is it wise to learn how to fly on a Sim. then move to the real thing? i bought Great Planes RealFlight G2 w/USB InterLink Mode 2 (should be in Tuesday) in hopes that it will teach me how to control the plane when i go for real...

also: im finding out that this hobby is rather expensive ive spent over $900 and havent even flown yet! haha

Ouch wow $900. Was that $200 for the Sim $300 for the plane, $100 for the flight box and various other stuff??

I'd HIGHLY suggest playing around on the sim. It does a pretty good job. I find the sim harder to fly that the real thing. I'd highly suggest getting with an instructor. When you are done flying in real life, you can always go home and practice on the sim.

I went from my Hobbico Superstar to an GP Extream 330 with the Sim as a training tool. I spent DAYS flying the sim before flying the real thing.

$200 for the sim roughly $400 for plane and basic equip (engine, etc.) and $300 on building equip and flight equip....i figured it would be a good starting off point concidering if u crash on a computer you dont waste hours and hours (not to mention money) on building the plane only to crash it. ill prolly get with and instructor and have hgim teach me the more advanced manuevers and such but i like to learn on my own so basic turns, landings and takeoffs ill try to learn myself, thanks for the response

If you are going to learn on G2, start with no wind, turn off in flight failures. Once you get to the point where you can always land the PT40 where it is supposed to be for about 2 weeks straight, start bumping up the wind until you can always land it with at least at a setting of 5 - 15 mph wind gusts, and set the gustiness to at least the medium setting. Then, back off on the wind speed, but vary the direction until you can compesate for crosswind at about a 45 degree angle across the runway. Bring the wind back up a few (up to 5 mph) every couple of days until you are at the 15 mph mark again. This will help you get used to the fact that it may be calm out when you go up, but 2 minutes later, the wind turns on you. Make sure that you can vary the angle of the wind also from one side of the runway to the other. When you get bored, you can download my field, "Bingo Field" from the Realflight web site. There are a large number of other flying sites modeled after the real sites that other people fly at. Have fun, but I would still reccomend seeking other experienced flyers to interface with as they will be able to provide you with the benefit of their experience, and may save you from making common and uncommon mistakes. They are a benefit to know.

Except for single channel rudder only when I was in Jr Hi, I had never flown RC.

I started out with the free Flight Model Simulator then bought the G2 with a couple of expansion packs.

I built the Sig LT-40 trainer and joined an RC club for training. Getting my feet wet on the sim probably saved me a few weeks of instruction time - I soloed on my 4th actual flight.

I think they're worth it.

I also did the SIM thing before and during training. 3 flights and I soloed and did the club test at the same time. I would fly for real and whatever I had a problem with I would go home a fly it on the SIM...made a world of difference.

Just remember to treat the SIM as you would when flying the real thing and it will quickly become second nature

I agree with Bingo on the wind thing

gee! 2 weeks?! haah wut if i tackle it head on with maxium winds and max wind changes and learn from there? only kidding...haha im afraid that as soon as my plane is done its going up, with or without a trainer but the sim will be in and used quite a bit before that happens (im taking my steps sssllllooooowwww) i just want a taste of flight with my $900 investment! no flips, no rolls and all that just a nice flight on a nice day justy to get me worked up enough to learn more and more i know i know, more than likely ill crash it and be pissed at myself but that is a risk im willing to take [8D]

I think you may be surprised that its harder than you think when you start using the sim.

I don't really think you need an instructor to learn aerobatics. You can just ask people how to do manuevers then keep trying them untill you get it right. The instructor comes in handy when your learning the basics. If you screw up on an aerobatic manuever you can recover if you know how to fly. If you screw up when your learning is when you need the instructor.


I learned on my own. I joined a club after my trainer and an instructor at my club was nice enough to buddy box with me untill I got used to the 4*. In my opinion the most difficult thing to learn or get used to was control reversal. You will learn that from the sim.

Good luck in whatever you do!


Wings

For what it's worth, my first plane was an electric Slow Stick, not quite the beast that you'll be flying first time out. But after a lot of time on a cheap simulator, other than some nerves, my first flight went off without a hitch.

i would use the sim. but dont reley on it. If your making the same mistakes on the sim, ull end up makeing the same ones at the field. But the sim helps alot to calm your nerves. I play with the sim for a half hour b4 i go flyin!!!

Unless you are going to fly in a large field near your house... I would still have a instructor stand there with you and a buddy box cable. You may feel comfortable flying on your own, but that's $400 that could end in one mistake. The instructor can sit there and let you fly. When he feels things are in danger he can take over.

When I qualified I was perfectly fine letting someone jack in. Yeah I've flown for several years in the past. This was a new field and people that are unfamiliar with my background. Although the person I qualified with said he was fine with me on my own... I left that decision up to the qualified trainer of the club.

well i have roughly 40 acres of flat treeless land with with a house in the middle of it to play around. ive gotten pretty decent with take offs and landing and have figured out most of the taxing, i find the hardest part to be judging distance and how much is too much, i have the wind to 10 with gust of 15(above average for where i live) and i have also flown a lot of no wind flights, (i also put it to 100mph winds just to see, now i know wut to expect if i ever want to fly in a hurricane, a missing plane haha!) im mostly using the PT-40 which is basicly the plane i have but with a smaller engine, it has a smaller wingspan also, anyone know of a download to similate the Tower Hobbies Trainer MKII 60?

That would be paradise! [sm=sunsmiley.gif]I have to drive 45 minutes to an hour to get to my club. It would be heaven to walk out the front door and fly my plane!

hah yeah its pretty nice, plus the local R/C airport is across the street from my house so i see them flying just about every day

If there's an RC airpark right across the street, you definately want to fly there rather than on your own. The reason is this: You will have no control over frequency assignments and neither will they. You can easily end up shooting each other down due to freq conflicts. It would suck to lose an aircraft due to an silly mistake like that...

Good point. Maybe he can negotiate a free membership for sharing frequency domain.

I also have my own field that I maintain, but the closest R/C field is at least an hour away from me. I think that I would have a talk with them to at least let them know what frequency my transmitter is on.

If you have a sail plane you can learn yourself. my cousion taught himself how to fly.

For those of you that have your own field, what is the length of you main runway? Width? Just curious.

I also have my own field but the landing area is bumpy so, only my electrics with no landing gear work great.
As far as 3D, I'd get one of the foam electric models with a brushless motor and practice with that.
If you dork it, you out the amount of probond or epoxy gluing the foam back together or the $35 for a whole new
plane. You do it to your glow model, it will OUCH big time!!!

Dave...

Negativeeffect, I fly at the local RC field you mentioned.
I can't tell you not to fly on your property but it greatly
concerns me that you might do so with the local club only
across the street from you. Whatever you do, please
come on over and fly with us, frequency conflicts could
ruin your day and ours, not to mention the possibility of
hurting someone with an out of control aircraft.
Jerry Sigur
V.P. of Houma Aero Modelers

Just an opinon but sims are great to get use to the contols. Much quicker to teach someone as the reversal thing is the hardest to get over. Instuctors will keep your new hobby fun by saving your plane several times when learning how. I think everyone has problems with a plane coming at you on your first landings. Things can happen fast 10 ft off the ground. Getting to slow at that altitude is quite a test. Getting the plane slowed down on approach then slight nose down until a foot or so off the runway on a natural glide and you will never stall on approach. After a few landings with no instructors help its time to take away the umbilcal cord (just for humor) or you will get dependent on him. Hope the advice on the landing approach helps out. My instuctor told me that when I started and have used it ever since.
Happy Flying!

Sim= Saving time and Money in the long run. At night when you cant fly during the week when you come home from school or work. A couple hours a night 3 to 4 days out of the week you will be soloing in no time. You will no doubt have to go on the box for the first couple of flights if you are real good I have seen guys solo after 2 buddy box flights. Providing their plane was set up correctly. I think the sim is a powerful tool for learning to fly. Especially on approaches or generally when the plane is comming at you when all the controls are reversed. If advanced trainnig is in the agenda for the future say like 3D. Then AFP is the sim for you hands down. But for general flight any will do and they are really helpful. IMO

With my PT-40 still under construction (past 50% complete, though [8D]. Getting my 46AX today!!!!!), im practicing regularly in my two favorite sims, FMS and RC Plane Master 2. Right now in using an analog gamepad, but ive ordered an USB interface so i can get to use my real Hitec Laser4 radio for them. I love the Sims, with Rc Plane master being my absolute favorite. Was doing loops, inverted, hammerhead stalls++ within the hour (must be all those damn computergames i play ). Practicing thouch-and-gos over and over, but its abit hard to line up the plane to the runway because of the sim (you can see the runway before its too late to line up. A big issue, and I think only Realflight G2 have worked out this limited-view problem).

I know that the sim probably isnt gonna make me solo on first flight, but its a real confidence builder and getting the reflexes down is a must. Might save your plane from alot of stupid mistakes!.

AS long as you tink of it that way you will do fine. Things get a little more sureal out there at the field. If I am practicing rolling harriers on AFP I know that my inputs are correct but switching over to the real deal when the plane is live and distance isnt exactly as the sim interprets changes everything. I barely get started before the adreniline pumps the heart races and the plane just falls a certain way and bam I am out of it. Nerve racking to say the least. Good Luck