GrrlsFly!

I've been wondering this since I started. Buddy cords are amazing, albeit a crutch. My flying certainly became a lot hairier after I qualified and there was no safety cord left.

So how did people train before the use of buddy boxes/cords?

Did the instructors just talk people through it while the trainee's crashed a lot?

carrellh

They handed the transmitter back and forth.

Or, the instructor stood behind the student and reached around to assist with the sticks. Instructors had freakishly long arms back then, and students were all very skinny.

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

There were two ways that I know of. One was "pass the radio". If the student would get into trouble the instructor would grab the radio and hopefully save the plane. The other would be the instructor would stand behind the student and reach around him to help control the plane. I personally learned on the pass the radio method. I have also taught a couple of students that way as well, but will never do it again. The last one I did that way actually turned away from me when I tried to get the radio. I did manage to get it back from him and save the plane. but I landed it right away and told him we were finished until he got a buddy box for his radio.

Ken

Crewcut

The student held the TX and the instructor stood right next to student. Instructor would try to get TX back if student lost control. It was an exciting time. Sometimes student would freeze and not give back TX. You can guess the rest. But we learned and gave the instructor gray hair.
The buddy box was a major improvement.

Villa

I learned the "pass the radio" way also back in 1972. Later I tought a few students that way. Sometimes the student did not want to give up the radio. There were a lot more crashes then.

GrrlsFly!

Ah,

I was suspecting a "reach around" method was used; Just never confirmed my suspicions.

I wouldn't have thought the "pass the TX" method was used. Especially considering just how fast a student can send the plane into the ground. I guess it would work with enough altitude.

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

This is where the saying "Flying 3 mistakes high" came from!!!

ken

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

It was always a lot more fun teaching women - you could use the "Reach-around" method instead of "Pass the Radio"

DaveB

Oh yes; pass the transmitter to the instructor when the student pilot has encountered deep stinkies. On the plus side, saving planes from ultimate destruction probably increased the flying skills of the instructor.

DaveB

fozjared

or people just learned the hard way like i did.. no help whatsoever, just fly and repair, fly and repair!

Dr1Driver

I learned and also taught on the "pass the radio" system. If a student ever fought me for the TX, I simply handed it to him and said, "You fly it." And walked off. The student never learned to get out of trouble because the instructor couldn't let him get into too much trouble to start with. Since it took a couple of seconds for the instructor to grab the TX and get his thumbs on the sticks, an instructor learned to grab the TX early. The student (hopefully) learned how to get out of trouble on his first solo flight.

Dr.1

Lomcevak Duck

My Feedback: (14)

I learned by passing the radio back in 1997. We had buddy cords, but my instructor liked passing the TX. It worked well, never lost a plane during training. We ALWAYS flew three mistakes high, and he would let make two mistakes before he took over.

He had been a Hellcat pilot in the second world war and had amazing reactions. After that he had spent many years as a test pilot in the C-5 Program and occasionally told stories about the planes he had flown, the B-47 he said was his favorite. He was one of the best pilots and scratch builders I've ever seen, and I hate losing track of him after he moved across the country to live near his family.

Scar

My Feedback: (3)

Yep. The first few "lessons" were pretty short, and the repairs got to take less time too.

Back then the "second plane" was a big deal, chosen to have ease of repair, more agility but still some stabilitiy, like a 4 Star 40. At this time, I have noticed that the first plane often lasts the student long past the instruction period, and he is prepared for something like a Pulse or a nice Extra right after the Avistar (or LT40, or whatever.)

How time flies.
Dave Olson

B.L.E.

A lot of the model airplanes in the pioneering days of RC were essentially free-flight airplanes that were occasionally interfered with by a tranmitter command. There were a lot of two, three, and even one channel designs. Put a Cox .049 on a Gentle Lady glider and you get the idea.

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

Minn's got the right idea!!! [8D]

larrys4227

My Feedback: (1)

I was 11-12 years old when I learned .... my dad reaching over my shoulders with his thumbs on top of mine, and I believe it was a Kraft radio too. (Yikes!) I swear the plane was more like 12 mistakes high. LOL!

FlySafe! Larry (Larrys4227)

Dsegal

In the old days people passing the field would see two guys, bodies close together, apparently holding hands and staring soulfully up at the sky!

bruce88123

Nah, it was deceptive. Actually, you were only half a pilot tall.

ho2zoo

My Feedback: (5)

Instead of 'pass the radio' we called it the 'hot potato' method. You had to be quick!

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

This is the way I learned back in the 1950's. One thing just led to another eventually. The plane had a lot of dihedral in the wings and was trimmed to climb slightly under full power (which wasn't much in today's terms). You would turn the plane to keep it in sight and spiral it down if it got too high. When the engine quit you (crash?) landed. Nothing but one channel full left - right - off rudder control. The rudder was small so the plane was not sensitive to control inputs. It was simple enough. I just did it myself after watching others.

Then there was eventual progression into flying somewhat like they do today by the latter 60's.

Major Pain

I taught several people to fly in 60's and 70's with grab TX method. Always told them I would let them get into as much trouble as I thought I could get them out of, but when I grabbed for TX they would release immediatley. If for any reason they did not release it they were on there on and my help was over. Not near as good as buddy cord, but thats all we had.----------------Revver Bro #164

TZflyer

I learned on the pass the tx method last year as do most at our club.
Our instructor takes the plane high enough that he usually has plenty of time to grab it back.
During one training flight I got into trouble and started over correcting he tried to take the tx back and I refused. Don't know what came over me. Some kind of target fixation but I was SURE I could solve the problem.
Well, he stepped back and a few moments later I was looking for the multiple pieces of my trainer.
Luckily he forgave my MLOT (momentary lapse of talent) and consented to continue my training

sheograth

"why of course, I do this with all my students, its perfectly normal"

the_madgenius

my instructor used a method i followed for many years before buddy cord became available. On arrival at the field for first lesson , he took me away from everyone else, with only my transmitter in hand, turned OFF. We sat on the grass and he produced a small plastic model from his pocket, {matchbox size} and placed it between us. He explained the full throttle and elevators , and aileron controls , then told me to give full throttle. On doing so he started to move the toy, watching my thumbs, asked for up elevator, {i gave full up } so the model went vertical, nosed oner , and he dropped it. The lesson ??????? Dont give full up. And so it went on for half hour, before we went back to my model. In the event i did get into trouble then he did reach for the transmitter , but because of the lessons on the ground, this was seldom. Ground school lessons he called it. By this time i knew what he wanted me to do . So it continued before each flight , 30 minutes of ground school lessons before flight time. I soled in two days, An excellent way of teaching. These days a sym will do the same thing . A wonderful tool to have, provided you only practice what you have learnt that day , and not use sym as a computer game.
Bill

perttime

And before that there was
design your plane and radio, build your plane and radio, fly and repair, fly and repair...