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RE: Rant about getting started
Supercubfanatic, there's some very good advice that has been given you here. I would also like to add, those of us that come to this forum and try to help new flyers like you, do so on our own time also, because we love to fly, and like to see others get the same enjoyment that we do.
ALL of us want to see you succeed, so welcome aboard! That being said, I would like to make a few suggestions of my own. First off, take a look at your screen name. That right there is your best option right now as far as flying goes. You already said you have a Super Cub, right? I think that plane would be your best option right now, considering your limited budget. Reason being, you already have the plane, you don't need to worry about buying fuel or learning to tune it (plenty of time for that once you learn to fly), and it is fairly easy to learn on. If you damage it, a bit of glue and tape will usually get it back up in the air pretty quick. The main thing to remember with that plane is that it's very light, and needs to be taken off and landed directly into the wind when you're first learning to fly it. Second, a few of the other posters mentioned simulators. Although a simulator by itself won't teach you how to fly, it certainly will go a long way to helping you get used to learn directional flight, especially orientation when flying towards you. You might even be able to make friends with some of the pilots at the field that will be willing to help you also, doesn't always have to be a club trainer. I help people at my field from time to time. As far as buying RTF's, some are VERY good, and if you tried to build a plane, electronics, motor, and all would cost much more than the RTF kit in most cases. Keep at it, and once you find an instructor you click with, you'll get it. Good luck, and happy flying!!!!!!!! |
RE: Rant about getting started
is there or should there be someplace where these good instrutors can be reconized for their efforts? the guy who taught me and others goes way out of his way, besides the weekly set time for training, you may get a call anytime during the week to go flying
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RE: Rant about getting started
A lot of good advice here, not just for SuperCubFanatic.
I am going to agree with the simulator. Yes it is close to actually flying, but what you need to focus on the sim is instinctual stick movements. IE not think about what to do if the plane is in a certain position relative to you. Going away, coming at, inverted or whatever. Instinctive reactions is what you want out of the sim. Don't always fly it like a video game. I try to avoid the infamous red button, it doesn't werk at the field!:) I started on the RF 4.5, then went to a Fly Zone 182. That plane should not have the name trainer on it! Still is the worst flying plane I have had. It was the simulator that kept the crashes to a minimum. Yes your gonna crash. Its how you get back up in the air. After the PMO moment, when you get her back in the air there is a sense of pride that you did it, but your not too concerned with crashing it again. Weird, I know, but true. Kinda stress relieving. For the folk who don't take you serious, don't take them serious. You sound tenacious, a good virtue in this hobby. Those folk sound like they forgot where they got their start. Its giving back to the "next gen" and helping out that makes r/c people a unique breed in todays world. |
RE: Rant about getting started
An interesting series of messages, and especially a nice story from Dale.<div></div><div>My advice to beginners is to do what is right for you so that you can enjoy flying. It's really fun and that's what this is about. Different people learn in different ways, and so if there's a recommendation above that sounds like it will work for you, go for it. If you read a recommendation that sounds like the exact opposite of what you wanted to hear, move on to the next one.</div><div></div><div>At the end of the day, it's about desire. If you think it's fun and stick with it you will find your way. I have been flying for a mere four months, almost completely self-taught, mostly on the fabulous Supercub. I have the wherewithal to repair or replace the crashed ones, and they do break but they can (usually) be fixed. Some others may not be able or willing to do that. With that time under my belt, mostly just on weekends, I have now traded up to a P-51D, the Parkzone model with the brushless motor and the BNF feature. I have had it two weeks, have already replaced the fuselage, and had to do a fair amount of gluing, but I've also had some really fun flights. I'm getting the hang of it. Never been in a club but I do get some occasional advice from others who show up at the park.</div><div></div><div>Stick with it, and have fun with it. See ya in the sky.</div>
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RE: Rant about getting started
I am sorry to say but despite what everyone else on here says your experience is typical and happens more often then not and probably more often then it should, many times people will preech GET AN INSTRUCTOR OR JOIN A CLUB but its those same people that don't realize its easier said then done, people are not as willing to help a newcomer as everyone would like to believe clubs included , then you have clubs wondering why there not attracting new members Hmm ? I wonder ? as far as the poster that said don't blame the instructor I'm sorry to say but yes he should , as an instructor yes you volunteer to help but what are you volunteering for if you don't help ? or at least follow through with trying to assist , is it for the title of instructor ? sorry but I had asked for and sought out instruction from many people and was blown off my almost everyone I asked , as stated they were always to busy with there own planes and own flying to be bothered by me, its really sad because we have a wonderful hobby but its not always roses and rose pedals starting out, hope you stick with it anyway the payoff is worth it !
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RE: Rant about getting started
supercubfanatic. I think you should try to get into control line. No equipment at the LHS, and no one there who knows anything. No nearby club, no place to fly. That will help you feel better about your RC experience. i'm just kidding, of course.
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RE: Rant about getting started
One thing you mentioned that I am going to address openly and directly is your personality. Judging from your posts and the fact that you are asking questions here, you are probably a sincere but very impatient young man. You have been raised in a different era than the some of the guys that are trying to instruct you and they may not have the patience to deal with some of the differences. For instance, if you are in the habit of butting in while being told something or you get excited and don't hear or listen to what you've been told, it can be very annoying to some folks from older generations who are not accustomed to dealing with it. In fact it's annoying to some one from any generation.
Take myself for example. I was raised by very strict grandparents. When my grandad was teaching me how to take apart a lawnmower engine or cut a piece of metal on a lathe, there was a time for listening and a time for asking questions and he let me know which was which. If I just butted in with a question or objection while he was in the middle explaining something, it didn't take long for him to loose his patience, and that usually meant a smacking. If this sounds like you, then you need to make a mental effort to think before you speak and make sure your instructor is finished speaking before you do. Just a thought. ;) |
RE: Rant about getting started
Wannacub, find another club. Our club never turns anybody down.
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RE: Rant about getting started
Lots of good advice here . First thing as stated in other posts flight simulator . Your Nexstar should have came with a flight sim , mine did and I used it exstensivly . After that I found a club where their instructor would be on the days I could fly . Not all instructors are the same they are just people who would like to try to help , some are good some are great , all are just human . If you can not get the help you need , you need to ask yourself why , is the problem me or them ,be realistic . If you really don't believe it is a problem with you then you need to find someone who will help you .
Your Nexstar is by far a reliable and an excellent trainer as is the Super cub in my opinion I have recommended the Super Cub several times and I have helped the ones who asked for help . Without help you will no doubt crash . I suggest you do another post right here for someone to help a new pilot in your hometown , I'll bet someone will step up .l |
RE: Rant about getting started
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RE: Rant about getting started
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ORIGINAL: Herb Calvin Wannacub, find another club. Our club never turns anybody down. This is how it should be done... |
RE: Rant about getting started
As touched on by others, the student's attitude is key in getting started. You have to be patient, and you have to treat your instructor as a man doing you a favor on his own time because that's what he is. What I have seen as an instructor and in many posts here on RCU is beginners thinking they should recieve the same kind of service that a business offers. Some even come with no equipment of their own and get annoyed if they have to wait to use someone else's stuff. If you are paying for instruction, then yes, the teachers should jump when you get to the field and work around your schedule and have everything ready when you get there. But if you're not paying, anything beyond pointing to where the field is and saying, "Good luck" is a favor that another flyer did for you out of his own hobby time.
If you will approach the instructors with an appreciative and considerate attitude and ask for, not expect help, you will do fine. Giving some kind of gratuity or doing some other favor for your instructor is a good move too, as it shows that you understand that he did you a favor. How about offering to mow a guy's lawn if he will come out for a couple of hours with you at the field on a Saturday? Only a jerk would require such things, but if you take the initiative to show an instructor that you are serious and are willing to make sacrifices to get into the hobby, you'll find that help comes much more easily. |
RE: Rant about getting started
I remember when I first approached the guys who helped me. I was very humble when I asked for their help. There is also a feeling on the guys who might be helping you that they don't want to help you crash your airplane. I know when I fly my planes, I'm familiar with how they fly. Somebody approaching me with their plane I'm never 100% sure. A good going over is definitely in order. I know mine was scrutinized.
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RE: Rant about getting started
I'd put the Devil himself on the box if he'd mow my yard.
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RE: Rant about getting started
yeah really. If a kid approached me and would mow the lawn, heck I'd supply the plane.
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RE: Rant about getting started
And the engine, radio, fuel, props...
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RE: Rant about getting started
Dang, we don't have yards here!! I flew at several different clubs in Calif. and at all of them you could get instructions. We never had any single instructor or a title for them. Before I started instructing if someone asked I would point them to someone that did instruct. I only know one fellow that became one of the AMA instructors and he was a total butthead. I have met one fellow here in vegas that charges for instructions, $75.00 an hour!! Nice enough guy but he is one of those Vegas hustler types you see on TV, everything he does has to make him a buck. He wasn't thrilled with me when I started teaching for free at the same field. There were also posters taped up on the pillers from other people trying to find customers for flight instructions. Funny thing is, someone taught these people to fly and you can be sure they didn't pay for the lessons. Some people have no shame or feel they need to give some pay back.
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RE: Rant about getting started
I was once in Supercubs same position...it's been 14 years, but I can remember....in fact I was in middle school too.
Enough with the instructor martydom. I'm an instructor too, a 26 year old instructor. I understand how 10,12,16 year old kids are. They are my cousins, my sibilings, my neighbors, kids at the flying field. I identify their personality shortcomings....for them....and it goes a lot further than just throwing my arms up and walking away. I teach people to fly cause I like teaching people to fly. Not cause I owe anyone anything, or because I want to be sought after, or put myself on a pedestal. A kid's attitude is his own problem. If he can listen, and get the thumb work done....he's all good. I don't care whether or not he has character traits of those raised in bygone generations. He comes on here, tells his story....and some of the bogus responses..man. Cut the kid a break. If he was so cocky and had such a crappy attitude he wouldn't have written about his woes at all. He should be able to say he didn't like his flight instructor without being shot down. Man....there are a lot of crabs in RC Flying. I'm glad the only thing I ever ask for at the field anymore is when someone's going to be done with a frequency. EDIT: Ohh...and I wouldn't be caught dead charging someone money to teach them how to fly a model plane. |
RE: Rant about getting started
Yeah, that's it, I'm a crab.
I think all the earlier responses were made in good nature and not to put anybody down. The responses made were only to illustrated how negative things can affect a possible trainer. JMHO |
RE: Rant about getting started
A bit off topic but related is the issue that just came up about being paid. I was taught for free and charge the same that I paid. But I do so on my time and around my schedule. If a guy were to want professional service, like say all day Saturday and on Sunday afternoon on his schedule and using my equipment, then I would expect payment for it. A guy could easily be ready to solo in two weekends of that, so if his time is valuable then a couple hundred dollars would be a worthwhile investment to have an instructors attention for as long as he wants it. For those who don't want to pay, it's Thursday afternoons until dark, waiting in line for whoever can help you on that day.
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RE: Rant about getting started
ORIGINAL: Tom Nied Yeah, that's it, I'm a crab. I think all the earlier responses were made in good nature and not to put anybody down. The responses made were only to illustrated how negative things can affect a possible trainer. JMHO This hobby needs new, young faces. That's why I go out of my way to be good to people thinking about, or attempting RC flying. In the next 15 years..75% of the people at the field are going to be dead. |
RE: Rant about getting started
This Hobby is fun, exciting and rewarding, but most importantly You get out of it what you put In
I for Instance chose electric Parkflyers to start with. I race Nitro Cars, Own a Hobby Shop, so have everything at my fingertips, But to start out in Nitro planes seemed like to Much for me I am newly hook at Flying again and can relate for sure Get out and purchase a park flyer, a Super Cub or something like that, learn the basics, have a blast, and then move forward with Full aileron Planes Just a few thoughts for ya buddy Stav |
RE: Rant about getting started
I wonder what happend to the OP
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RE: Rant about getting started
ORIGINAL: supercubfanatic Roughly three years ago I purchased a Parkzone Super Decathlon RTF from my local hobby store. After unsuccessfully trying to fly the plane 2-3 times with minor crashes, I ended up breaking the fuselage where the landing gear attached to it. I was advised by the hobby store to purchase a new 70 dollar fuselage altogether. I was very young (in middle school) at the time and was too naive to realize that I could have fixed the the problem with some balsa wood and epoxy. Likewise, I did not maintain a salary that could pay for such a repair. Approximately one year later I purchased (from a different hobby store) a hobbyzone Super Cub RTF. It was about then I joined RC Universe, hence my user name. The Super Cub was flown more successfully than the Super Decathlon though i never flew it without a crash occuring at some point. Furthermore, the battery did not seem to charge properly which limited flight time. At some point I visited my local flying club field. Club members seemed helpful enough. I ended up joining the AMA as well as the club. I was advised, much to my dismay(due to price), that it was necessary for me to purchase a .40- .60 size nitro trainer aircraft among other things. I purchased a hobbico nexstar. For about 3 months I eagerly participated in club events, meetings, etc. I even went so far as to attend a class the club held at my community center regarding the building of an ARF aircraft. However, within those three months, I barely recieved any flight instruction. Whenever I visited the field something prevented me from flying. Overall, I recieved less than an hours instruction total on how to fly the nexstar. The nexstar itself was an unreliable plane. The wing had trouble being fascened to the fuselage and in some instances it had trouble starting. Instructors in the club either seemed too busy to help me or simply did not have the correct budy box cord to connect to my controller. Most club officers and members SEEMED willing to help me out, but very few were ACTUALLY willing to lend me a hand. The one instructor who ''took the time'' to help me was intimidating and by my standards a poor teacher. After the three month period, I simply stopped visiting the flying field and going to meetings. Two moinths ago i decided to give flying yet another try. This time I contemplated joining a smaller club that advertised as being ''beginner friendly'' I came to a meeting and met an interesting flight instructor who SEEMED willing to help me fly.I emailed him about making an appointment to begin training again. Aparently he was busy on weekends. My ''job'' as a student hinders the ability for me to visit a flying field during a week day. The instructor said that he would email other club instructors stating that I needed instruction. I however recieved no emails since. I've also visited the flying field several times only to find that no instructors were present. I therefore gave up on learning to fly the nexstar a second time. I will apologize if this story has wasted your time. My actual question poses whether or not an e-flite Piper L-4 or Beachcraft 450 (ARF's) would make for good ''park flyer'' beginer planes. It seems as though my age( or lack there of), schedule, and perhaps personality have wrecked my previous flying carreers. Other than answering my question, any feedback in regards to my story would be appreciated. Thanks. |
RE: Rant about getting started
ORIGINAL: rgm762 is there or should there be someplace where these good instrutors can be reconized for their efforts? Christmas is coming....and the goose is getting nervous. |
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