New rc Aviator here! just saying hello, have wanted to try rc planes since I was kid and now at forty two years of age thought I better get to it. So I talked Santa (the wife) into putting a trainer under the tree this year and after some searching I will be opening a gas RTF Nexstar. It seemed to be the right choice for a begginer so I have one on the way but it is going to be wrapped when it arrives and I have to wait, we just do this for the kids adds to the Christmas morning festivities if everyone is opening something I have waited this long whats another month. So excited about learning to fly rc planes I have already been looking into building my next plane I think I would like to build a goldberg tiger 60 for training on low wing. I have actual flying experience and have flown solo in a 150 Cessna, I know flying a real plane to flying rc is different but I understand the fundamentals of flight any and all advice in helping a newbie in the right direction with my RC nexstar and 2nd plane choice would be greatly appreciated and I am all ears thanks

Darrin,

Welcome.

I to started with a Nexstar and in my opinion it is a good starter plane. I recomend that you do not use the auto flight control that comes with the Nexstar, it takes away the real feel of the plane. You also need to get with a club and a good trainer as it is not as easy as it looks.

Good luck and safe flying.

Welcome, I too started late, last year at the age of 38, funny I'm still considered young at the club field though. I started with the Nexstar as well and some will say it isn't a good trainer but I still fly mine sometimes as well I put floats on her for the yearly float fly. Good luck.

Good plane, but like Roo Man said, disconnect the Auto Flight.

And get help! Being able to fly a plane you're sitting in, and flying one from the ground are two totally different things

That is, they are almost identical when the plane is moving away from you, but the ailerons and rudder are reversed when the plane is coming toward you.

This has caused MANY newbies to crash - especially those who "knew what they were doing"

Welcome to the greatest sport/hobby in the world, and welcome to RCU!

Welcome to the addiction. You'll love it. The plane coming at you thing is a little difficult at first, but I read on here: when the plane's coming at you, the LOW wing gets the stick. It has helped me tremendously to remember that.

I'm very new at this also. Istarted in July at age 51. I'm so glad I'm not a dog. LOL Istarted with a glow trainer and moved to a Tiger 2. A good flying plane, actually easier to fly and land than my trainer. One mistake I made, once I was flying the Tiger, I bought 3 more airplanes. Igot good deals I couldn't pass up. The mistake was building them at once. Ishould have concentrated on mastering the Tiger. Now I'm doing a major repair on the Tiger and it's the only plane Ihave left. Radio glitches got two of them, but I crashed the rest all by myself. A friend at the club gave me a trainer last week, I'm going to fly it til the wings fall off. Then Ishould be ready to move on.

Iguess what I'm saying is, just because I soloed didn't mean I knew how to fly! Good luck to you. I know you'll love it.

Talk Santa into letting you sneek the Simulator software, Controler, charger, and computer interface cable out of the box before it gets wrapped. That way you can get some simulator experience in before you get the plane. A good amount of time on the sim before you can actually fly your plane will be benificial.

Also check out http://www.modelaircraft.org/ and search for a club in your area. Having people that know what they are doing right there with you will save you frustration and time ramping up your learning curve.

Thanks for the warm welcome and comments there is a local flying club in my city. (http://www.bluewaterrcflyers.com/index.htm) I just need to get in contact with them to see what would be needed to obtain a membership and at that time, I will see if there is anyone available for training will sneak the simulator before it gets wrapped just dont tell.

Hey Darrin,
Like you I'm a newbie with one big difference, I'm a young 71 LOL. I just made my 1st actual flight a couple of weeks ago and loved it. Been flying the sim for a couple of months now and starting to get the hang of it. My Christmas present arrived this past week, an E-Flight Apprentice 15e that I got to choose. Naturally I'm looking forward to flying it but there's a good chance that won't happen until spring. Winters get a little tough up here in central NY and at my age I tend to freeze up fairly fast too. Welcome and let me say that these guys have been a big help to me. Listen to them, you won't regret it.
Tom

Thanks Tom! great to hear your still having fun at 71 never to late to learn somthing new the apprentice looks like it would be a great trainer and you should have fun with that. By the time I get playing with the sim it will probably be snowing out! oh well the local flying club here has monthly meeting during the winters months at a local school only 3 blocks from me. After the usual buisness talk they fly electric indoor so I might be looking for a small indoor electric wow haven't even flown my first plane and would like to buy three other planes take care.
Darrin

Hey Darrin,
Like you I'm a newbie with one big difference, I'm a young 71 LOL. I just made my 1st actual flight a couple of weeks ago and loved it. Been flying the sim for a couple of months now and starting to get the hang of it. My Christmas present arrived this past week, an E-Flight Apprentice 15e that I got to choose. Naturally I'm looking forward to flying it but there's a good chance that won't happen until spring. Winters get a little tough up here in central NY and at my age I tend to freeze up fairly fast too. Welcome and let me say that these guys have been a big help to me. Listen to them, you won't regret it.
Tom
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Yea, sadly, this is how it starts.

It's a sickness I tell ya!

Welcome to the addiction.