O.K. I'm a comple neophite to 21 century R/C . But I have had some experience ,in the last century .

My question is how do you think we learned our hobby with out computers and clubs ,most of which were non existant ?

BRER PAT

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My question is how do you think we learned our hobby with out computers and clubs ,most of which were non existant ?

BRER PAT
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Hey There Bre Pat!!

Back when I learned modeling, '40s / early '50s, I learned to build all by myself and a couple magazines. MAN and Air Trails, Pictorial.
I learned CL and FF as a pre-teen, again all by myself through trial and error or should I say trialS and errorS.
Then, about '50, I joined up with some other local kids (3 others) and we learned together for several years until I went off to USAF Aviation Cadets and the others off to higher learning establishments.

When I graduated from Cadets and went off to my first assignment, I joined a "Model Airplane Club", mostly CL, and from there I learned more and more through association and doing. Back then, clubs were not bogged down with AMA rules, liability fears, lack of places to fly, etc., and all modelers were just THAT -- MODELERS, and all were open to all. MODEL AVIATION was pure fun, until the early '70s when RC really took front line and a new world of personalities entered the arena.

Still, flying with the clubs and the friends were the main way we learned. We had to BUILD back then so no time for these confusers. The radios of those days were confusing enough for me. How about you?

Four planes, one a converted free flight with a warped wing, no instructor! Flying at a football field surrounded by trees. Four crashed piles of wood. Wised up, after seeing a mall show, joined the club.
Instructor, hand the tx back and forth.......Student: With two fisted grip "I GOT IT!!" to the ground PT40.

Short and sweet Minn Flyer:

Tom

HOSS FLY SORRY I DIDN'T GET BACK SOONER .
At the time you mentioned, CIRCA 1959 I was at N.A.T.T.C. Memphis , training as an Aviation Electronics Technician.

At the hobbie shop a fellow model plane buff , put a ram jet engine ,mounted on 2x4 set of wings ( roughly shaped )
through the base Chaplen's window , and I was hooked on model planes , and any better way I.E rc/cw to control them .

Brer Pat

Hey Minnflyer,
Yes, CA works very good! Especially when you are not ready!

Gravity will win! It's just a lot more fun if you go to the fight with the weapon of knowlege BEFORE you start!

No, you don't know how to fly just because you can fly the simulator. It is a simulator becuase it is NOT the REAL THING!

Just because nobody is watching does not make that last encounter with earth a "shipping accident."

Just because the plane "looks" easy to fly does not mean it is. Trainers are there to do just that.

They make it look easy because they have been doing for years!

Before you start your first kit, make sure you aren't doing anything for the next year or so and you have a football field to house the pieces you can't make fit where they are supposed to fit.

I hope that is what you were looking for. Pretty much all of that comes from personal experience. Unfortunately, I did not have anyone to help me when I started. The trainer I started out with is now affectionately refered to Frankenplane due to the frequency of dirt jumping up and attacking it! Good luck on the post and keep up the good work!!!

Red

First time I tried this hobby, I bought a trainer and crashed first time out. 17 Years ago
Second time I tried I bought a Helicopter, I got as far as hovering and crashing. 15 years ago
Third time I tried this hobby I started with Helicopters again. This time I was more successful I am a well accomplished Heli-pilot. 3 years ago
Last summer I tried my hand at planes. With the Helicopter experence behind me I was able to solo my first time out. What made me a success? The internet! People on forums like this and others. While I was forced to learn hands on on my own, I feel I never was alone or without help. The internet community of RC Pilots helped me. Second having todays flight sim programs has helped as well.

Looking back at it all, I would do nothing different. The key is NEVER be in such a hurry that you will try something beyond your capability. Yes, you can do it on your own. But you need to be mature and patient.

The great thing is this hobby is about community as much as it is about flying.

You still need a good instructor to have a cheaper, and better expirence flying RC. It has made a world of difference for me.

All I can say is my 1st plane was a 2-ch .049 super-dihedral trainer that I got a few handfulls of flights out of. The only reason it was more than one flight is because I flew entirely over tall field grass which made for exceptionally gentle "landings".

Hi MINNFLYER,

Here is a tidbit from a REAL newbie (haven't even bought my first plane yet...) This doesn't exactly fit you're criteria, but it is something that I think should be included somewhere.

My input is DO THE RESEARCH. For some this is a no brainer, but for others... I have spent countless hours reading here and other sites just to get familiar with terms and advice, ARF, RTF, glow plug, get an instructor, problems to look out for and the list goes on. I also got a subscription to a modeling mag just to see how terms are used and described.

I can't stress enough that all of the info I have gained from you guys is a big help. It's people and sites like this that make it exciting to get into a great hobby!

DO THE RESEARCH AND SAVE THE TIME AND THE $!

Mark