Post by wildflyer on Aug 23, 2023 23:49:49 GMT -6
This is a repost of a great article by Ed Anderson, one of the smartest electric pilots I have ever read. Great beginner info:
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Updated November 2014
Whether you have a coach or you are trying to learn to fly on your own,
you will need to be mindful of these six areas if you are going to become
a successful RC pilot. After two years of working with new flyers at our
club, and coaching flyers on the forums, there are a few things I have seen
as the key areas to stress for new pilots. Some get it right away and some
have to work at it. They are in no particular order because they all have to
be learned to be successful.
WIND
Orientation
Speed
Altitude
Over Control
Preflight Check
1) Wind - The single biggest cause of crashes that I have observed has
been the insistence upon flying in too much wind. If you are under an instructor's
control or on a buddy box, then follow their advice, but if you are starting out
and tying to learn on your own, regardless of the model, I recommend dead
calm to 3 MPH for the slow stick and tiger moth type planes. Under 5 MPH for
all others. That includes gusts. An experienced pilot can handle more. It is the
pilot, not the plane that determines how much wind can be handled.
A Case Study - The wind was around 8 mph steady with gusts to 12. That was
strong enough that some of the experienced pilots flying three and four channel
small electric planes chose not to launch their electrics. This new flyer insisted
that he wanted to try his two and three channel parkflyers. Crash, Crash, Crash -
Three planes in pieces. He just would not listen. Sometimes you just have to let
them crash. There is no other way to get them to understand.
Many parkflyers can be flown in higher winds by AN EXPERIENCED PILOT. I have
flown my Aerobird in 18 mph wind (clocked speed) but it is quite exciting trying to
land it.
Always keep the plane up wind from you. There is no reason for a new flyer to
have the plane downwind EVER!
2) Orientation - Knowing the orientation of your plane is a real challenge, even
for experienced pilots. You just have to work at it and some adults have a real
problem with left and right regardless of which way the plane is going. Licensed
pilots have a lot of trouble with this one as they are accustomed to being in
the plane.
Here are two suggestions on how to work on orientation when you are not flying.
Use a flight simulator on your PC. Pick a slow flying model and fly it a lot. Forget
the jets and fast planes. Pick a slow one. Focus on left and right coming at you.
Keep the plane in front of you. Don't let it fly over your head.
An alternative is to try an RC car that has proportional steering using a stick. You don't
have to worry about lift, stall and wind. Get something with left and right
steering and speed control. Set up an easy course that goes toward and
away from you with lots of turns. Do it very slowly at first until you can make
the turns easily. Then build speed over time. You'll get it! If it has sticks rather
than a steering wheel even better, but not required. Oh, and little cars are
fun too.
3) Too much speed - Speed it the enemy of the new pilot but if you fly too
slowly the wings can't generate enough lift, so there is a compromise here.
The key message is that you don't have to fly at full throttle all the time.
Most small electrics fly very nicely at 2/3 throttle and some do quite well at 1/2. That
is a much better training speed than full power. Launch at full power and climb
to a good height, say 100 to 150 feet as a minimum, so you have time to recover from
a mistake. At 150 feet, about double the height of the trees where I live, go to
half throttle and see how the plane handles. If it holds altitude on a straight line,
this is a good speed. Now work on slow and easy turns, work on left and right,
flying toward you and maintaining altitude. Add a little throttle if the plane can't
hold altitude.
4) Not enough altitude - New flyers are often afraid of altitude. They feel safer
close to the ground. Nothing could be more wrong. Altitude is your friend. As stated
above I consider 150 feet, about double tree height where I live, as a good flying
height and I usually fly much higher than this. Fifty feet, is minimum flying height.
Below that you better be lining up for landing.
5) Over control - Most of the time the plane does not need input from you. Once
you get to height, a properly trimmed plane flying in calm air will maintain its height
and direction with no help from you. In fact anything you do will interfere with
the plane.
When teaching new pilots I often do a demo flight of their plane. I get the plane
up around 100 to 150 feet, then bring the throttle back to a nice cruising speed. I get it going
straight, with plenty of space in front of it, then take my hand off the sticks and
hold the radio out to the left with my arms spread wide to emphasize that I am
doing nothing. I let the plane go wherever it wants to go, as long as it is holding
altitude, staying upwind and has enough room. If you are flying a high wing trainer
and you can't do this, your plane is out of trim.
Even in a mild breeze with some gusts, once you reach flying height, you should be
able to take your hand off the stick. Oh the plane will move around and the breeze
might push it into a turn, but it should continue to fly with no help from you.
Along this same line of thinking, don't hold your turns for more than a couple of
seconds after the plane starts to turn. Understand that the plane turns by banking
or tilting its wings. If you hold a turn too long you will force the plane to deepen this
bank and it will eventually lose lift and go into a spiral dive and crash. Give your inputs
slowly and gently and watch the plane. Start your turn then let off then turn some
more and let off. Start your turns long before you need to and you won't need to make
sharp turns.
I just watch these guys hold the turn, hold the turn, hold the turn, crash. Of course
they are flying in 10 mph wind, near the ground, coming toward themselves at full throttle.
6) Preflight check - Before every flight it is the pilot's responsibility to confirm that the
plane, the controls and the conditions are correct and acceptable for flight.
Plane - Batteries at proper power
Surfaces properly aligned
No damage or breakage on the plane
Everything secure
Radio - Frequency control (27 or 72 MHz) has been met before you turn on the radio
A range check before the first flight of the day
All trims and switches in the proper position for this plane
Battery condition is good
Antenna fully extended (27 or 72 MHz)
For computer radios - proper model is displayed
All surfaces move in the proper direction
Conditions - No one on the field or in any way at risk from your fight
You are launching into the wind
Wind strength is acceptable ( see wind above )
Sunglasses and a hat to protect your eyes
All other area conditions are acceptable.
Then and only then can you consider yourself, your plane, radio and the
conditions right for flight. Based on your plane, your radio and local
conditions you may need to add or change something here, but this is the bare
minimum. It only takes a couple of minutes at the beginning of the flying day
and only a few seconds to perform before each flight.
If this all seems like too much to remember, do what professional pilots do,
take along a preflight check list. Before every flight they go down
the check list, perform the tests, in sequence, and confirm that all is right.
If you want your flying experience to be a positive one, you should do the
same. After a short time, it all becomes automatic and just a natural part of
a fun and rewarding day.
I hope some of this is useful in learning to fly your plane.
November 2014 Edit: Note that frequency control may be unfamiliar to many new pilots as most modern RTFs are using 2.4 GHz where frequency control is handled by the radio system. If you are flying on 27, 49 or 72 MHz you MUST observe frequency control. If there are other pilots in your area and they are on the same channel you are using, if you are both have the radio on at the same time you will both lose control. Only one pilot to a frequency at a time. This is what is meant by frequency control.
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"My piloting skills are proof that gravity does exist."