Everybody run and hide!!!
 

Just got off the phone with the guy I got my plane from.

We're headed to the field and he's gonna show me just how different the real thing is from the sim.

Beautiful day here in Des Moines, no wind, almost 70 degrees, slightly cloudy....

Got bubbagates' checklists printed out and everything's ready to go.

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

Excellent!!!:D

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

Fastsky Great pic!!

Wraith,
Good luck man! letus know how it goes!

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

Good luck. Don't do anything u dont feel comfy with

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

Did fine once I got over the shakes.

We did six flights, I think. My friend/instructor did the take offs, got it up to altitude and handed me the controls. From racing cars and flying the sim, I already knew not to "yank and bank", so no real suprises there.

He had me doing right-hand ovals over the field and got to the point where he told me that if I was comfortable with right turns to go ahead and start some left turns. I went to change my pattern over to left hand turns, and It happened. I don't know if I was getting out of range or what, but the radio glitched and the plane nosed over and headed for the ground. After I wet myself, I though "great, let's see if we still have control". I pulled back on the stick, expecting nothing, and the plane pulled out of it. As it turns out, my first aerobatic maneuver, unintentionally, was an immelman. Got it headed back in the right direction and continued my circles. All of this happened in about the space of 10 seconds. He was still reaching for the radio and I had it recovered. :D After that I started throwing in the occasional roll on the "straightaways" of my ovals. Last flight of the day, I was taxiing around on the ground, looked over at him and said, "Which way do I take-off?" His response was, "If you feel like you're ready, that way>". Wasn't the prettiest take off I've ever seen, but I got it in the air and it stayed there. Still didn't have the cajones to land though. I let him do that.

I now understand why they call this an addiction, not a hobby.

Pucker factor for the day 8/10. [8D]

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

Wraith,

Welcome to the Dark Side. I am only a week or so ahead of you. Did my first landings on Monday and have practiced them every-day since. I am on a business trip for the next 3 days, including Sunday. I have already looked up all the clubs on my route and plan to get a lesson from at least one while I am gone. (I keep an old trainer in my truck, along with my Tx, a field charger, my field box and my buddy-box).

Sad,....but I am hooked!! Just wait until you get that feeling of accomplishment you get from bringing it down in one piece. Landing is hard, but very do-able. I need lots of practice and you will too, but trust me it pays off. I can't wait to practice landings again, and you will be there soon!!

Good Luck and happy flying!!

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

Your in for it now!!! ($$$$$$$$$$). Remember, the more models, the better!!!!!

Dave...

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

I'll pass the same advice given to me a year ago.........go to your local hobby shop and introduce yourself to the man who you'll be giving all your dispensable income to. (and even non-dispensable funds).

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

I know, I know...

Already decided I want either a 4*60 or a BTE Venture for my next plane and then we got to discussing warbards and giant scale planes... That's alright. I'll have my bachelor's in about two years. I managed to find about $3000.00 to tie up in my cars and I didn't have a degree and was married...

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

Already did that.
Got my field box, Tx and Rx batteries and first gallon of fuel from him Monday. One of the owners of the shop helped me out, looked over the plane, gave me a few pointers, helped me carry everything back out to the car and said, "I'll probably see you at the field someday." He showed up about an hour after I did. Helluva nice guy.

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

Glad to see you had a good day. Welcome to the madness. Also nice to see your LHS guy actually flies, mine doesn't have a clue. Work with the trainer and get real good with it before moving on, don't rush. :)

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

Re: "Work with the trainer and get real good with it before moving on, don't rush." < Ya, I'll second that. Once you solo. Fly the heck out of your trainer. Learn how to fly it in windy conditions. When your flying has become automatic and can fly it with no surprizes without having to think about what you are doing. Then its time to move on to another plane. Not before. :D

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

Congrats, I was waiting on your response. Thats awsome you took off. They are harder then they seem. Another thing to also remember is to also never pulll back too much on takeoff like i did.

Have a good day
Chad

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

And if you do pull back too far, it's even more important not to push forward too far to get the nose back down. The ground will be waiting for you.

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

Good advice bruse :)

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

Hehe... :D

I ain't got a trainer. I'm learning on a taildragger Sig Midstar 40 with an OS .40LA turning a 10x6 prop.
Once I'm comfortable with it, it's getting an engine with more balls...er ball bearings, yeah, that's it....

Right now, it's nice and slow and composed and just about perfect to learn on.

Here it is, next to my monster truck w/blown tranny...

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

I got news for you. If you are learning on it, it IS a trainer.

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

Point taken.

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

Admittedly it is not your typical trainer class plane and you seem to be doing well. Just be a bit cautious for a while so it doesn't turn into a pile of sticks too soon. :) We all just want you to succeed.

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

Yeah. When I decided to try taking off, I figured I was going home with a bag of toothpicks. I throttled up, it slewed to the left, I overcorrected to the right, finally got it straightened out and airborne. The right wingtip cleared an orange traffic cone sitting at the end of the field by about 3 inches. I knew better than to try it, but I got cocky...

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

Not unusual for a first take off with a tail dragger, no wait, actually it is. Most new guys end up ground looping first try, so you did pretty well. :D

Just be sure to have your instructor teach you some rudder on landing before you solo and you'll do well. ;)
Dennis-

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

Okay, I've heard the term several times, but can't figure it out. What's a "ground loop"?

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

I think it is either
A) where you do loops on the ground or
B) where you go take off stright into a loop.

Most likely a

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

I got a trainter about 4 months ago and I had a h3!! of a time getting going. I have a buddy that is a experienced flyer and we couldent get the stupid eveloution .40 engine to run for crap. so we straped a os .46 to the arrow I think it was. long story short I crashed it after about 20 min and there it sits as a pile of tooth picks. Hope to get back going soon tho.

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

A word of advice if I may...

Listen to these guys, they know what they're talking about.

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

Someone that doesn't do the RC thing would think that flying airplanes would be more expensive than driving RC cars. With all the crashed planes and all. My experience is.... I have 4 planes that are all sitting there ready to take to the field and fly. My monster truck on the other hand, is sitting there broken waiting to be fixed. RC cars take a lot more abuse than planes and cost so much more because of broken parts. I have more money in my monster truck than any of my planes and it's sitting there collecting dust. Flying is the way for me!!

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

Okay, I've heard the term several times, but can't figure it out. What's a "ground loop"?
[/quote]

Any one else want to try and define a ground loop? or did newbtorc get it right

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

A ground loop is just an uncontroled horizontal loop, also known as a circle. No altitude is necessary but fortunatly damage does not always acompany the mistake.

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

A ground loop is driving around in a circle although you didn't intend to do so. This maneuver may be executed either on takeoff or landing. The maneuver may be terminated by striking a fixed object hereafter known as a crash or by reducing power and trying again (takeoff version). Most ground loops are followed by laughter from all witnesses and ribbing from the peanut gallery for about 1 hour (minimum). As long as no damage is done, all will eventually be OK. This is actually a common maneuver but it is awarded no points in any competition that I know of and does not appear in the Aresti system.:D

RE: Everybody run and hide!!!
 

mittimj- first off, if the plane you are talking about is the Great Planes Arrow it is a good trainer. Also the Evolution is a good motor although you could always have gotten a bad apple. You said your friend is experienced, how much experience and is he an instructor? There is a difference. Did he have you flying with a buddy box? Please give some details of your crash IF you would like some advice. ;)