R/C Basics

Most Important

The single most important aspect of learning to fly rc planes is getting an instructor. An instructor does not have to be certified to any particular standard but must be a competent experienced R/C pilot who is capable of giving instructions with patience. Many people think that flying RC planes is easy enough that it can be learned without an instructor and many have succeeded... but more often than not at a great expense. Many have become frustrated and disillusioned because of a crash on the first flight and never tried again. This point cannot be stressed enough that flying rc planes is much more difficult than it may seem. Without an instructor to correct mistakes, a crash is probably inevitable. You must consider also that it is not only the cost of replacing your model, but for the safety of others. Model airplanes and helicopters are not toys, and can do serious bodily harm or death. Having mentioned crashing, it is important for you to understand that you WILL crash sooner or later. Crashing is part of flying. The reasons you crash can be fitted into two basic categories. 1) Anyone can crash if they have equipment failure. 2) New and advanced fliers alike sometimes crash when they push the limits of their abilities beyond what they can handle. With a new pilot, something as simple as flying toward yourself can be beyond your abilities and can cause a crash if an instructor is not monitoring. However, also remember that pushing the envelope is the only way we can learn new things. At any rate, you must be able to accept crashes and the expense of repairs or this probably isn't a hobby that you will enjoy.

There are two ways that an instructor can help a beginner learn to fly an rc plane. One way is for the instructor to begin by taking off and turning the transmitter over to the student. When the student has a problem, the instructor takes the transmitter back and takes control of the model. There is a "dead time" that neither the student nor the instructor has control of the model. This can be enough time for the rc planes to crash. The other option is to connect two transmitters together so that the instructor can take control of the model any time that he feels that the student is in trouble. This is the reason that the student should match his radio system to that of the instructor.

Please remember, when you ask someone to be your instructor or to test fly a new model, you have TOTALLY released that person from any responsibility for your model. If it crashes for ANY reason, you as the asking party are responsible for the costs of repair or replacement. The other half of this disclaimer is this; If you ask someone to let you fly their aircraft, then YOU become liable for any crash that might occur. In other words, the ASKING PARTY is ALWAYS responsible for repair costs. Without this being agreed to, it would be very difficult to find anyone willing to help new pilots. Also, you can not expect an instructor to comply with your schedule. You must work with that person and reschedule your time so that you will be at the flying field when he is available. For these and other reasons, you must select your instructor carefully.

The best instructor might not be the person that can wow everyone with his flying skills, but is someone with enough skill to save your plane when you get in trouble, who is patient, who has teaching skills, and probably most important someone who WANTS to help you. If you ask someone for help and they refuse, don't take it personally. Most people know what they are capable of and what they are willing to do. Find someone else who is capable AND willing.

If you are interested in learning to fly a model helicopter you don't need an "instructor" in the commonly understood definition of the word. Instead you need someone who can set up your helicopter to fly as a trainer. From there you are more or less on your own until you have learned how to hover. After this has been achieved, the heli will have to be set up for forward flight and auto rotation. Once again, ask someone to help with these setup changes. Over the years, we have found that trying to teach helicopter flying with a buddy box is not really feasible. There are just too many settings that must match on both transmitters, and it is almost impossible for the instructor to stay in sync with the helicopter when someone else is flying it. Ask a helicopter pilot to help you with setup. You will find that almost all heli fliers are willing to do so. After setup, you will need a set of training gear and lots of patience. Don't hesitate to ask any questions that may come up. Practice is the key to learning. Just attempt to keep it level, within 20 feet of where you want it to be, and no more than 2 feet off the ground. Helicopter hovering and 3d flying is done on the northwest corner of the facility away from the runway and airplane fliers. If you start drifting toward the flight line, runway, or pit area shut it down and carry it to a safe area. Helicopters seem to crash more often than airplanes because the pilot has more things to keep under control, so out of control flight happens more often. Helicopter crashes usually cost more to repair than do airplane crashes. Keep this in mind when deciding if you want to give it a try.

Choosing a radio

The first consideration is that either your equipment should be compatible with your instructors, for buddy box applications, or you need to buy a dedicated buddy box. The next consideration is to make sure your radio will be one you can use for several years while progressing to more advanced types of aircraft. While it may be possible to economize with other equipment, the radio is one item where you should not cut corners. Remember the old saying "You get what you pay for.". This is certainly true with R/C equipment. If you start with a bare minimum radio just to see if you will like the hobby, you may not be able to sell it if you either decide to move up to one with more capabilities, or if you quit flying. A system with programmable functions makes flying much more enjoyable with high performance aerobatic aircraft, and even though you don't think you will be moving up to them in the near future it is much easier to do so with a good radio when the time comes. A new type of system has just become available that eliminates one of the nightmares of flying. As we mentioned earlier one must make certain that no one else is flying on his frequency before turning the radio on. With the new Spread Spectrum systems, this is no longer a problem. The transmitter, after being turned on, searches for an open frequency. When one is found it locks onto this channel and turns on the transmitter power. You then turn on the receiver and it finds it's matching transmitter. I HIGHLY recommend these radios for beginners and sport fliers as well. Buddy boxes are available for a minimal cost.

Choosing a trainer airplane

You will find varied opinions on this subject, each with it's merits. In my humble opinion, there has never been a better trainer than the venerable old Ugly Stik 40. It is relatively cheap and easy to build. It is very forgiving when being mistreated by it's pilot. Landings are so easy that they make even an unskilled pilot look good. After you advance to mild aerobatics it will perform them with ease. Inverted flight is no problem. It can be built as either a tail dragger or with a nose wheel. Nose wheel landing gear is recommended for beginners. Some dealers sell trainer packages that includes almost everything you need to start flying. While these are good products and make it a lot quicker to get in the air, the radio and airplane are usually only good for training. With flat bottom wings, the airplanes will not perform even basic aerobatics well. The radios usually have only 4 channels so you will have to buy a more capable one to move up to airplanes with better performance. Stay away from scale aircraft during the initial training phase. They are usually too heavy for their wing size and we tend to form an imotional attachment to them that makes it more painful in the event of a crash.

Airplane control surfaces

While setting up your airplane, you have to know which control surface does what. An aircraft maintains control in flight with its control surfaces (see the illustration with its colorcoded control surfaces). These are:

The Ailerons control Roll. The ailerons are controlled with the right transmitter stick. Moving this stick to the left moves the left aileron up, and the right aileron down. The change in airflow causes the airplane to roll to the left. Just the opposite is true when the stick is moved to the right.

The Elevators control Pitch. The elevators are also controlled with the right transmitter stick. Pulling this stick back moves the elevators up. The change in airflow causes the tail to go down, and the nose to go up. Pushing the elevator stick away results in the opposite to happen.

The Rudder controls Yaw. The rudder is controlled with the left stick. Moving the left stick to the left moves the rudder to the left. This will cause the nose to go to the left. And of course, moving the stick to the right moves the nose to the right. While in the training phase, the only time you will have to use the rudder is while taxing, taking off, and landing. It will not be used in flight until you begin flying aerobatics.

The Flaps are usually not used on model aircraft. Their puspose is to add drag and/or lift. This is useful during takeoff and landing.

Moving the left stick away from you will advance the throttle and increase power, and pulling it toward you will reduce the throttle and power.

Choosing a trainer helicopter

The best place to start with helicopters is with something in the 550mm to 600mm size. The smaller electric helis (450mm and smaller) are to unstable to be used as a trainer. An excellent first helicopter is the Raptor 30.  Parts are available at almost all hobby dealers (you WILL need spare parts when learning to fly a helicopter). They can be set up to fly as a trainer, and when the time comes to move up, there are upgrades available that will make them perform any stunt possible. If you want to go electric, the Raptor 550 / 620 or T-Rex 600 are good choices.

Choosing a power plant

As with the radio equipment, don't pinch pennies when it comes to buying your power plant. Don't buy one of the cheaper "knock off" brands just because it will save you $20.00 or $30.00. You might find yourself spending more time trying to tune the engine than you do flying. Look around at what everyone else is using and make an educated decision based on what you observe.

Support equipment

First, you will need some way to get the fuel into your aircraft fuel tank. There are numerous ways to accomplish this task. The simplest is the hand cranked fuel pump. If you prefer, electric powered pumps are also available. Along with the pump you will need 2 lengths of fuel tubing. One is dropped in the fuel jug and the other connected to the fuel tank. The glow plug requires 1.5 volts of DC power. A simple lantern battery can be used, but it is much more convenient to use a dedicated glow driver. One example is a decive that clips onto the glow plug and contains a NiCd rechargeable battery. Another type uses a power panel that takes 12 volts DC from a storage battery and regulates it down to 1.5 volts. An electric starter is not absolutely necessary but is safer and more convenient than flipping the propeller manually. Using your finger to spin the propeller is not recommended. If you do not use a starter, the handle of a screwdriver or dedicated "chicken stick" is much safer. Bring extra glow plugs and tools. Field chargers for your batteries are needed if you plan on flying more than a few times each time out.

Other things to remember before flying

Sea Bee park is owned by the City of Abilene, and the city requires that everyone using the facility have liability insurance. The easiest way to meet this requirement is to join the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA). Proof of this insurance will be required before flying. There is a 3 month trial membership available for those who may not want to commit for a full year. 

Children and pets are not allowed on the flight line, taxi ways, or pit areas. This is for their own safety. We welcome your family at any time but please inform them to stay behind the fence while watching.

DO NOT turn your transmitter on until you have made absolutely sure no one else is flying on the same frequency. If, after checking the frequency control board, you find there is another pilot on your channel, let them know you will be sharing the channel. This will make a "shoot down" less likely. The best policy is to let your instructor turn it on.

Make sure your batteries are fully charged, not only the transmitter and receiver but also the starter and glow driver.

Bring all of your support equipment and fuel.

Simulators

Learning to fly both airplanes and helicopters is greatly aided by the use of a flight simulator. Find one that will work with your equipment and practice, practice, practice.