at last i have been able to get a heli after wanting one for 8years (and im 19 now!!!) I bought a hoverfly to help teach me the basics and it helped a great deal as its so durable. I have had it for about 5 months now and then a month ago i got the lend of the Real flight G2 simulator to really help me. Then 2 weeks ago i bought the real thing, a Caliber30 with a JRXP662 radio and i havn't looked back since. I didnt really have the problem of only lifing a few mm of the ground and then dropping it and i had it about 20 or so cm of the ground with out to much of a problem. Now i am getting a bit more confident now as i can hover not to bad for a full tank. Really enjoying it and i can say my traing aids(hoverfly and G2 simulator) really helped a lot to get a feel of the helis controls. Its on to charge as I 'type' because i hope to go flying tomorrow if its nice weather(fingers crossed!) and from what all the people who have flow it have said its a really good heli in its trainin mode and will be really sensitive once its set up normally(and quiet)

You're right, G2 has helped me lots. I am just getting started with helis, but was able to hover the first time out because of my time on G2. Starting on my second gallon I made a flight around the field and was feeling pretty good. The next time I tried a forward flight I got disorientated and almost planted my Raptor. I saved it, mostly due to luck.

Keep practicing on the G2 and good luck.

Eric

I'm a believer now, too.

Sitting in a quiet room with the simulator (FMS with custom serial cable) is fine, but when the engine is screaming, and the breeze is buffeting, and you're staring at this actual machine hovering in front of you, wondering if the blade is about to pop off and whack you in the head, and you're hoping the links are all staying tight, it's easy to get panicky.

I have found that working the rudder is harder than I thought. I'll either move it when working the throttle (being nervous), or get locked up as far as which way to move it...in the time it takes to figure out which way to move the rudder, the cyclic has gone too long without attention, then she's dancing around and the panic cycle continues...

It's getting easier, even after only three tanks! I'm now a hard-core addict!!!

-Paul