RE: learning without an instructor
 

DustOffUH1: Man thats wierd. Are you hacking my login
and password. It done it to joe too. Maybe you too
are teamed up on me and hacking the heck out of me. LOL

Just joking: Its wierd though. ;)

RE: learning without an instructor
 

DustOff, sign off the forum and come back in. That will take care of it.

RE: learning without an instructor
 

I should be OK now. I cleaned out all my cookies and signed back on. That was weird. I was thinking about it and thought, maybe I hit edit instead, but then it shouldn't let you edit someone elses post. AAAnyway, I hope I'm back as myself, no offense Randy ;)
Joe

RE: learning without an instructor
 

If an instructor is necessary who taught Walt Good?

(I assume y'all know who mr. Good was.[8D])

RE: learning without an instructor
 

Afraid I don't know of Mr. Good.

RE: learning without an instructor
 

Me either.....[&:]

RE: learning without an instructor
 

Walt Good is the person responsible for bringing this wonderful hobby to the rest of us. Basically the father of R/C airplanes.

[link=http://www.modelaircraft.org/templates/ama/waltgood.asp]Walt Good[/link]

RE: learning without an instructor
 

Is that the dude in in the article in the jan issue of AMA?

RE: learning without an instructor
 

dont know, I dont have the jan issue

RE: learning without an instructor
 

delete

RE: learning without an instructor
 

You ask what can go wrong?
1st an foremost your safety and those that are with you when something does go wrong.
Incorrect balance of a new airplane.
Building errors.
Cheap arfs that have just barely enough glue to hold the engine mount in place.
Control throws setup backwards.
I have witnessed antennas coiled up left inside airplanes.
Not enough or not the correct type of rubber bands on the wing at takeoff.
Panic when a student 1st starts out in that they apply full input of the sticks or the give it more of what the airplane doesnt need in direction.
Pilot gets disoriented in flight and freezes to watch their airplane become rekitted.
Flying towards you inputs.

You can fly for months without a mishap on the flight sims, but if the controls are not setup similar to how a RC operates then the flight sims are NO GOOD. In order for a flight sim to have any merrit it has to be setup by a experienced pilot then an only then is the flight sim of any value.

Too many new pilots have come an gone away from this hobby discoureged because they tried it alone an failed because they did not seek advice.

There are too many varables that have to be in place in order for someone to make it on their own.

The only reason that we STRESS to get HELP is that we don't want to see you fail because you did not prepare before hand.

If you truley want to get into this hobby then start out at the correct point so that you can get to SOLO status.

This is not a self taught hobby! Grant it some have made it past the earlie stages but ask them what they have had to go through before they made it.

Safety can't be stressed enough, our airplanes are not toys!

Ask your self honestly, with the investment that I have made to get a complete airplane setup and have everything that is needed to fly, am I 100% confident in everything that has been done in preparation to fly this new airplane.
Are you willing to take the chance to try it ALONE.
If you do what is the worst thing that can happen!
You could hurt yourself or someone close to you.
You could lose your entire setup.

Just food for thought :-)

http://www.rcwebboard.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7488

RE: learning without an instructor
 

I tried learning w/o an instructor. Not because one was not available but because I am stubborn. It took me an entire year of pure suffering (crash after crash after crash) before I decided to do away with pride. I called the local club ans was flying in weeks!!!

RE: learning without an instructor
 

I'm so very proud of you Pocho! :D

RE: learning without an instructor
 

wanna know what could happen?

take a car now lets say you have never driven b4, you are goin 60 down the highway... see a problem? i 3rd, 4th whatever the electric idea or at least a LARGE field with a spad (cheap and tough) and a rather small one so that the parts are cheap incase you burry the engine and trash teh engine in the process. i only read the first page so thaever is restated, well there ya go, one more person conferming it.

also, plaens are VERY dangerous, you have explosive chemicals and a blade with a tip velocity of somthing outragious like 4kfeet a minut or somthing. if you do somthign dumb and dont have AMA they you my friend are what we like to call SOL (*sold* outa luck;))

i encourage you to fly, its a great hobby with many rewarding aspects such as a new protective layer of CA on your hands as well as a friendly note every now and then from the bank, but in all a blast and a great thing to teach your kids someday. (and maybe, just many they may say "oh cool!" and you just toped every computer game on earth just liek that:D

the first reply was WAY off base this is a beginners fourum and if you dont want to help ppl the WTH are you here??? (why the *heck*)
just my 2 cents GET AMA its not worth pocketing the bill after you pile drive your plane into your neighbors car, or worse, your neighbor (unless you dont like him, then you may be contend till the lawsuit/med bil larives then again you are SOL. what is ama, liek 75 dollars? thats well worth it just for the peace of mind.

RE: learning without an instructor
 

Who taught Walt Good:

He taught himself... It wasn't always pretty either.

His initial R/C aircraft were essentially Free Flight designs with small control surface to allow the plane to be guided slightly. The Radio equipment was expected to fail, so the plane was designed to be able to stay in the air with worst case stuck controls. Even that didn't help every time, he broke a bunch of models.

Its kind of like asking who taught Sikorski to fly a helicopter. Read up on how he taught himself. If it was filmed and shown today... Amercias Funniest Videos would want it.

RE: learning without an instructor
 

[8D]Hey troyp

Get a trainer with the biggest wing you can find make sure you follow all instructions to a tee and understand them, make sure you tune it ie- start it, tune it for top end then lift it straight up and it should hold a constant rpm if not tune it tell it does usually richer next taxi it around you field for a couple tanks then sit back and study what you have just done and learned and quit shaking at the knees:D now when your ready get it up in the air flying about 75ft or so now slow the thottle to about 3\8 and you will be going in a 300ft radius circle keep your alltitude though because this will save you when or if you get in a bind now slow it down tell it is just above a stall and if I know where you are you have ample open spaces so you can bring it down just about anywhere even if your in a pickle and have a rough landing the slower you are going the less damage if any will occur and don't be afraid of killing your engine if you have a problem a good trainer will glide for a long ways and they are hard to stall and make sure it stays close as you can until you get used of it and the more flights you put on the less you will shake.. keep your imput to your ailerons just enough to keep level on approach
Good luck and enjoy this hobby it will last a life time:D[8D]
Don't listen to rcpilot he seems to have a personal problem:D of sorts[:-]

RE: Go for it!!
 

:( must be a good shrink cruisin rcu
you should post a I need HELP ad[:o]
but thats just my 2cents[X(]

RE: learning without an instructor
 

After reading all this let me just say one thing.....MY first flight was without an instructor, i've simulator time, and i have expierence with RC cars so i know control reversal wen it come torwards you. I took off, flew the damn thing, di freakin loops and rolls, then landed it safely! my first flight no expierence. After that I got a new trainer cause the one i had was given to me and crappy, and joined a club and learned to fly and soloed after only 5 flights. If its in you, its in you. I love this sorta stuff and its my thing, i just finished school at east coast aerotech and graduated with high honors. Aircraft are my love and soon after my FAA tests, my livleyhood. Good for you man if you think you can do it, i did it and i succeeded. dont worry about what some these sarcastic @$$holes have to say, it can be done.
I started with some taxing, then high speed taxing, then i would get up to flight speed get off the ground then chop the throttle and land while going straight. after doing that for a while i took off and gained ome altitude and had som fun, then i brought it in. your first landing keep it a little fast and chop the throttle just above the ground and let the plane settle itself in. ou can do it, but if you crash you will be out plane, so be prepared to make repairs/buy more planes. good luck man!!

sean

RE: learning without an instructor
 

i learned to fly own my own after about 5 planes worst part is getting it to gether long enough to trim the plane to fly hands off in a streight line . after wards it will give you a little time to think after awhile you can doit without thinking then your a rc o\pilot then you hone your skill to a ace rc pilot like me:D

RE: learning without an instructor
 

My biggest problem with going to a club and learning to fly is that it is very expensive. I first have to join the club, which is somewhere around $50. Then I have to join AMA, which is not cheap either. All of this to have someone watch me when I fly and make sure I dont do anything stupid. I have a large field by my house and that is where I will fly, not at the club. I just wish I could pay someone $20 or something like that to help me improve my skills. R/C is such an expensive hobby.[8D]