Anybody know of an easy way to keep yourself from directing the plane straight at yourself on take off? I spooked myself tonight on one takeoff, I got totally mesmerised by watching the plane coming straight at me, until I realized what was happening. I was about 30 ft. from the plane (or it from me) when I "came to" and turned it away from myself. Kind of wierd and cool, but scary,, if I had been any slower to recognise it...

when lining it up to take off, point it away from yourself

Exactly...stand behind it! At least until the "rudder" becomes second nature to you.

Jim

How about learning to taxi 1st.
90% of accidents in this sport happen with the model on the GROUND!!!

If you cant TAXI you can't TAKE-OFF and you can't LAND if you can't TAXI.
they sort of transition into one another, right?

I'd suggest going out one day and running a few tanks of fuel through it just taxing it. After you get comfortable with it, just advance the throtle a little more and pretend like you're about to take off, but then lower the power and don't take off. Keep doing that untill you're comfortable enough to just lift off where you were lowering the throtle before.

Always face the direction the plane is facing. Even if you have to stand at a station where you fly, face the way the plane is facing, and look over your shoulder. This also works when learning to fly, and you won't have a problem with control reversal when the plane turns toward you.
Point yourself, and the antenna the way the plane is travelling.

I think I was kind of leaning tward moving myself more tward the center of the runway (lengthwise). My field is 240 x 25, and in the evenings I tend to use the tree for shade while I fly. Moving more tward the center makes sense, reducing the exposure to turning the A/C to me.

there are lots of people (including myself) who recommend strongly against this. the plane can react much quicker then you can spin yourself around. just learn to deal with the control issues first.

My instructor said never point the 'plane at yourself. I always t/o from behind or with the 'plane crossing a distance in front of me, say left to right.
Tom

The best thing a beginner having problems with high speed taxi can do is to find someone with an R/C car or boat and practice fast runs back and forth in front of you. It's actually best if you can find someone with a stick radio rather than a wheel. A bonus is if they can put steering and throttle on the left stick since that's the one used for most planes to handle the ground steering. This lets you practice your orientation while removing the fear of having the plane takeoff. When you are comfortable with the land/water vehicle, do the same on the plane. Rather than always rushing to get the thing in the air, spend some time practicing the ground handling.

Huh? [X(]
"Lots of people"? Well I got "lots of people" that say it's the only way, sorry.
To each his own, I guess, but if you got that kind of problem (plane twisting around faster than you can) you got major problems, and nothing is going to save you, er, it.
I have used this method to teach MANY students, and they learn to fly way faster, and get the "control issues" under control sooner than later.
Try it Bingo, you'll like it.

It sounds like you got distracted which happens to all students at some point in their training. It will even happen a few times when you start flying your 2nd type plane like a low wing Super Sportster. You just need to hang in there and get more stick time to learn to focus on what you are doing. Then it will become second nature and you will be able to fix a bad situation with out even having to think about it. Or better yet, see a problem coming up and fix it before it becomes serious!

oh man!, this picture is so funny! You have just put a big big smile on my face! Looks like you or on Candid Camera!

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I agree. I learned on my own with a park flyer and common sense told me to do this. It only makes sense.

ROGER THAT!!!

But then again, common sense is becoming a rare commodity these days.

I am another one who is against this method of teaching, as were the two people who taught me 25+ years ago. I was at the field on Sunday and watched an "experienced" pilot taxi his plane down the runway a bit. He turned it around, did a "right face" so his body was facing the same direction as the plane, looked over his left shoulder and took off. I can only say it looked pathetic. The same goes for people who twist the transmitter around to keep it pointed in the same direction as the plane they are flying. One rarely sees good or really good pilots performing such gyrations.

I view this as teaching a bad habit. It might allow someone to fly earlier, but what handicaps does it create? In the long run, it may be better to teach someone how to do it right, even if it takes a little longer, rather than just getting them in the air as fast as possible.

If a person is having trouble with control while their plane is coming toward them, get them on a simulator or a land/water vehicle so they can get past this without the fear of crashing. If it takes them a little longer to solo, so be it. They will be better pilots in the end.

O.K., that's two of you..........

I am under the opinion that it is "pathetic" when someone is made to stand stock still, and stunted in a litle box, whilst craning their neck trying to be complacent, and a good little boy trained by "experts". [sm=tired.gif]

BTW, some people appreciate the "gyrations" or "english of the Tx".[sm=pirate.gif]
As I said, to each his own, right then?

And you've had how many agreeing with your method? Hmmm, let's see, there was Wings (who was self-taught) and ??? I've seen a suggestion that it is ok to stand behind the plane when first learning to fly, but the suggestion of moving the antenna around while flying seems to be defended mostly by ... you. Nobody said the pilot had to stand "stock still". I turn toward the plane as it moves around. I said it's pathetic to be twisting ones body and transmitter around to compensate for never learning how to control an R/C vehicle when it is coming toward you.

I'd rather be trained to fly the right way by experts rather than having to contort my body to have the transmitter antenna point in the plane's direction of travel because my instructor could not teach me to handle the plane when it was coming toward me without such gyrations. As you said, to each his own.

Well then, I guess you've told me, eh old boy?

I'm with piper_chuck...

No one at my club turns their body or transmitter

I don't see anything wrong with someone just learning to rotate their body on takeoff. I did that when I taught myself. I don't do it anymore so I don't believe it is habit forming. There is nothing pathetic about someone wanting to make sure that they aren't going to crash into someone on takeoff. I'm sure the guy will not be rotating all the time. Count me in with those that think it's OK when learning. Who gives a rat's ass how it looks anyway. I had one of those "experts" crash two of my planes. He had the little straw hat and an big "INSTRUCTOR" badge on it.

I don't think it's ok to stand on your head when learning inverted flight.

One thing I tell my students when learing to take off and land is, before you advance the power, or start your approach, take a second to look at what direction is "safe". Keep that direction in mind, and if things go badly, turn that way.

So, if you are taking off right to left, a right turn will take you away from the pits and pilot stands. If you are going left to right, a left turn will be safe.

If you tell yourself "right is safe" before starting anything, then you can skip that "what way do I go?!?" panic and go straight to the "trying to save it" panic. You still might plant or run off the runway or break something, but at least you'll do it in a safe area and not hurt anyone if your first reaction is a turn towards the "safe" direction.

Realism of flight leads a lot to be desired when it comes to this hobby. People by nature are not structured individuals. They usually do what they want and this applies to flying R/C models. On Saturday mornings a group of us gather on a dry lake bed in Southern California. The wind normally blows from west to east and that dictates a clockwise traffic pattern. We as a group adhere to these flight parameters however no two individuals takeoff in a similar manner. Most of these individuals takeoff directly adjacent to the pit area. I believe I am the only one who taxis to end of our makeshift runway and takeoffs. The reason I do this is to practise. I do for myself.
Takeoff fixation is not something new and as long has there are beginners in our ranks this phenomon will occur. As others have pointed out, only the understanding of control reversal will correct this unintentional condition.
I have never asked the fellow modelers I fly with why they don't use the whole runway to takeoff and they don't ask me why I do. I believe that this individual who claims he suffered from a fixation problem will realize he is problem and not is airplane.

That's what I'm sayin'!