Hours of practicing on the simulator paid off and in one week I went from taking over the radio while in flight to taking off. I must be honest and say that the real thing is nothing like flying on a simulator, but the hours of practice on the sim resulted in my orientation skills being top notch!
The very first time a took control of the radio after my buddy did the take off, I nearly crapped myself. Flying while looking up and a lot of the time only seeing the plane from below and not from its side is quite a different experience.
In the next few days I will start practicing my approaches and possibly landing.
Here are some tips to get you started... from a beginner's point of view:
- 1st Prize is to have a friend who is already an advanced RC pilot, if you don't have one of these then go to your local club and meet other RC Pilots. Many of them will be keen to mentor you and it makes a huge difference having someone help you.
- Read, read, read. This has helped me tremendously. I have read many articles and blogs on the subject, I buy RC Modeller, browsed a lot of hobby shop websites - many of them have excellent tips and articles on how to get started and I eventually find a nice beginner's guide (which I will share with you in a later post). The more you know, the easier it is to understand.
- Get a GOOD simulator that runs on your PC or MAC. FMS is free and is good to help you learn the controls and orientation, but I found it is not so realistic and this leads to "oversteering". This is probably not the correct term, but what I mean is that in stead of only moving the stick a little, you move it a lot whereas in real life the stick movements must be small, slow and controlled in most situations. I would suggest something like Aerofly. People's opinions differ and therefore (much like most things RC) the choice is ultimately yours which one best suit your needs and your wallet! Some say the Realflight and Phoenix are the best simulators. You can buy a cheap E-sky simulator that provides a USB radio (so you don't need any batteries!) or you can use your own radio if you already own one.
- Talk to as many people as possible! Visit your local hobby shop, meet people at the RC club, talk to others on forums, etc. I found that every person I speak to has their own view and preferences, but I learn something from every single one of them - and believe me - they are willing and eager to share their knowledge and experience!
- Don't just go buy the first plane you see based on its appeal... wait and practice on the simulator! In following posts I will go into more detail on the advice an guidance I received on this topic.
The idea is to have an interactive site so that we can all learn from each other and obtain answers to our questions. We are all on the same level, eager to learn and we are not afraid to ask that "stupid" question!
Now go practice!
Francois
