I'm not trying to be negative. Yes with sim time you will have a much better & quicker learning experience. The sim helped me to be self taught for heli fiying, and helped me learn to fly planes with only 3 buddy-box flights after that.

To me it seems harder to be self taught with planes than with helis. With helis, you can put training gear on and learn to hover a few feet off of the ground. If you start to loose it you just drop the throttle/collective and set it down. The training gear will keep you from tipping. With planes, the hardest parts of flying are take-offs and landings, and you have to do that on the first flight. Having an instructor to do that for you for the first few flights is very helpful!

It's hard to tell from that tiny photo, but I believe he was referring to Justin Chi, a "child prodigy" of heli pilots. Comparing him to the rest of us trying to learn to fly planes and helis is an apples and oranges comparison.

Hmm... think about it. How much you would spend w/ an instructor compared to trying to "teach" yourself. I kinda thought through the cost and compared the 2 below.

Learning to fly w/ an instructor -

Instruction from instructor = $0 (In most clubs)
Cost for a plane (est.) = $150 - 275 (depending on what you buy)
Questions answered & skills learned = Priceless

You spend about $200-ish on a plane to learn from an instructor w/o paying him/her.


Learning to fly w/o an instructor -

Cost for 2 planes = $400 - 575(again, depending on what you get)

So, your about $450-ish in the hole and on top of that you have no more planes

I think the choice is obvious, IMOsave 200+ dollars and find a good instructor - it'll save you money and frustration.


TF96

Did you?

I bought my first airplane/radio/engine in 1972. Since then, I've lived in several different states and have seen many folks come and go in this hobby. One thing I have observed in that time is that there is a small percentage of folks who are going to do it on their own no matter what anyone says. This can be due to any number of reasons. Then I joined RCU along about 2002 or so. There is an absolute wealth of information available here that is free to anyone who cares to look. However, one thing I have never understood is the number of people here who are obviously good guys and great flyers but are so quick to make anyone who dares to attempt to do it on their own some kind of second rate citizen lower than Osama bin Laden. How many guys who had the nerve to say they were going to attempt to learn to fly on their own have we driven from the hobby before they even got started by insisting they could not do it without and instructor. Instead, why don't we encourage them and give them any help they ask for to bring them into the fold? We, as a hobby, need them. Would it be better if they started with an instructor. Surely. Should we initially suggest they get an instructor. Certainly. But when it becomes clear that that is not going to happen, why don't we then give them all the advice and encouragement we can and assure them that thay can do it on their own rather than insisting that they are fools, cheap, stupid, and irresponsible to even think they could do it? Some of them can and will make it. And some of the posts I have read here bad-mouthing those who insist on doing it without an instructor would discourage the most determined. Why do we do that? It's no skin off our noses. Is it just that we can't handle someone having an opinion different from ours? We need these people in the hobby regardless of how they learn it. Lets encourage and help them.

If pepple want to learn to fly on their own and spend the $$$, then great. Unfortunately, what is more likely to happen is they get frustrated and just quit. I've seen it happen too many times.

At our field, we cannot have beginners just trying to learn on their own. Unfortunately, its not a locked site, so during the week, there is nothing to stop a beginner from going out and trying it on his or her own. The results for us could be catastrophic, especially if they lose perspective and end up flying off the field and crashing on the neighbors property. So I will NEVER accept "its just too hard to find an instructor" as an excuse except in some very rare situations. I live in a populated area, and no doubt there are lots of people in my area reading this forum. If they start reading its "easy" to do it on their own, its more likely they're going to try to do it at my field when there is no help available. And then I lose my field. Or worse, they go out to a local park and try to fly their "park flyer" or "progressive trainer system" and somebody's kid gets hurt. Then our chances of working with the county to try to open a model airfield go completely out the window.

There's more at stake here than just spending money on repairs.

Get the help.

Brad

To all of those that have never crashed...... You must be excellent pilots and are the luckiest people in the world, or you don't really fly that much!

My experience is that model airplanes crash regularly. They crash at the field, at shows, and at fun flies. Beginners and expert alike crash models. Pretty much any place that has frequent model airplane operations will have frequent model airplane crashes.

However - beginners crash more frequently, often for reasons more experienced modelers avoid. They crash because they don't properly build or set up an aircraft, because they don't anticipate or recognize a maintenance issue, and because they are inexperienced pilots who are more likely to make improper control decisions.

I am self-taught. The simulator was invaluable. Safety was always a consideration. My plane progression was Firebird Freedom -> Sig EP 42 Kadet -> Ultra Mini-Stick -> Precision Aerobatics Katana -> Laser Arts P-51 Mustang. That was my first year in the hobby.

5 years later I still have the Kadet, but it's now on floats. The Ultra Stick and Katana I gave away. The Laser Arts P-51 I retired, never flew well - it was my first full build. The firebird freedom went in the trash - it was / is a terrible aircraft.

I also made a friend at a local field that first year (not an AMA field, a large generally empty place ideal for flying electrics) who was an experienced modeler and helped me learn... Oh, and I maidened ever single on of my models...

My thoughts / reflections are
- A simulator is invaluable
- Learning on my own allowed me to fly at a local field 4 - 5 days a week (huge advantage to coming up learning curve)
- I focused on smaller / lighter electrics (park flyers)
- Safety matters, you need to be sure you are not flying over (or near) people and property
- Repairs were somewhat frequent that first year

How far did I get in that first year? I mastered all basic aerobatics . I also learned good flight line practices (thanks to my friend) and strong landing skills.

That winter I got my first glow plane (a .60 size Graupner Patty Wagstaff Extra). I joined the AMA and found a local flying field.

When I showed up I flew my electrics and then spoke with the chief instructor about flying the Extra. His response "I don't see anyone needing instruction".

Maiden went fine and I flew it for a 1 1/2 seasons before burying it in a flat spin due to a late recovery.

Now, four years later, I'm an instructor for the club and enjoy helping people learn to fly. Some people need a lot of help, others find it easier to learn. Some could almost certainly master it on their own, others would find it a rougher road.

Bottom line, I always recommend people use a buddy box and instructor but if they insist on going it alone I have some advice. I would *very* strongly discourage anyone from learning on a non-park qualified airplane.

Final thought - I really like the community at the field, the variety of models, and the breadth of activities. The club field has a lot to offer, but I would have never been able to fly 4 or 5 times a week had I started there.

 I`m self taufgt and learn very early on , you have to be able to laugh at yourself . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBKNb...eature=channel