The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

Getting prepared for the first flight, and are training hard in the sim (plane not done yet). Just wantet to know what are the common beginner flying mistakes when you are learning to fly? I bet you instructors out there have seem them all and got a list somewhere :D.

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

Over controlling is the biggest one I see.
I suppose for a really poor analogy it's kinda like driving a car. Do you turn your wheel from lock to lock while driving down a straight road? Nope just minor little corrections to keep her straight.
If your radio has dual rates, use em.

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

The biggest mistake is the Control reversal when the plane is flying towards you...

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

Ditto on the over controlling. Easy on the sticks and make small smooth corrections. Don't bang the sticks around. Another is beginners usually fly the plane too far/too high away from them. Keep it where you can see it. Another is keep the plane out in front of you. Don't let it get behind you or directly over your head and stay out of the sun. YOU fly the plane...don't let the plane fly you.

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

The biggest problem is the "male ego" you know what I mean,,youve probably said it yourself about something.."I'll be able to handle it".."that wont happen to me",,I'll just get out there and practice while nobodys around , it'll be ok...I did that about 12 years ago and promptly got out of the hobby within 6 months...10 years later and I got back in with park flyers,, now that,you can start off on your own, and have now switched over to glow, not great at it, but still love trying..........Rog

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

Common mistakes I've seen in 6 years of teaching RC.
(Trying) to use thick CA to install fabric hinges. Sorry it has to be thin in order to wick into the gap.

Not enough rubber bands on the wing.

Forgot that little black screw that holds the black servo arm safely on the servo. The record was 3 out of 4 on a Kadet came off on ONE flight. Thank goodness the LT 40 is a great rudder only airplane!

Forgetting to charge one or both batteries before you head out

Not charging things long enough

Installing the _(%&#)(&#$ paper gasket between the engine and the muffler. LEAVE IT OFF! The first thing that happens is the gasket compresses, the nuts on the muffler loosen up and at the end of the first flight you've lost a 45 Dollar muffler.

And under the issue of over controlling above, just remember that virtually all model trainers out here today, if properly trimmed, will fly just fine all by themselves, all we do is mess them up. So keep your messing up inputs to a minimum and your airplane will fly just fine.

When it comes time to land, sometime in that last foot of being airborne, STOP looking at the airplane! WATCH the WHEELS! fly them down to the grass or runway.

Oh the absolute WORST mistake ever done by a nubie? I had an impatient 12 year old that though he could build a KADET by just looking at the pictures. When I did the detailed preflight I noticed that I could twist the tail feathers to the left and right by a considerable amount. Then I noticed the shifting under the covering of the fuselage between the wing and the tail. In an LT 40 there is a picture showing you to use rubber bands to hold the fuselage together. The words then say to glue everything in place. He left the rubber bands, didn't glue any thing and figured the covering would hold it all together. He also didn't have the patience to fix it.

Good luck in your quest and have LOTS of fun

Tom

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

A good thread for the new pilots... for everyone really.

The stupid thing I did the most (and still do from time to time :D) is trying to start my engine in hydrolic lock. I don't know how many times I zipped my prop and spinner off. I've gotten pretty good at putting my prop/spinner on very quickly.

Before you put your glow ignitor on the plug, turn the prop over a few times by hand until it rotates past compression easily. You look like a noobie when there are 8 other pilots at the field and you go to start your engine and the prop comes flying off at 3,000 rpm. [:@]

Joe

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

I agree with all of the above but add that many students, until they are taught, don't have their priorities in order. Ask a new student, "What is the most important thing when starting your motor?" and they something like "avoid hydraulic lock" or some such thing. IMHO, wrong! The most important thing is clearly to keep your hands and fingers out of the arc of the turning propeller and don't let your plane get away from you and hurt someone else. What is the most important thing when landing your plane? It is the same thing as when taking off -- don't hit anyone with your plane. Not keeping safety as the top priority is, in my opinion, the biggest mistake a student, or, experienced flyer for that matter, can make.

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

the BIGGEST mistake is not getting an instructor.

Since you seem to have that one covered, I would say the next one (BTW, all of the above mentioned are good and should be heeded) is that people tend to think that the plane has a brain.

Example: Plane is flying straight and level. Rookie inputs aileron to start a turn, plane banks, and noses down slightly. They wonder "Why did it nose down? I didn't give it down, I only gave aileron".

You explain why it happens and that they need to give UP elevator to compensate for it. So they give some UP elevator, but they don't realize that the more (or less) elevator you give, the more (or less) the nose will rise.

They tend to think 2-dimensionally - "I banked and gave up so why didn't it make a good turn?"

I like to refer them to driving a car. I'll say, "If you're driving down the street, and you need to make a left turn, how much do you turn the wheel?"

You can't answer that question with a simple answer because every turn is different and your speed and road conditions are a factor. The only proper answer is: "You turn the wheel enough to make that particular turn. No more, no less".

It's the same with turning a plane. Every turn is different. Some will require more (or less) bank, some will require more (or less) elevator, but each one needs to be controlled by YOU.

The next thing is: Do you HAVE to maintain the same altitude during a turn?

No. It's a good practice, but only for honing your skills. Let's face it, once you learn to fly you may want to make your passes over the runway LOW and fast (I know that's what I like to do) so you'll need to lose altitude on the downwind turns. But the same rule applies: How much altitude you lose depends on how YOU performed the turn.

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

Very common mistake on take off: pulling up too fast and stalling or almost stalling the plane. Pull up gently
Luis

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

My biggest problem besides control reversal was keeping the wings level when the plane starts going down.

I started with an aerobird, but its the same concept. If you feel like your plane is spiraling to the ground DON'T immedieatly pull up on this stick! Make sure your wings are level THEN pull up on the stick.

I crashed my aerobird countless times before I caught on. If you pull back and your wings are not level and the plane is already heading south, its all over man. Glad I learned on cheap plane!:D

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

Two of the biggest things I've seen is asking for an instructor, and not listening (a student of mine does the that, "turn right" it keeps flying level right into the sun) and the second thing is buy a plane that they arent ready for, they make trainers for a reason

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

Taking my first lesson with an AMA instructor tomorrow - this was fantastic reading. I much appreciate you all taking the time to post answers to my fellow students request. Thanks!

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

It was already said here, but I would repeat: over controlling. Number one. I must confess - did that, almost cost me my trainer.
Two: yanking elevator on a take-off, thus stalling the plane... Bad!!!
Three: SIMULATOR IS NOT ENOUGH. Plus - no matter how much time you spent on a simulator - it is different on the field. I guess "reality chaeck" kicks in. Just getting this got feeling of flying (and potantially crashing) real plane is not the same as beeing on a simulator and an ability to "fix" your plane just by clicking couple of buttons.

Aside from that... Good luck and have lots of fun!!!!!

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

Hi All, Great advise/tips!! Which you do get here at RCU!!

When I started the biggest thing was control reversal, Which I corrected
pretty much on my second time up by slightly turning(me and transmitter)
in the same direction the plane is flying.. The second was "jerking" the
sticks, I was using just my thumbs at tops of sticks. So I went to the thumb
and finger, which completely made for better control.. And I would have to
say the next thing Was myself!!... When I made a bad/incorrect move I
would get too nervous/over thinking... Which was not good for me!! Calm
down!! If you can't while in the air, give control back to trainer and take
a break..
Make small stick movements.... Control the sticks from one movement to
the next, No tapping and releasing the sticks!! Remember, When you move
the sticks in a direction, You have to counter the same amount in the
opposition to get the plane back to level..

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

The safety related comments are good ones.

Limiting my answer to problems in the air, I see a number of things all the time (not all with the same person):

- Moving the sticks too far. Even on a trainer, you don't need much stick travel.
- Not letting the plane fly. Get the plane to straight and level flight, and let the plane fly. A lot of guys seem to think they have to constantly be moving the sticks at all times.
- "pulseing" the controls. The controls are proportional, not on-off, like a home video game. So, apply a small control imput, and HOLD IT. I see a lot of guys who want to "jab" a large control movement for a short period of time, or pulse it to try to do something. It doesn't work very well (if at all). Looks really funny on elevator though.
- over banking turns. Kinda like overcontrolling. But even guys who do everything else right frequently want to see the wings really banked over before they think it's enough to turn. You really don't need much bank.
- being able to tell when the plane is and is not "straight and level" It comes with a little practice, but some people really have trouble with this one.
- related to the one above, being able to tell if the plane is climbing or diving in certain situations, such as a turn, or flying towards you. It's incredibly common for new pilots to dive everytime they fly towards themselves.

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

Here's my list, when instructing.
1. Safety. I want the student to remain unscathed, and learn about frequency control while staying out of the prop arc. I want the student's plane out front where he can see it, and I don't want it to get too far away to see, because I want the student's plane to last beyond the instruction period.
2. Control. Yes, the control reversal thing, but I like to see gentle turns, appropriate control movement, and the plane on the desired path.
3. Okay, here's the most common control issue I have with students : applying too much throttle. Taxiing, I correct them when they're taxiing at lift-off speed. They usually don't repeat that one. In the air, at first, I direct them to give it one less or one more click of throttle. Then, when they have a couple of controls mastered, they want to fly fast. I find myself repeatedly advising the student to back off a few clicks on the throttle, to give them time to react. Only rarely have I seen students trying to fly too slowly. I have seen one solo and then repeatedly stall due to making a 45 degree bank while flying just about stall speed. Usually, though, throttle control is an issue, at some time during the training process.
4. Don't ignore the rudder. You can put it off until after some training, but you need to use it for more than steering on takeoff.

Good luck,
Dave Olson

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

Ah, how i L O V E this forum :). Knew this post was gonna get hot. Sweet, guys. Keep `em coming and this could be a "sticky" [8D]. Started looking for an instructor now. But it will be a month or so before the craft is airworthy. Yes, i know the sims are just that, simulators, but its good to get the basic reflexes in (might save the plane a couple of times, I hope). And to learn control reversal (damn, inverted controll reversal is hard. Good thing its just polygons that smashes to the ground :)). Using RealityCrafts lovely RC Plane Master and are having real fun. Cant wait to try the "real thing".

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

Here's one that is particularly important to me: Not learning from your mistakes. It's very easy when you cartwheel your brand new FW-190 on landing to get angry and just shut down. Keep your mind open, analyze what went wrong, and listen to the guys who saw you go in. In amongst the other "helpfull" observations there might be a jem of truth. Sure, a crash sucks, but walking away from it without learning anything is wasting the experience.

Oh yeah and big mistake number two is not having enough beer.
Or the beer not being cold enough.
Loosing sight of your airplane when you take a sip of beer.


Andy (beered up)

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

Overcorrecting.

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

Add: letting the airplane get too high, too far away, or waaaayyy downwind and then losing orientation. Fly two mistakes high but close enough to see what you're doing.


And tattoo this message on the inside of your eyelids:

QUOTE<Elevator controls SPEED and throttle controls ALTITUDE>END QUOTE

Only when you understand this will flying begin to make sense.

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

My biggest mistake was not going to the field to meet anyone. Our club has a website with all the contact info for instructors. I called the first one on the list and made an appointment. It turned out really bad and I had two crashed planes at the hand of that guy. One was a total loss including engine. I know this is probably very rare and not one of the most common mistakes new people make but anyway that was my experience and I think it would be wise to just go out to the field and ask people who a good instructor is. If I had done that, I would have had a smoother introduction to the hobby.

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

Biggest Mistake!!!!!! buying one of these darn things in the first place, worse than sticking a needle in your arm and more expensive too!!:D


Terry

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

One thing i forgot is that alot of people tend to dive the plane towards the ground, mainly on landings, when coming in you dont need to push the nose down to get it to drop, cut the power, it will just slowely drop in, like kdheath said, "Elevator controls SPEED and throttle controls ALTITUDE" and it will make for softer landings, and you will save $$$ on props

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

Remember to keep flying the plane no matter what happens!

The only time to break this rule is if you past safe and headed towards danger (people, parking lot, etc). In that case, plant it ASAP.

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

Don't set your TX under your exhaust. LOL! I actually drooled some castor on it.. luckily it didn't get inside.

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

Simulators are invaluable for building that orientation muscle memory. ALWAYS dial in a little wind to make it more realistic. Practice landing. again. again. again. again. At the field, be SMOOTH on the sticks, dont jerk em around, and remember that every plane will die someday.

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

One more thing.... BALANCE your plane. This includes correct C.G., lateral balance, balance prop, balance spinner. A balanced airplane is a great flying airplane that does what you expect it to do.

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

I have a link to post with a 'trainer's guide'. I found it on the internet, and it's been a great help with the flight simulator, and, it also helps me prepare for when I finally get some training, or solo without training out of frustration...

[link=http://www.palosrc.com/instructors/teachrc.htm]Instructor's Training Guide[/link]

OK, so I'm a newbie, and I've never flown yet, outside of RC Plane Master, but I've spent so much time on the sim that I feel like I've been doing it for years. I haven't had the joy of 'the shakes' yet, but I'm ready for it.

Now if only I could get someone at the local club to show some interest in training me. It's ok, cause once I get my AMA info, I'm going, and if no one is there to help me, I'm soloing the first time out. It costs a lot less to buy a new plane ARF, than to buy all that radio gear and engine (which may survive a crash while landing). I know how to control a plane really well thanks to the link above. Call me crazy, but I have $500 sitting on a stand in my house doing nothing, and it's not moved for a month and a half. I got so frustrated I was taxiing in my 30 x 30 back yard yesterday!

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

Have not seen this posted, but maybe I missed it.

Pay attention to which way the wind is blowing when you take off and land. I know this sounds silly, but I watched a guy trying to shoot landings and he was landing down wind.

I actually walked out near the flight line and listened to him talking to his spotter. I waited to butt in until I heard him say, "man I can't get it to slow down!"

I said you do realize that you're landing downwind right?
He actually said, that does not make that much of a difference.[X(]
I said, hey, humor me, try landing the other way just once, and I'll leave you alone.
He did...it did..he says" wow, thats a lot easier.

They point the carrier into the wind for a reason sunshine. :D

Tom

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

My mistake was trying to fly without any understanding about setup. The engine was tuned wrong, the control surfaces where not level, the CG was wrong, it made for a real handful to fly. Now I have a list of things to check;

1. Make sure the CG is balanced with nose down 1/2".
2. Make sure control surfaces are level. Use clothes pins and Popsicle sticks.
3. Make sure that the plane rolls straight with the rudder on neutral trim.
4. Make sure the engine idles smoothly and will transition back to full throttle without bogging.
5. Make sure the engine is not pointed to the left, should be 1* to the right.

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

These tips have probably already been passed on, but if not:

Get a sim and practise; you've done that
Get an instructor for a few flights
Don't over control
When at a safe height after takeoff, about 30', reduce power so that it's not difficult to keep up with
Establish how far our your plane is; depth perception is difficult at first
Practise, and don't fall into the trap of trying too much before you're ready. No shame in flying circuits and figure 8's for a while before lopps, rolls, etc
Listen to the experienced guys who watch you fly
Constantly assess and reassess your performance during and after flying; how can I improve?
Enjoy the hobby

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

Paying too much attention to all these tips about what to do when the plane's in the air ;)

Thus overlooking a thorough pre-flight including (but by no means limited to, I'm sure...I'm including 10, I'm sure others will add more) the following:

1) Control surfaces firmly installed, and move the entire range freely.
2) Landing gear bolts tightened and secure, landing gear roll freely. Tires in good repair.
3) All control horns and clevices/z-bends/other connectors secured to control surfaces, moving freely, and damage free.
4) All covering in good repair and taught.
5) Engine and engine mount secure, no wiggling or vibration.
6) All pushrods/pull-pull cables securely fastened to their respective servos, and servos in good repair. Check for stripped gears!
7) All fuel system lines secure, undamaged, properly routed.
8) Wing retainers (rubber bands, bolts, glue, whatever) secure, tight, and all there. :)
9) Battery(-ies) charged and tested under load.
10) Basic flight surface check with radio on. It's not enough to make sure they wiggle, make sure they wiggle THE RIGHT WAY.
10a) Is the bleeping radio set on the right model?? :)

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

When it came time for landings, my instructor showed me several times, but I don't ever remember him telling me to "FLAIR" the plane just before touchdown. After tearing the front gear out, then he reminds me to apply a little elevator.[:@]

Has this happened to anyone else?

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

Instructor not telling me to flair? No.

Me FORGETTING to flair and ripping gear out? Yep. :)

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

In our efforts to fly, some things sort of go with out saying. Remember that instructors have a big check list to go through as well while they are teaching. If you think you're nervous about crashing you're plane, how do you think he/she feels?

Fix it and go fly:D

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

I would have to say that I was way to confident with myself. Being like this is when things go wrong. I remember one time about 5 years ago when I was still flying my trainer, and I though, I'm good enough, and I brought it in for a 50 grit pass (in flying cirkus.com lingo/ 5 ft from the deck and draggin it) and I put the wrong input in

Anyways, I thought I was good, and I couldn't even remember which input to do, and inturn did the wrong thing. Luckly it was just the trainer.

Just always remember that when you think you can to more things, then you probably can. Be able to completly fly wherever you want to pinpoint accuracy.

Good luck with your flying.

~Michael~

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

I would have to say that I was way to confident with myself. Being like this is when things go wrong. I remember one time about 5 years ago when I was still flying my trainer, and I though, I'm good enough, and I brought it in for a 50 grit pass (in flying cirkus.com lingo/ 5 ft from the deck and draggin it) and I put the wrong input in

Anyways, I thought I was good, and I couldn't even remember which input to do, and inturn did the wrong thing. Luckly it was just the trainer.

Just always remember that when you think you can to more things, then you probably can. Be able to completly fly wherever you want to pinpoint accuracy.

Good luck with your flying.

~Michael~

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

Check your RX battery before EVERY flight and trickle charge between flights.

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
 

Biggest mistake by beginners? Hard to narrow it down to only one. But I have seen alot of airplanes crashed because the pilot flys out of easy visual range and can't tell which way he is going. The end result is usually a spiral dive and a long walk to pick-up pieces.

However, here is the solution that can save your bacon.

The reason the plane ends up in the death spiral is because you are holding both up elevator and aileron without knowing WHICH direction to hold the aileron.

So what to do?

Quickly release the controls, then apply enough elevator only to start the airplane looping. As long as you don't touch the ailerons, the airplane will start doing multiple loops, while only losing a small amount of altitude with each loop. After 3 or 4 loops, you should have a pretty good idea of the correct orientation, and then you can release the elevator when the airplane is climbing, and regain control with the correct aileron input.

Next time you are out flying, try it up close and high enough for any mistakes you might make. Once you see how well it works, you need not fear the accidental sprial dive.