Brand New Pilot Question

[SidecarJoe]

I am new to RC airplanes, I have not touched one in almost 30 years, and I want back into it. But my question is...
Which Plane? I am torn between the E-Flite Apprentice S 15e with SAFE or the E-Flite Carbon Z Cessna 150 BNF with SAFE?
In Omaha we have an excellent RC club OmaHawks, and a 500ft runway near a lake, also a good sized lake to fly off of. I am an avid Hobie Kayaker and I plan on eventually flying the plane off the lake while peddling around. I love the size, and scale detail of the Cessna and the options of Floats, and Snow Ski's which means I can fly year round. Both airplanes have SAFE technology, so do I really need to go through the Apprentice steps first or can I get away with learning on the big Cessna? Your Thoughts?
Thanks
Joe

[fhhuber]

Can't recommend flying while kayaking. Too easy to dunk the transmitter.

As for which plane to get... the list of good "first" aircraft is extremely long.

SAFE training system can help you learn, or it can become a crutch that you'll never let go of...
With guidance from an experienced RC modeler you can use it to fly models that would otherwise be beyond your capabilities.
Note that if you don't do the initialization of the SAFE's gyros correctly EVERY FLIGHT, it will make the aircraft unstable and uncontrollable when the SAFE system is not disabled.

Pairing SAFE with a model that is already very stable and easy to fly definitely allows self-teaching with high probability of success. But you need to learn what the plane acts like without the gyros.

The giant Cessna makes a great trainer even without the SAFE system. One of the reasons the smaller plane is recommended as the first step is the cost of repairs in case of a crash will be lower.

[doctormike]

I have 56 planes and by far the easiest to fly, wind or not is the FMS EZ trainer. I would recommend this plane to any beginner or experienced pilot. It's just fun to fly. Doc

[putput]

FWIW, I believe that the Apprentice is a fantastic trainer plane. It is incredibly stable and with the original 3 position safe system you can learn how to fly well. I started with the Mini, on my own no assistance. Within 2 weeks, I was flying my first warbird. I did get the full size Apprentice as well, buth it and the Mini are great planes and I always end up taking one of them with me to fly no matter what other planes brought out to play for the day.

[Denniswpb]

Joe... I highly recommend the Apprentice! I was new to RC airplanes a few months ago and purchased the Apprentice based on everyone's comments. By far an excellent trainer that is VERY forgiving. It has the 3 SAFE modes and the Panic Recovery. Don't do what I did though and get a" Ready to Fly" with the DXe transmitter. Get a "Bind-N-Fly" Apprentice and purchase a Spektrum DX6 or DX8 transmitter. You won't regret it!!!

[yorkiepap]

Personally, I chose & like the Flyzone Sensei(1st series) more than the Apprentice because of not having to use rubber bands to secure the wing, much stronger LG, & cost less. The new Sensei also has the WISE stability feature. IMO, neither plane needs any kind of stability.

Denny

[boomer108]

Personally, I chose & like the Flyzone Sensei(1st series) more than the Apprentice because of not having to use rubber bands to secure the wing, much stronger LG, & cost less. The new Sensei also has the WISE stability feature. IMO, neither plane needs any kind of stability.

Denny

That was my choice when I got back into rc 5 years ago, I did not want any rubber bands on my wings can't stand them. My next pick was the Pandora to get low wing tail dragger experience for warbirds. In my opinion the Pandora would fit both those categories and save you money to boot with its four planes in one capability.

Roy B.

[Grossman56]

Yep, we have an Apprentice that my wife flies, I'm glad I went the Pandora route. In all fairness, we have a guy at the club that can do things I never would have believed the Apprentice would or could do!!
Still, he's trying to get into the next plane, an E Flite Pulse and is struggling with it.
With the Pandora, it gave me a pathway to Warbirds, so it was perfect for me. I put A3L gyros in them, then replaced the gyro in Pandora 2 with an A3 for the wife. That way she can hit the switch and the plane will fly straight and level.

Grossman56

[SidecarJoe]

Thank you all for your input, I believe Santa wife has picked up an Apprentice for us. Angie wants to learn to fly too, with that in mind I went ahead and ordered the Carbon Z Cessna since Horizon Hobby is giving the floats away with purchase. Its going to be a fun winter. Everyone have a very Merry Christmas!
Joe

[SidecarJoe]

Can't wait to fly them

[Grossman56]

Have fun Joe, you both will love it and will soon be addicted like the rest of us!
Merry Christmas! I know what you'll be doing in the New Year!!

Grossman56

[Moriority]

Awesome that you and your wives are into flying too!