Skill Level Guide for Aircraft

[martmichals]

RE: Skill Level Guide for Aircraft

I wish I had read through that guide beginning, as I took a beginner plus as a first plane, and true to the guide it wasn't the best first plane, but after several crashes I learned and finally moved to more advanced planes.

[Konrad]

RE: Skill Level Guide for Aircraft

With so many folks now trying to get into the hobby without a flying club affiliation. Might it be advantageous to add a category for beginner (self taught, electronic assist). Then there could be a category for learning with a flight instructor (high wing, large dihedral, low power, light wing loading).

I know as a flight instructor I can train a new flier on my lightly loaded pattern ships. Other than cost I find that light pattern ships make great trainer as they do what the pilot commands. Classic trainer teach some bad habits that need to be un-learned with their zoom climb as speed builds up and the need to fight too much dihedral.

All the best,
Konrad

[PappaBear]

RE: Skill Level Guide for Pilots

One of the problems with identifying which model category is suitable for you as the pilot. Beginner, expert, advanced. Or maybe intermediate. Before you decide on that, you really need to know which group you as the pilot fits into. Its all to easy to consider yourself to be advanced, when the reality its much less. The following is what I use myself as a bench mark when considering which group or class a pilot fits into comfortably, and that is the key word. Can you say to yourself, "Yes I am comfortable flying this model". Yes, I know we all shake and sweat when a new model takes to the air for the first time. Its the fear of the unknown.

A beginner is someone who has no experience of flying and has no idea what the controls do even. Taking the first step up the ladder, under instruction or training from an experienced pilot or instructor.  You slowly start to learn about an RC model aircraft, what the controls do and how they effect the flying characteristics of the model. A good instructor will explain not only what is happening but why it happens as well. This will give you a better understanding of what to do in various situations.  Just as it is with the real thing you need to start with a trainer plane.

As you learn and begin to understand that flying an RC plane is not as easy as you first thought it was going to be. Slowly it starts to come together, and what you at first thought to be impossible, now becomes possible and your instructor is taking over less and less. You can fly left and right hand circles, fly a figure of "8". This will have you flying a left and right hand turn in the same sequence. In doing this you won't become used to flying in one particular direction.  

You can take off and land from both the left and the right. Do you find it easier to fly in one direction than the other, if so practice the one you are not so comfortable with until it becomes second nature to you.  

You stand at the side of the runway to take off, not behind the model. You do this for three reasons.

1 Safety, if you are standing behind the model to take off, you are in the way of anyone else who wants to land. Especially if they have an emergency situation.
2  Standing behind the model, you can't judge how fast the model is accelerating down the runway.
3  Standing behind the model you can't judge the angle at which the model is climbing away.

Standing to the side of the runway takes all the above into account.

1 Safety, you are not standing on the runway.
2 You can judge the speed easier as the model passes in front of you.
3 You can judge the angle the model climbs away, and adjust as necessary.

You should be able to carry out all the above with a trainer plane. You should be able to make corrections to the flight path and position the aircraft where you want it to be, and not where it happens to be.  

When you are confident and comfortable flying the above you can them move on to an advance trainer. This can be a low wing model designed as an advanced trainer. With this model you will learn basic aerobatics, loops rolls, spins and inverted flight. At this point you are what I would consider an intermediate level pilot.  

Moving on to more advanced aircraft such as a scale aerobatic model , or a EDF jet is the next step up. With this type of model you should be able to fly inverted figure "8", while keeping both circles the same size, using the throttle for wind correction. Roll both left and right, including four point rolls in both directions.  Carry out both inside and outside loops, coordinating all controls as necessary to keep the loop round.  To get to this point does require a lot of hard work, it is very satisfying when you achieve it.

Many people don't have the time or the inclination to get to this point, and thats okay. The most important thing is that you have fun and enjoy what you do. Fly safely and consider your fellow pilots.

Martin.

[Konrad]

RE: Skill Level Guide for Aircraft

You are making strong arguments for a coach/instructor. Even with 40 years experience I like to have a coach/spotter with me when I fly my pattern routines. I find it of little value to practices the maneuver badly.

I don't fully agree with the aft verses side approach to standing while making your take offs. My ships are often so heavy that they have long past me on the take off roll, that I'm still looking at them from the rear as they hit V1.

I too have to tell the guy at the field that he needs a slower trainer before he can safely fly that scale model. A lot of this is because they haven't even learned to trim a ship.
http://www.wtp.net/DBEST/trimchrt.html

But as to a sales guide the idea that some model will give the "rank solo beginner" more of a fighting chance than others might help with their first purchase. That a side it is always better to use a coach/instructor, be it your first flight of your 10,000th. (true, when I sport fly I don't use a coach).

All the best,
Konrad

[PappaBear]

RE: Skill Level Guide for Aircraft

Konrad,

By constantly flying a maneuver badly, you are perfecting your mistakes !

Martin.

[Konrad]

RE: Skill Level Guide for Aircraft

Konrad,

By constantly flying a maneuver badly, you are perfecting your mistakes !

Martin.

I don't even do that very well. The wife claims I'm inconsistent in everything I do!


All the best,
Konrad