I’m starting rc flying

[NoahF15]

I wanna get into rc plane flying but I don’t know how to start what should I do?

[Prowler901]

Hi Noah. Welcome to HobbySquawk. The first thing you should probably do is to find a local RC club. Do some training flights with one of their instructors. If you find that you really enjoy it and want to continue, then you'll need to purchase a plane and a radio. Best to start with a high wing trainer like an Apprentice.

[NoahF15]

Prowler901 thank you my parents were in the Air Force so I have always been interested in planes I will take your advice

[SanExup]

I recommend the Eachine P51, do a search, they sell on Amazon for around $100. There is a bigger version sold under the volantex label,I haven't flown that one but it might do better with a little wind. The smaller one flies it tight spaces but the first flight I'd go for a soccer field. It's a cheap plane with a cheap transmitter, essentially a toy but they both have gyro stabilization with three different levels of stability, well two actually. Beginner, which will allow you to fly without banking too hard and stalling it, intermediate which allows you to bank more and yank the elevator more without really stalling it. Buy extra props and batteries. Banggood.com has them for cheaper but you'll have to wait for ocean shipping which isn't prime shipping.

I've seen total beginners fly it around and learn to land within a single battery charge. And then fly it in intermediate with success. Expert mode is nearly unflyable, without a decent transmitter where you can adjust the control sensitivity it's worthless in expert, you'll crash repeatedly. All in all, this plane will not teach you all the nuanced skills necessary to be a great rc pilot but it will help you to program your mind and thumbs to be well on your way. For cheap. And it will take a good bounce or 5 as you get better. But that coupled with a simulator provide a good start with semi scale looks, for simulators there are many good ones and cheap phone apps that help too. And like the other post said, find someone to maybe teach you.

Just my two cents. Having grown up as a navy brat at different air bases I got to see a lot of planes coming and going. So when I did get into rc I wasn't excited about flying a high winged trainer, though I did and I am glad for it. We didn't have gyros or safe mode, so I went through a lot of glue. I was better at building and repairing than flying. But with some of the cheaper options, there are actually some decent looking and flying trainer planes. A lot of crap too so definitely watch some YouTube videos on any planes you are interested in, it is like watching the home shopping network sometimes but you can get a good sense of what planes are decent at flying. My rambling two cents!

[NoahF15]

Thank you the p-51 has always been one of my favorite things planes

[Aros]

Hi NoahF15, welcome! Along with the nice advice above I would also highly suggest looking into an RC Simulator like Real Flight. It's a tremendous way to teach yourself how to fly without worrying about crashing your real model at first. Yes, crashing is part of the hobby...We've all done it, if you fly long enough it's a virtual certainty. However, practice makes perfect and I have personally found the RC simulator as a wonderful teaching tool. The graphics and physics these days is pretty phenomenal. I've been flying for nearly 25 years now and I can tell you there are some RC sim models that feel and fly exactly the same as the real models. A great way to build that muscle memory and stick time.

Here's a list to check out... Good luck!

Real Flight RF9

AeroFly RC8

REFLEX XTR²

[drettger]

If you need assistance finding a local club, you can go to the AMA site for it. Go to:

https://www.modelaircraft.org/club-finder

Enter your location and they will show you clubs in your area.

There are lots of good beginner aircraft out there, but the safest way is to start with an instructor. When a plane is in the air, things can happen fast. If you get behind it, get disoriented, or whatever, the instructor can take control and save your airplane! When I teach someone to fly, I think about keeping the plane "two mistakes high" so we have time to recover when it starts to come down! Saved a lot of planes that way!

[Gringotuerto]

I agree on the simulator. Although I don't like playing with a simulator, and it seems boring to me, it is absolutely a great way to practice. I have been flying for years, but I still pull out the simulator when I am trying to learn some new maneuver.