how long will it take me to solo
 

iv been on realflight g2 for a month and been up only once i did good my instructor only had to take over three times in a thirteen minute flight. im really good with the trainer set on advanced in realflight i can do basic aerobatics turns and land. how long will it take for me to solo if im at the field 2 days a week

RE: how long will it take me to solo
 

I wouldn't fool with aerobatics yet....just shoot good landing approaches and keep it steady on the stick. Some folks pick up solo quickly, some don't. Just be careful and get comfortable with it. The worst problem I've seen with newbies is they tend to get too nervous and jerk the sticks alot and over control it straight into the ground.

Since you've been flying a sim you shouldn't have the problem of reverse controlling when its flying toward you. Keep practicing...you will have it down soon! :D

RE: how long will it take me to solo
 

you'll be ready when your instructor doesn't have to take the controls. Like ghee-grose said, don't worry about aerobatics until you get taking of and landing down pat.

RE: how long will it take me to solo
 

I wouldn't worry about how long it takes you to solo. Everyone learns at thier own pace. Some catch on almost imediately, others take years. For an average, I'd say 20 flying sessions. Taking over only three times on your 13 minute first flight is good, but to solo you need to be at the point where the instructor didn't need to take over once in 13 flights. Keep working on both the sim and the real deal and you will solo soon. Cheers.

RE: how long will it take me to solo
 

It normally takes 6-8 flights if your reflexes and eyesight are good. But it depends alot on the individual,the instructor,the plane ,the weather etc.:D
There will be times after you solo that you will really wish you still had your instructor to take over.:)

RE: how long will it take me to solo
 

yep, sounds like ten or so flights should do it. When you get good, roll inverted, drop to 5ft AGL and do a full power fly by. See what your instructor does! :D

RE: how long will it take me to solo
 

PERMISSION TO BUZZ THE TOWER!!!!! he he he :)

RE: how long will it take me to solo
 

I think you should learn how to recover from different attitudes in RealFlight. Work on those acrobatics. When you goof them up you'll have to recover the plane. This will help when you do solo and you get the plane in an attitude that you are not used to.

RE: how long will it take me to solo
 

"negative ghost rider the patteren is full"

RE: how long will it take me to solo
 

:D

RE: how long will it take me to solo
 

The best aerobatic maneuver you can learn is to land, then learn to take off and then what ever you want.

RE: how long will it take me to solo
 

Depends upon the club (or instructor) and the RC pilot. Different places have different requirements. Some places require you to take off, fly around, and land witout a cord or the instructor taking the Xmitter. If you do it once, you've soloed.

Other instructors and clubs require you to prove you are a safe pilot in the pits as well as the flight line. These instructors want to ensure you are a safe pilot while taxiing, taking off, flying different patterns, shooting different landing approaches, during a touch and go, during a deadstick, during different wind conditions, during landing. They want to see how you can handle an emergency. Flying safe while other planes are in the air. Last training night we had 3 trainees practicing touch-and-goes and landings all in the same pattern. This gave me a good perspective of "airspace" and how to manage it.

So it could take you a day, a week, a month, or a year. I've been flying a year and have about 60 flights on my Superstar, but still have not soloed. In my mind am I ready? No. I want to ensure other pilots in the club feel safe when I am in the air. Can someone learn to do all of these evolutions safely with a simple take-off, fly around, and land for a solo? In my opinion, No. But that is just my opinion, and it will conflict with many on this board.

How ever long it takes you, remember one thing, safety! This hobby can turn to tragedy in the time it takes to blink!

Good Luck and clear skies!!

:)

RE: how long will it take me to solo
 

yes! safety is a big thing to... last week at the feild an old timer over shot his turn and flew over the pits about 25 feet off the ground. needless to say it freaked everyone out in the pits as it was so unexpected. My heart sky rocketed as it was almost above me and pretty low. SAFETY PEOPLE!:D

RE: how long will it take me to solo
 

My friend has been learning to fly for one and half a year. Unfortunately, he gave up the hobby after many crashes. He can take off an airplane, but only rarely does he land it in one piece. Besides that, his wife complaints about the amount of money he spends on this hobby (thousand $$). So, the lesson we learn from this hobby is that one or two mistakes cost money and time. If money is not the issue, just think about the time you spend on repair after crash. Your instructor's advice is very valuable. After each flying session, he points out your weaknesses and strengths. Know your past mistakes so that you will not repeat them again. Make sure that you spend more time on flying than on talking about politics every time you go to the field. Your flying skills are very crucial. The more you practice, the easier is going to be.

RE: how long will it take me to solo
 

You will solo in no time at all! Learning to crash will come naturally though!

RE: how long will it take me to solo
 

My first time I soloed in about 10 flights. I got out of it for several years (kids, college for kids, etc) and returned about 2 years ago. Not like riding a bike to me. I crashed my first one after the second flight. Got Realflight and practiced for about 4 months. Flew with reasonable confidence after that.

If anyone has a lesson plan or something similar for basic RC flight instruction I would really like to see it. I have searched this site for quite a long time and can't find anything. I would really like to see a checklist and preflight/postflight checks, ground school, maneuvers, etc.

thanks-

Jim

RE: how long will it take me to solo
 

BOOM!!! (Airboss spills coffee)

RE: how long will it take me to solo
 

"No... NO Mav, not a good idea!"

"Sorry Goose, but it's time to buzz a tower!"

:-)

RE: how long will it take me to solo
 

it depends on the indiviual, instructor, and flight training time.
and if your plane still stays in one piece.lol
size of your fleet or how deep your pocket is
i suggest a duraplane....

I had a good instructor.
safty first alway. did everything by the book almost.
preflight checks and ect..

flying a straight line , procedure turns, and slower speed.
if anything..you pushed me to make progress and practice.
mastering differnent maneuvers 2-3 mistake high and lowering
the altitute. 3 months before i soloed. after that..i was putting in
over 30 flights a week, flying everyday after work.

there's peaple that's been flying for over six months that havn't
mastered these basic maneuvers. As long as they have an instructors
standing next to them , i don't mine.

then there'e those who's getting ahead of themselves, soloing.
i hate it when they decide to fly there planes when mine is already
in the air. i had my head buzzed, planes almost take my legs off,
planes flies right into my flight path when i'm in the middle of aerobics
manevers, planes almost take out my parked fleet.

RE: how long will it take me to solo
 

Ok -- how many Twist owners can post in one thread :D

No wonder ti took me 3 weeks and 4 states to find one that was in stock!

On the training thing--sims are great to learn the stick movements, and such, but they don't mean much once you put balsa in the air for that first time. I soloed about about 8 training sessions -- maybe a dozen flights. Then I got into flying SSC combat almost immediately and that will build you reflexes up quickly, or you spend a lot of time rebuilding planes. Also got me past my nervousness of not wanting to fly my balsa plane with other people in the air. I built a small fleet of combat planes, and a spad or 2 while still working with my trainier, and finally got really bored of flying a 40 sized trainer around after flying planes that were much more agile all the time.

You sound like you're in a pretty good track to be flying solo in a short matter of time, just keep with it, and realize that takeoffs are voluntary, but landings are mandatory!

RE: how long will it take me to solo
 

I forgot that part

RE: how long will it take me to solo
 

I solo'd after 4 flights on buddy cord. I have an Arrow. But, I have been flying electrics (flying wings, war birds, sailplanes etc.) for 3 years too. The Arrow doesn't have much dihedral (wing in a vee type shape when you look at it from the front). It also is a semi symetrical wing. Therefore, it doesn't really have the "plane will right itself after a turn". You have to straighten the aircraft yourself.
And you'll drop altitude quickly in sharp turns if you don't give it a little "up" on the elevator. I also think you have to respect the power of these planes. They sure don't fly like any slow stick!!! I'd say the hardest part for me and I'm still learning on how to be smooth is landings. Just when you think your on a nice graceful glide for landing, a small wind gust pops up!!! And getting lined up for a good landing. When you start getting cocky, thats when you will crash. Ask me how I know this firsthand when flying electric!!

Dave...

RE: how long will it take me to solo
 

[quote] Ok -- how many Twist owners can post in one thread

No wonder ti took me 3 weeks and 4 states to find one that was in stock!
[quote]

We jumped on the band wagon early:);)

RE: how long will it take me to solo
 

Hmm. Been a month... has Mr. SnapRoll38 Soloed yet.... An ambitious name for a novice. Especially since he recently got a .30 size heli.

gus