And all I've done is the simulator. I did about 30 flights on the simulator and landed 2 of them, crashed 28 of them. The perspective is very strange and since these are so light, they take just tiny little inputs on the controls to change direction. (I am used to full-scale perspective and relatively slow reaction time of a 2,600 lb airplane)

Anway....still building the LT-40....and I have already lined up a club with which I will fly...plenty of instructors out there to teach me....cause I am gonna need one!! Hopefully my LT-40 doesn't go the way of the 28 virtual planes I crashed tonight...but if it does, I'll fix her up again.

Keep flying the sim until you don't crash much. Which sim is it by the way?

Hi,

Keep using the sim. I've been practicing on one for about 6-8 weeks. Went up for the first time for real today ....and I believe the practice was invaluable as I landed on my own without a scratch, on my second time in the air (with an intructor and buddy-box of course). Just keep at it I was the same way with the sim, now I can put it down acurately on it almost all the time. But it definately helped when it was time for the real deal

Have fun


Adam

The sim will definitely help you a lot. On your first real flight though, in spite of all the precision you've developed on the sim, be prepared to be so utterly amazed that your plane flys that you momentarily forget to fly the plane.

TINY little inputs...EXACTLY. When you get to the real thing, remember that. Over controling is a common problem for beginners. It's even more crucial to be light on the sticks when you advance to intermediate level planes and beyond.

When landing on the sim, try to stay close enough to the ground on base so that you can use trees and such for landmarks...helps to line up for the final approach. When you get to the point that you can land ANY of the virtual planes EVERY time, you will not have much trouble at all with the real thing. Get in the habit early on of using the rudder. Set the wind on the sim if you have that option, to 13 to 15 mph wind and up to 20 mph gust. Practice cross wind landings too, cause a stiff crosswind can be kinda tricky with these "light" models.

True... I remember one of my first flights... It was just watching this plane. My instructor had to remind me to fly it.

Practise with the "light touch" as you need to get rid of the heavy touch or you might be on the ground,instructors are great at keeping you flying.

Flying an R/C plane isn't easy.... it's rather challenging and can be very difficult. But it's very rewarding, enough so that all the other stuff dosen't matter. Good luck with your first plane, remember there's a learning curve and at times it can be discouraging. But it's really worth it!



Andy

bryris,

It's funny how this works. You can fly full size planes for years, and it doesn't translate well over to flying models, because of the "perspective". However, I flew models for years, and pretty much got in an ultralight and flew, as the experience from flying models helps with the understanding of flight.
I usually set up my trainers (I instruct) so that the controls are more like full sized planes, and this REALLY HELPS the beginners. In fact, (most) all my planes are set up with less control throw than recommended by the manufacturer. I like even my sport models to fly more like full size, not "dart around" in the sky.

Jetts

It's not hard, it's just different from anything you're used to. The good news is... once you get used to it, it's easy.

It's the old "like riding a bike" thing.