| Model Aviation Home | |||
 |
 by Bob Aberle |
||
|
The goal for every new RC pilot is to solo. It's the same as with full-scale aircraft; you must reach a point where you can take off (or launch) the aircraft by yourself, fly around the sky for a few minutes, line up, make an approach, and land. How long will it take to solo? That varies with the student. There is no question that younger students probably have better coordination and maybe better eyesight, and as a result they can learn sooner than older people. My student is 70 years old and is doing quite well. My 65 years of age probably makes me the oldest instructor pilot at our field. I mention this to prove that you are never too old for this wonderful hobby. On the other end of the scale, you are never too young either (within reason). I generally set up a plan in which the student will fly the airplane at altitude for four to six flying sessions. During that time I take off and land the model. Shortly into each flight (during these first six sessions) I try to get the student on the controls for most of the flight time. Some instructors like to fly and talk, then they don't give the student the proper amount of "stick" time. That won't cut it! You must let the student fly as much as possible. One of the most difficult aspects of learning to fly an RC model is that you are not seated inside it. You are at a fixed point on the ground, holding the transmitter, while the model flies around you. Because you are not in the cockpit, the model will behave differently depending on whether it is flying toward you or away from you. Concentrate on this point because it is important to the overall learning process. When the model travels away from you (as if you are in the rear or behind the airplane), you can apply right rudder and observe the model beginning to turn to the right. That's all understandable and basic. Now suppose the model is a few hundred feet away and is coming toward you. If you applied right rudder at that instant, the model would turn (drop off) to your left. When the model flies toward you, the rudder or turn control will appear reversed. That is definitely the most difficult aspect of learning to fly. Through the years I've taught several airline pilots who couldn't get that concept straight and dropped out of the hobby. They were used to sitting in the cockpit, where left is always left and right is always right. For years I have successfully used the technique of leaning the control stick to the side to which the model wants to turn. If the airplane is coming toward you and begins to turn to the right, but you want it to stay on a straight path, lean the rudder stick to the side to which the airplane is turning. By doing that you have applied left rudder to the model, and it will tend to straighten the flight path. It's a simple approach, but it works. An alternate method when the model is flying toward you is to turn around so that most of your back is toward the model, then look back over your shoulder. When you do that, your right is right and left is left. However, you could easily get confused if the model is moving fast, so be careful. Beyond this turning problem, the next most important part of learning to fly is the landing. I usually don't let my student try landing approaches until he or she has roughly six flying sessions logged. During the first few landing attempts I try to talk the pilot down with detailed verbal instructions. I try not to grab the transmitter unless the student gets into a dive or steep turn. It is of primary importance during the landing process to get the student to gradually reduce the motor throttle, which slows the flying speed. The airplane must be going slow to land properly. Too many new students attempt to land by applying down-elevator. That speeds up the model, making it impossible to land. On the first few landings the only goal is to get the model safely on the ground. Exactly where it lands on the flying field is unimportant; placement will improve as the student does more landings on his or her own. If the student is lucky enough to have a paved or close-cut grass runway, the goal is to eventually land on it. If there are trees around the perimeter of the site, the student doesn't want to end up in one! Learning to land by himself or herself takes a great deal of practice. The more attempts the student makes, the better he or she will get at it. The frequency at which you learn to fly is of vital importance. If you have a busy schedule and can only get to the flying field once a week or every several weeks, you will not learn as fast. Years ago I taught a fellow Grumman engineer to fly by himself in two weeks. We did that by flying four flights every lunch hour for 10 working days. By getting 40 flights in during two weeks, he had it mastered. Later I had the concept published in an article and was accused of running an RC pilot's "boot camp." It was an aggressive approach to learning, and one must consider that this is a hobby that is intended for fun and relaxation. To be serious about learning, you need to be out flying at least once a week. After learning to steer in the sky and land, the last item is the takeoff or hand launch. Of the three aspects of learning to fly, this is usually the easiest. Hand launching may seem difficult at first. You should be on the transmitter, and let your instructor launch at the beginning. Get used to holding the transmitter in your left hand while you launch (throw) the model with your right. When doing this, it is best to run a few steps with the model before giving it a good heave-ho! As soon as you release the model, try to get your right hand on the control stick as quickly as possible. If the wind tries to flip the model, at least you will be in a position to correct the motion as soon as possible. Larger models are best taken off of the ground, as an airplane should be. The smoother the flying-field runway, the easier this task will be. Tail-dragger models are steered by the rudder and the tail wheel. This type of configuration is more difficult to maneuver on the ground than a tricycle-gear setup, in which the nose wheel does the steering in conjunction with the rudder. In either case, try hard not to overcontrol the steering. If the model tracks well on the ground, let it do its thing until you have sufficient flying speed, then haul back on the elevator to rotate into the air.
Click on photo to view large image with caption |
|||
|
Model Aviation Home |
|||
