Need some help here guys. My son and I are training two new flyers on a buddy box and having real problems. We have been flying for five years, and to the students it looks real easy. We have both made only a couple flights with them and here are the problems...both guys are having a problem with adding some elevator on their turns (left for now) but occasionally hold a good left bank and have only recovered to level flight a few times. Right turns are to them even more difficult and I find myself taking over much sooner. I am flying their trainers as slow as I can and still be stable and I don't know of another approach to make to ease them into flying. Right now they both say they will get it and after the flights we showed them the diagonal pull on the sticks (exagerated) when making a turn. We thought next time out I would get them straight an level and use elevator control only, climbing and descending and recover then I would do the turnaround and repeat to get a better feel of the sensativity before trying turns again. I don't want them to lose interest.
Any new approach would be appreciated.
George

1. You may be flying a little too slow.
2. Right turns are fighting P-effect (harder to turn to the right as the prop helps left hand turns.
3. Rectangles in both directions will help with orientation.

EXCAP232

Wow, you have your hands full.

First go to Howard Sullivan's page R/C Flight Unlimited

[URL=http://webpages.charter.net/rcfu/]

and download his primer on flying model airplanes its a wealth of information. Also, download his booklet for instructors. If I remember right it has a small syllabus that you can use.

Now, above all talk to your student in a calm voice almost hypnotic so they are concentrating of what you are saying and flying the model. Stress smoothness, precision, and gentleness on the controls. Tell them to make a left turn and to watch for the right wing to come up and when they can just see the top of the wing that is enough - add slight up elevator to raise the nose of the plane.

As stated earlier left turns are easier than right turns so explain that to you student. Just say due to torque and P-Factor. They probably won't under stand but tell them it would be impossible for you to discuss this more and that they can obtain reading material if they want to learn more. (Howard talks about this in his manual)

Stress SAFETY

Above all be patient, I remember learning. I had two instructors. One was very calm and patient, the other was very high strung and stressful to learn from. I learned most everything from the calm patient one. You say each student has had a couple flights. for some students this is just the beginning. Everybody learns at their own pace, not yours. When you agree to teach somebody, you make a big commitment, but ultimately, the student decides the pace at which he learns.

As a side note, I tell beginners who are really struggling one control at a time, no diagonal stick movement quite yet.

So, before flying, I show them on the sticks how to turn. Feed in and HOLD a bit of left aileron. Then center the stick, don't snap it, bring it smootly to center. Then feed in and HOLD elevator to stay level though the turn. Then once you are pointed in the right direction, center the elevator, and roll out by again HOLDing right stick.

I find that some people can hold altitude better when they are only worrying about one control at a time, ie, bank, then hold altitude, and don't worry about holding the bank.

A lot of guys "jab" at the sticks, rather than feeding in and holding the controls. You want to impress on the beginner that control imputs take TIME to work, and you have to hold them over there.

When we are flying, I listen for that sound of a stick snapping to center, and gently remind them that I heard that, and not to do that.

I've had people tell me the beginner will have to "unlearn" what I'm saying here, but it never works out that way. People get better at moving the sticks faster, and, on their own, start mixing elevator and aileron at the same time once their brain catches up with what happens with each movement. It happens automatically. And they stay smooth on the sticks as well.

Always stress smoothness and letting control imputs have time to happen. Which also goes with thinking ahead of the airplane.

When I was training my fiancee to fly, she had a similar (if not the same) problem. In her case she was trying to turn without coordinating the rudder. Since she wasn't getting the expected yaw, she would just keep cranking in the aileron until she exceeded 90 degrees of bank (thats where I would let the button up! )

I solved her problem by mixing in 40% rudder with the ailerons. This made a huge difference. Over the next 10-15 flights, I pulled the mix out gradually as she slowly learned to use the rudder.

That's why this site is the best! Thanks for the rapid response. You are telling me many things I am not doing that I know will help. I thought that the right turn difficulty was the awkward pull of the stick toward the thumb, did not know about the prop effect.
We are going out again this weekend and will make some adjustments. I guess I was spoiled by my first student. He soloed in two days, but he did have some time on the simulator. Appreciate the training site reference. Sure would like to see them catch on.