably going to wait till Wednesday since its a training day.

Well I could not wait till the club training day on Wednesday so I took it out yesterday at the clubs field and took her for a spin. Did ok. had to get the trim set but it fly's good. faster than I imagined it would be. Never went over half throttle really. Pretty responsive. Obviously need more work on landings. They were a bit rough. Made 3 flights in all. Last one went in the grass when I landed and broke the prop. But thats ok thats why I bought 2 more already...lol...All in all not bad. Lots of work ahead of me.

You will crash, its simply part of the hobby. But an instructor will save you a lot of time, money and frustration.

I'm glad to hear it went well. Now that you have basic trims done, turn down your throws. A trainer shouldn't be twitchy. You'll find as you turn down your throws the plane flies smoother and becomes more comfortable. New pilots worry about not having enough control to get out of bad positions, but with low throws you won't get into bad positions nearly as much.

We crash.
No way around it
Crashes cost money
No way around that either.
Can you unintentionally turn a $16k model jet into a ball of flames?
Yes you can.
We do not expect things to go wrong.
But they do