i am just starting in this great hobby. last summer i got into the park flyers and in my travels, stopped by the local club's field to watch the pros. i thought "how cool is this" and got involved. i met so many neat people and so, one thing lead to another. i hooked up with a terrific pilot/instuctor who showed me the ropes and is so helpful and supportive even now that i'm pretty much on my own. it's nice to have someone like that who cares. so my track record to date is fair i guess as far as success. i've flown a half dozen planes from trainers to aerobatic and like everone else, have had my issues. if i can give one word of advice to the new comers it would be to relax and go easy...try to stay calm. i know the excitement gets your blood going but after all, thats why we do it...and secondly....listen to your instructor. chances are, he's been there...done that and he knows what he's saying. as you can well imagine, there's alot to this game. you absolutely "must" pay attention to the little details. also, if it's in your budget, i would suggest getting and using a flight simulator for your home computer. for the 200 bucks that your going to spend on it, it's going to save you at least that much when it comes time to hit the sky with your own plane. it really helps to train your brain and thumbs to know what to do and when you're at the other end or that trainer cord at the field, you'll be amazed at what you can do. well all, have a great time with this wonderful hobby and happy flying. "lets fly!"

Thanks for the advise. I like many others need to find a club and start the correct way instead of thinking that I can learn myself. We all need to start at the begining and work our way up. One thing that i must say is that this hobby gets into your blood very very fast, even when you are a beginner[8D]

i know...wouldnt it be nice if we could learn all by ourselves? and we probably could if we had all kinds of money to blow and didnt really care, you know? the fact is, it's not easy to fly these hogs from take off to landing and have something to take home in one piece. there's so many little things that can go wrong. with an instructor, you can learn from experience about all the little pitfalls of this hobby. it's a cool sport though and i hope you go into it and have a blast. building a plane and flying it and landing safely, now thats gratifying for certain. you'll see. and when you do your solo flight, you'll feel pretty darn good. i know i did. it wasnt long ago for me. and you know, if you've got questions about any of this stuff, you can come here or go to someone in your local club and ask, you'll get the right abswer and more. good luck and come back and report now and then. "lets fly!"

Off topic, but....Beautiful planes

thanks alot......the cap flys great. the yak has a maiden coming up this spring and that other beast has been up and flys pretty good but needs a C.G. adjustment. cant wait to get them up again. i'm in new hampshire and it's too stinkin cold to go anyway. here's the cap before it's maiden. love this plane. i was a nervous wreck flying this thing until i got used to it. this thing really flys nice. it's a bit faster than the trainer right now but i'm working on getting it slowed down.

ok, here's my first plane that i successfully built and flew. it's a 40 scale high wing trainer.....very simple and basic. the first day that i brought it to the field i just ran it up and down the strip doing taxi testing and stuff. making sure all the systems worked proprly, range check of course and basically breaking in the engine and preparing myself mentally for the maiden. my instructor stuck his fingers under the wings and did a rough C.G. check....he laughed. told me i needed four ounces of weight in the front. i put the weight in and we took it up later that week. the thing went mint. just one example where the experience of a seasoned pilot helps. listen to your instructor...he really knows his business.