Real old pilot new R/C pilot

[silverdart]

been lurking here for a few months now &finally joined.my real flying days are over now at 78 as i lost my medical.but having been around airplanes &the industry most of my life and my passion for flight ,i bought Realflight8 and have been flying it on average about 2 hrs a day.
i am quite comfortable with it and would now like to purchase an Eflite maule7 or a Flyzone beaver.i live in a rural area with access to small ponds &that is why ii am considering both airplanes as they come with floats.i have read various reviews and the opinion i have is the maule is as good or better than the timber.perhaps i am wrong ,and i know their is a wealth of advice and knowledge on this forum,and the fact folks are willing to help those in need..i plan on being self taught.your thoughts and opinions will be well received regards&later Silver dart

[Elbee]

SD, Self-taught is doable, though probably expensive. Like many, I tried the "okay let's go" version of the first check flight and lost. Damage was heartbreaking, but the lesson was clear. There are R/C Flying Simulator Programs available and a forum on this website. I'd check that out for certain. Just like 1:1 best to start high-wing, though I am not familiar with the eflite, the Beaver seems like a good choice. Tricycle gear is better, but with your 1:1 savvy, you'll be good, I think. Hobby Squawk has many who fly or have flown 1:1 and R/C, a natural mix. Welcome, and enjoy your new forms of flying. Best, LB :Cool:

[Starfighter135]

Would an Apprentice with the optional floats work?

[xviper]

SD, Self-taught is doable, though probably expensive. Like many, I tried the "okay let's go" version of the first check flight and lost. Damage was heartbreaking, but the lesson was clear.

Tell me about it. It can get quite expensive. I went through my first 50 or so planes really quickly and once I got over the "heartbreaking" part, they became "breathtaking". I got used it although I'm sure most people will never get used to doing the "crash and burn".
A sim is a great way to learn "muscle memory" and reduce "dumb thumbs" but I've found that as far as realism, a sim doesn't always give a true impression of what the model will be like when you first put one in the air. For me, they weren't that "real" but still a lot of fun and did teach me a lot. I started RC flying with another old fellow (the same age as you) and we both learned together, so yes, it's doable. I was a few years younger but still an old guy. You learn how to repair planes really well, really quickly.
Water planes can be a good way to start but I don't think a sim will give you the true feel of how the water reacts with the pontoons of a model plane. Also, crashing on water (depending on how you do it) may be less spectacular but you must have a way to go out and retrieve it when it goes down. Spray all your electronics (including motor) with some kind of water repellent treatment. Flitetest showed that all the electronics will work under water if so treated. Usually, when you get electronics wet, they're finished. (Ever drop a cellphone in the toilet?)
Although my first plane was a Radian sailplane, any slow flying high wing trainer type plane with floats will do quite nicely and today's planes with AS3X and SAFE can be particularly helpful for the beginner.

[silverdart]

pilots i appreciate your most welcome advice,in hind sight i should have stated that the aircraft ii am considering both have safe and as3x installed.iam in the process of buying a spektrum rx6. i have an r/c club 24 miles from my home and i plan on visiting them for their
march5 tues nite meeting, to see if someone would be kind enough to check my build ,trims etc and then fly it for me,also with the prospect of joining the club..also i think my first will be sport cub to get the feel of things before moving up to the maule or beaver..most of the ponds around my
home are accessible with hip waders.now i am just waiting for the weather to break and the snow to go.thank you all for your valued input,no doubt i will be back to pester y'all many more times be fore this journey ends regards&later Silver dart