Saga of a newbie
06-25-2003 | 08:06 PM
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From: Henderson, NV,
Saga of a newbie
The saga of a newbie:
In April of this year, I happened to stop by the local R/C field (Bennett field) in Las Vegas. Being an ex-control line flyer, the sounds and smells of nitro, castor and two strokes brought back fond memories of lost weekends. As I stood at the fence line watching, one of the flyers landed the biggest “model” I’d ever seen. Much to my surprise, after he shut it down, he pushed it to his pit location right in front of me. Not being a bashful person, I leaned over the fence and asked “How does a person get started in R/C?” His reply? “Come around to this side of the fence and I’ll show you.”
After getting around to his side of the world, I introduced myself and learned that his name was Tim and that the “model” he was flying was a 40% Extra. After chatting awhile about the plane (the engine is three times the size of what my old Honda motorcycle had), he asked if I wanted to give it a try. After Tim clarified that the offer involved his trainer, my heart settled down and I said I would really appreciate the opportunity. In the next few minutes, I received a quick but comprehensive short course on the fundamentals of R/C flight, including things like “I’ll say push elevator, not give it down elevator” and “don’t worry, I can recover from anything you create”. The next couple of hours were spent on a buddy box flying Tim’s Global Right Flyer 60.
To make a long story short, this encounter led to my becoming bitten by the bug. Tim believed I could bypass a traditional flat bottom trainer and suggested a Stik of one type or another. With Tim’s guidance, much research through magazines, web sites, and most of all through the bazillion posts here on RCU, I decided to take the plunge and ordered a GP Big Stik 60 to go along with the 6XA and ST 61 that Tim had “sitting around” and offered to sell me at what I am now sure should be labeled theft on my part. Time passes, the ARF arrives and I spend the next few evenings between my house and Tim’s house getting everything put together. All my earth shattering newbie questions, what ifs, how do I’s, etc. were taken in stride by Tim, and eventually all was in readiness to go the field. By this time my AMA card had arrived, and I was excited.
The big day arrives and I met Tim at the field. After getting everything unpacked (I have a small car, and the wing of the Stik goes from the hatch back to the front seat split), put together, fueled, etc., Tim goes through the throws, programs the radio and does a range check. All is well, he says; let’s get this thing in the air. Buddy box ready, glow starter in hand, chicken stick at the ready and one flip and the ST fires right up. Do a ground run-up, taxi check and finally inform the other pilots “coming out”. Out through the pits onto the runway. Taxi downwind, turn, line it up, punch the throttle and off the Stik goes. Gentle climbing 180 to get into traffic, Tim dials in a few clicks here and there for trim and then asks “Ready?” A nervous “Yyyyeeeaaahhh???”, and he says “it’s yours”. Fingers shaking, palms sweating, heart racing I drive the Stik around the sky in big circles trying to stay several mistakes high. After a few minutes, we decide it’s time to bring it back, and Tim swings it around in a big descending turn, floats it onto the runway and makes a perfect landing.
Time marches on, and I get to the field as often as possible with Tim. My thumbs start to be proactive instead of reactive, I finally make decent low level landing approaches and fly-bys and eventually I get the Stik back on the ground without Tim’s help – cost me four props to learn, but I finally got it. After about 20 buddy box flights, the last few with Tim not having to “take it” once, I’m ready to go again, and he says – go do it yourself, you’re ready. Now the palms aren’t just sweaty, they make a huge dent in curing the drought in Nevada. The heart is just racing, the turbo is whining.
Fuel it, check the batteries in RX and TX, check the throw, stand behind and check all surfaces, attach glow starter and fire it up. Damn, it started! Now I’m really in trouble – no excuses not to go. Taxi out, downwind to end of runway, line it up, take a deep breath and advance the throttle. Down it rolls, pull a little elevator and lift-off! Gentle bank into pattern, gain LOTS of altitude, drive around for ten minutes, get back in the pattern, drag it around the final approach turn, cut throttle over the end of the runway, bounce three times, taxi back to pit entrance, kill the engine, pull the plane into the grass and FALL DOWN AND COLLAPSE WITH RELIEF. I SOLOED!!!!
I realize this is a long post, but hopefully it will give other newbies the ambition to get into this hobby as well as encourage all of the long timers to pass on their knowledge.
To Tim: Thanks doesn’t begin to cover it! I only hope I can be the same type of mentor to someone else.
In April of this year, I happened to stop by the local R/C field (Bennett field) in Las Vegas. Being an ex-control line flyer, the sounds and smells of nitro, castor and two strokes brought back fond memories of lost weekends. As I stood at the fence line watching, one of the flyers landed the biggest “model” I’d ever seen. Much to my surprise, after he shut it down, he pushed it to his pit location right in front of me. Not being a bashful person, I leaned over the fence and asked “How does a person get started in R/C?” His reply? “Come around to this side of the fence and I’ll show you.”
After getting around to his side of the world, I introduced myself and learned that his name was Tim and that the “model” he was flying was a 40% Extra. After chatting awhile about the plane (the engine is three times the size of what my old Honda motorcycle had), he asked if I wanted to give it a try. After Tim clarified that the offer involved his trainer, my heart settled down and I said I would really appreciate the opportunity. In the next few minutes, I received a quick but comprehensive short course on the fundamentals of R/C flight, including things like “I’ll say push elevator, not give it down elevator” and “don’t worry, I can recover from anything you create”. The next couple of hours were spent on a buddy box flying Tim’s Global Right Flyer 60.
To make a long story short, this encounter led to my becoming bitten by the bug. Tim believed I could bypass a traditional flat bottom trainer and suggested a Stik of one type or another. With Tim’s guidance, much research through magazines, web sites, and most of all through the bazillion posts here on RCU, I decided to take the plunge and ordered a GP Big Stik 60 to go along with the 6XA and ST 61 that Tim had “sitting around” and offered to sell me at what I am now sure should be labeled theft on my part. Time passes, the ARF arrives and I spend the next few evenings between my house and Tim’s house getting everything put together. All my earth shattering newbie questions, what ifs, how do I’s, etc. were taken in stride by Tim, and eventually all was in readiness to go the field. By this time my AMA card had arrived, and I was excited.
The big day arrives and I met Tim at the field. After getting everything unpacked (I have a small car, and the wing of the Stik goes from the hatch back to the front seat split), put together, fueled, etc., Tim goes through the throws, programs the radio and does a range check. All is well, he says; let’s get this thing in the air. Buddy box ready, glow starter in hand, chicken stick at the ready and one flip and the ST fires right up. Do a ground run-up, taxi check and finally inform the other pilots “coming out”. Out through the pits onto the runway. Taxi downwind, turn, line it up, punch the throttle and off the Stik goes. Gentle climbing 180 to get into traffic, Tim dials in a few clicks here and there for trim and then asks “Ready?” A nervous “Yyyyeeeaaahhh???”, and he says “it’s yours”. Fingers shaking, palms sweating, heart racing I drive the Stik around the sky in big circles trying to stay several mistakes high. After a few minutes, we decide it’s time to bring it back, and Tim swings it around in a big descending turn, floats it onto the runway and makes a perfect landing.
Time marches on, and I get to the field as often as possible with Tim. My thumbs start to be proactive instead of reactive, I finally make decent low level landing approaches and fly-bys and eventually I get the Stik back on the ground without Tim’s help – cost me four props to learn, but I finally got it. After about 20 buddy box flights, the last few with Tim not having to “take it” once, I’m ready to go again, and he says – go do it yourself, you’re ready. Now the palms aren’t just sweaty, they make a huge dent in curing the drought in Nevada. The heart is just racing, the turbo is whining.
Fuel it, check the batteries in RX and TX, check the throw, stand behind and check all surfaces, attach glow starter and fire it up. Damn, it started! Now I’m really in trouble – no excuses not to go. Taxi out, downwind to end of runway, line it up, take a deep breath and advance the throttle. Down it rolls, pull a little elevator and lift-off! Gentle bank into pattern, gain LOTS of altitude, drive around for ten minutes, get back in the pattern, drag it around the final approach turn, cut throttle over the end of the runway, bounce three times, taxi back to pit entrance, kill the engine, pull the plane into the grass and FALL DOWN AND COLLAPSE WITH RELIEF. I SOLOED!!!!
I realize this is a long post, but hopefully it will give other newbies the ambition to get into this hobby as well as encourage all of the long timers to pass on their knowledge.
To Tim: Thanks doesn’t begin to cover it! I only hope I can be the same type of mentor to someone else.
06-26-2003 | 01:20 AM
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From: Brandon, MS
Saga of a newbie
Way to go ThumbBuddy. May this be the restart of a great hobby. Now go buy Tim a steak. ;-)
You read and hear so much about the crabby people in the hobby but I'll bet that most fields have their own Tim's, you just have to luck upon one. Come to think of it, I think I have met a few myself.
Ed M.
You read and hear so much about the crabby people in the hobby but I'll bet that most fields have their own Tim's, you just have to luck upon one. Come to think of it, I think I have met a few myself.
Ed M.
06-26-2003 | 01:33 AM
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From: Orange,
TX
Saga of a newbie
Great post !
You really caught the whole range of emotions that a newbie goes through on his way to solo.
I sort of get the feeling that the way this post reads is proportional to just how addicted ThumbBuddy is in this most addictive of all hobbies.
Enjoy and keep up the good work. Good flying comes from the 3 P's. Practice, Practice and Practrice.
Keep it up and may all your flights be a great rush.
Keep us posted on your progress - it has to be a real help for others just getting into the hobby.
You really caught the whole range of emotions that a newbie goes through on his way to solo.
I sort of get the feeling that the way this post reads is proportional to just how addicted ThumbBuddy is in this most addictive of all hobbies.
Enjoy and keep up the good work. Good flying comes from the 3 P's. Practice, Practice and Practrice.
Keep it up and may all your flights be a great rush.
Keep us posted on your progress - it has to be a real help for others just getting into the hobby.
06-26-2003 | 01:34 AM
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From: San Antonio,
TX
Saga of a newbie
Great story and glad to hear you're with us. Let me scoot over,,you can sit here.
Welcome to the best hobby and tell Tim we said,,,WAY TO GO!!!
Welcome to the best hobby and tell Tim we said,,,WAY TO GO!!!
