Does anyone else think you'll only be as good a pilot as your DNA will allow you to be?

I've been flying for five years now, and I'm beginning to wonder if I'm as good now as I'll ever be. Now, before I go any further, I must point out that in that five years I have NEVER violently dissassembled a model. Yes, I've had plenty of "imperfect" landings that required on average 10 minutes of repair, but never had I the need for a garbage bag either.

My flying buddies tell me I need to quit being so conservative or I'll never progress. But when I fly, I try to imagine I'm in a real aircraft and I won't get a second chance. I believe that's what has preserved my models for so long.

But is it also what's holding me back?

If I were to give an example of the type of pilot I am, it would be TJ from Black Sheep Squadron. Remember him? The endearing "competent enough to take off and fly" pilot with the occasional ugly touchdown?

I will point out that grass field landings are a cinch even for me, but we mostly take off and land on a remote country highway, and it's quite a different thing threading the landings on a paved runway with water filled retaining ditches on each side. And if the wind is wrong, you have no choice but to deal with the 90 degree crosswind.

Still, my friends come in and touchdown like it's programmed in their brains, while I have to concentrate like I'm playing chess to achieve the same results.

So the question is: Can an RC pilot plateau?

If you have been flying for 5 years, and haven't destroyed a plane yet... Than, yes! You are flying too conservatively. Like playing piano, you have to push the limits of your ablities in order to progress. Although I have been flying R/C for nearly 30 years, I still have an occassional crash. It is usually an engine failure that damages my planes. It is impossible to recover from an engine failure when you are hovering a few inches off the ground! My simulator has increased my abilities exponentially. I probably would have crashed at least 20 more times, if it weren't for my sim!

As for your question: Can an R/C pilot platua? YES! But, only if they are afraid to push their limits!
Doug

Well, yes and no.

Obviously, the more you try the better you'll get. I also like to fly conservatively, so if I do a "Low, Inverted Pass", it's not EXTREMELY low. I could practise it over and over and get lower and lower, but at what cost? I don't feel the need to get it any better, so I'm not going to risk one of my planes trying.

Next item: How good can you get? This is where genetics comes in. I can draw pictures - my accountant can tell whether or not I should re-mortgage my house.

I can't do that and he can't draw.

I have known fliers who have been at it for 20 years and still need a buddy box. face it, we all have certain levels of abilities. Practicing will make you better, but the extent that YOUR skills can assertain are goverened (At least to some extent) to YOUR abilities.

Never heard it put like that before.....I like it (and may steal it, by the way)!

In regard to you question(s). I feel that you never stop improving. However, the learning curve becomes quite flat at different points for different people, which effectively puts a "cap" on just how good you can become. If I were to practice 8 hours a day, I would never be able to be as good as Chip or "insert your favorite pilot here", but my abilities would greatly improve. Like the others have said, you do need to push yourself. If you are worried about tearing up your pretty plane....get an ugly one! Get a profile or a cheapy from a swap meet and fly the heck out of it.

Mike

Practice makes................well, not perfect, no one ever gets perfect. But you can definitely expect skill level plateaus. You may stay at the same level for years before making the next break through. And break throughs don't always come when you are working the hardest either. You might take a break or go on vacation, or see something on TV and it might change your attitude or perspective that tiny little bit that makes the difference. ANd you might not even know where it came from. Zen and the art of flying model airplanes.
And much of what primates learn is what they see others do. We mimic. Watch others. Look for style. Most people just don't have any. But you will know it when you see it. It jumps out .

I play guitar and bass and only use the piano for tuning. But you can`t beat a good key boardest .
Every one has limits , I`m still tring to find mine, lol .

Hey Pgitta:

There's an old saying......................"No Guts.......No Glory!"

If you don't try you will never do it.

KF

RE: Can an RC pilot plateau? Only if you don't try something new.

It is hard to lose the FS mindset when flying, "bent metal is bad".
But in order to progress you have to push yourself beyond what is normal for you.
Get up higher to give yourself some time to recover, and then try something new.

I have heard, and seen this regarding getting better at flying.

"Fly it like you stole it"
Or on the flip side....
Do not get to attached to your airplane.

Worst case, you waste some balsa.
Lord knows I wasted balsa, foam, carbonfiber, fiberglass, batteries, RX's and Servos.

We have pilots that take off and circle the field, always fly level, never roll, never loop, never snap roll, never fly inverted. Some of these pilots total a lot of planes. My theory is that if you do not do the previous maneuvers often, then if your plane accidentally gets into one of them, you crash. What I really do not like about that type of conservative flying is that when they lose control they are a danger to everyone (especially me). It takes a lot of experience to decide that in an extreme circumstance the safest action may be to put the plane into the ground. This is leading it into the ground, not chasing it into the ground. Big difference from a SAFETY POINT OF VIEW. To fly safely you have to learn how to recover a plane.

[quote]ORIGINAL: pgitta


Does anyone else think you'll only be as good a pilot as your DNA will allow you to be?




I think the DNA might have some effect on profiency, but only at the very highest level of performance. Those who rise to the very top of the performance pyramid. I can't think of anyone I know in this hobby who would fall in that catagory. In the "real world" the differences in performance are mainly those who practice more than others and work to a personal standard, not their DNA characteristics. Well, maybe there is such a thing as a DNA characteristic to avoid any risk? I dunno, I'm not a scientist.

In any endeavor, progress comes from outside the "comfort zone". Whether its flying or body building or painting or whatever, there is a level of "comfort" in performance. One can stay in that zone indefinately and get by all right, but progress is curtailed. Another term for being confined to the "comfort zone" is boredom. Sometimes it's just fun to try some thing new or different. Sometimes it's fun to fly better than you did before.

Bottom line: no, I don't think DNA is holding you back.

Your DNA has little to do with your ability. Your attitude has alot to do with your ability. How good do you want to be? If you want to be a better aerobatic pilot, start by learning to do the basic IMAC or pattern maneuvers. Get up with someone that fly competiton and is willing to coach you a bit. I'm not say YOU need to fly competitively, just learn the maneuvers. There is plenty of info here at RCU to get you started. You can get better. You will get better. JUST DO IT.
Z

I hope my flying gets better than my guitar playing. Practise, practise, practise and I still feel my playing has plateaued, except at a higher level.

I too play guitar, I played for many years and didn't progress a whole lot, but it was because a relied heavily on what I knew and didn't venture out and make mistakes...crash so to speak. When I started flying I liked building, and didn't mind crashing, and I learned to do a lot of things. Now I fly more conservatively, so I have a very good base flying ability, but I don't learn the new maneuvers very easily because I don't have time to crash and rebuild any more.

Something I learned a year or two ago that I apply to my guitar playing is not that "practice makes perfect" I read somewhere a quote that I like, and I wish I rembered who said it so I could give credit. "practice makes permanent, perfect practice makes perfect."

Austin

We had a saying in our club too ... God hates a coward. Practically shamed the Hangar Queen types into flying when the conditions weren't perfect but they weren't terrible either.

Wow, I have something in common w/some of the folks here that I normally would have overlooked. I too play guitar; and bass, and violin. String man. Practice DOES make perfect, but only in the instamce of a particular focused area - not all; i.e. practice over and over the musical keys, their modes (circle of fouths and fifths), and their relations to diatonic scaling will allow one doing such to get them perfect. By this, it is meant that one could simply play any position on the fret board instinctively without hesitation; perfection. The same is applied to learning a desired song. Genetics only really matter if the subject (person) of discussion suffers from some sort of impairment (mental retardation or the likes). I am the first person in my family to exstensively go to college, now I am working on my fourth degree (AS Criminology, BS Polictical Science, BS Criminology, MS Criminal Law). BY some (statistically) I should be: in prison; on drugs; domestic issues; low I.Q. etc, etc), but none apply.

Hell, I have crashed many planes. Do I care? Nope. If I did not crash (mianly do to piolit arrogance and over confidence) I would not have been able to do low passes or hover. I actually kinda like 'good' crashing. You know, the crashes that destroy the entire plane but all the electronics and engine are still alright. But like the thread starter had initially said...I too have no desire to get exceptionally awsome at flying rc planes. I like to simply fly. My focus is elsewhere w/more important things.

Oh yeah. for the guitar players here that feel their ability is not getting any better. Questions: (1) What types of music are you listening to? Generally, musicians will only get as good as the music in which they listen to. If you are broad in taste, you should never run out of learning material. (2) Do you practice at least two hours a day on fundemental skills, i.e. technique and theory? Simply learning a peice of music doesn't teach the correct methodology of music, instead, try working on the content of the questions above, and disect the music that you are learning so you can get an understanding to what the writer was thinking.

Here are some choice guiter players I encourage all to check out:
Yngwie Malmsteen, Chris Durtra (Spelling on last name?; Dor-tray)
Steve Vai, Solemon Zai (Local teacher here at Indiana University)
Joe Satriani, Stevie Ray Vaughn
Steve Morse, John Petrucci (Dream Theater)
Jeff Beck, Leo Coktkey (Spelling on last name?; Cock-key)
Al De'Meola,
Joy Basu (MY guitar teacher for 8 years when I was younger here in Bloomington, IN., he now plays for Jessica Simpson, no kidding)