Step 1:  Watch others fly and learn.

Step 2:  Join the AMA, Get Insured.

Step 3:  Join the RAMS Club

Step 4:  Get a flight simulator (this step is optional)

Step 5:  Get your first plane or chopper!

Step 6:  Get your radio (transmitter, receiver and servos).

Step 7:  Put the plane or chopper together.

Step 8:  Get Your Accessories.

Step 9:  Your first flights - fly with an instructor.

Step 10:  You Solo...but you're not alone!

First of all, you can be sure of one thing:  flying is an absolute blast!  It's a kicker, the ultimate hobby, dancin' in the sky.  And besides all of that, when you learn to fly Radio Control airplanes or helicopters you learn something about:

  • Aircraft structures and construction
  • Aerodynamics
  • Engines or motors
  • Electronics
  • Maintenance and repair
  • Control

Aaannnddd, you can enjoy the hobby until you're so old you can barely walk and someone has to drive you to the field.  Below is a brief outline on how to get started.

Step 1 ? Watch others fly and learn

There is nothing like watching and asking questions when getting into a sophisticated hobby.  Come to the field, watch, ask and take notes.  Take a look at the different planes and watch how people prepare for flight, what they do in flight and how they pack up to go home.

Notice the different kinds of planes, paying special attention to the training planes which have the high wing with a dihedral - wings that have a bend in the middle so that the wing tips are higher than the center, helping the plane to right itself somewhat like a parachute.

When do people fly?

The majority of pilots fly on weekends and weekdays after work.  On any nice weekend you can catch 20 planes at the field ? all sizes and shapes.

Ask questions. 

Don't be shy.  I have yet to meet an R/C pilot unwilling to share information especially when it's to help someone get started in the hobby.  Heck, you might want to write a few things down like best airplanes to buy, radios, engine, new vs. used, training, web sites, etc.

Web sites.   

There are plenty of web sites with information.  One of the best is http://www.rcuniverse.com/ which is by far the most popular RC website for discussion and also where most people buy their new or used equipment.

Step 2:  Join the AMA, Get Insured

The reason for this is that the Academy of Model Aviation (AMA) provides you with about $1M worth of insurance.  This covers you and the unlikely case that you are involved in a serious accident.  Their web site is http://modelaircraft.org/.  One year open membership is $58, senior citizens are eligible for $10 discount and junior members are only $15 with magazine, $1 without magazine.  If you join in October, your membership will last thru the entire following year.  The AMA membership application can be found HERE.  Other benefits include a great monthly magazine and the ability to enter into competitions and fly at other fields.  Every field I know of requires that you be a member of the AMA to join.  

Step 3:  Join the RAMS Club (requires AMA license)

The main reason for this is that joining the club gives you access to the field and it's stable of training pilots. Additionally the Air Force base requires any person flying an RC aircraft on base to be a member of the RAMS Club.  The RAMS membership application can be found HERE.  Fill out the application and return to one of the club officers.  The current cost of membership is only $5 annually.  

Step 4:  Get a flight simulator (this step is optional)

As you may have heard, it's not a cheap hobby.  However, a simulator that runs on your PC will save you lots of money.  One of the trainers in our club says he can tell instantly when a young pilot has been on a simulator before coming out for training.  They just know how to handle the sticks!  The motion on the joysticks needs to be quite light and usually beginners over-correct.

Certainly you can learn to fly without a simulator but given today's environment, where you can download one for free, why not!  And if you're going to fly choppers, trust me, you want to do this.

Currently the best flight simulator on the market is probably AeroFlyPro.
www.aeroflypro.com

Free Simulators are Here!

Some have had great luck with the FMS Flight Simulator.  It is free and comes with a dozen types of airplanes and choppers.  You can fly with the keyboard or you can build a cord that connects to the RC transmitter to the computer via the parallel printer port, the serial port or a USB port. The cord connects to the transmitter via he buddy cord slot on the back of your transmitter.  With the joysticks, this thing is a good start and the price is right!  Here is the site:

http://n.ethz.ch/student/mmoeller/fms/index_e.html

You download the program (currently it's FMS 2 Beta 7) and then install it on your computer.  The manual and cables are available from http://www.helihobby.com/html/fms_manual.html.  To make the cable yourself I understand you can order the parts from http://www.heliguy.com/nexus/fmsinterface.html.  Here are a bunch of other planes you can download into FMS: http://www.rc-sim.org/downloads_all.htm

Step 5:  Get your first plane or chopper!

There are many choices here but let me simplify it for you.  Electrics are lighter and less powerful and can be flown in most parks, however they still don't have the power that gas powered planes have and so gas powered are still more prevalent.  In the old days, everyone built their planes from kits.  Nowadays many buy ARFs (Almost Ready to Fly) which means about 90% of the work is done and the plane can be finished in a few hours.  Nowadays you can also get Ready To Fly (RTF) planes.  The more you build, the less you pay. 

Typically you'll put one or two seasons with a trainer and then move on to something a little hotter.  Trainers typically are four channels: throttle, ailerons, elevator, and rudder.  Some trainers come with just 3 channels leaving out the ailerons and depending on the dihedral in the wing to cause the plane to bank.

Gliders will often have just 2 channels - elevator and rudder.  Actually, the proper term is sailplane as the term glider implies that it just glides down (as in WWII) whereas sailplanes can catch thermos and soar.  The really sweet thing about sailplanes is how slowly they fly, giving you ample time to recover from errors.  However it is tricky to get in long flights, unless of course the sailplane has a motor attached or you fly near a windy slope or cliff.  Usually sailplane motors tend to be electric, although you can stick a small gas powered engine on them as well. One thing you want to be careful about is not letting the plane get down wind of the flying field as you may have trouble getting it back.  Upwind is safer.

Some local hobby stores include:

RC Hobby Center

Radical RC

Step 6:  Get your radio (transmitter, receiver and servos)

You can either buy a complete radio system with everything or buy the transmitter, receiver, servos, batteries separately to suite your needs.  The most popular brands are Futaba, JR, Hitec, and Airtronics.  Get at least 4 channels, if not 6 for starters.  The more channels you have, the more you can do and the longer it will last your growing abilities.  Newer computer radios are extremely capable and versatile as well and will surely be worth the extra cost in longevity as you grow with the hobby.

Step 7:  Put the plane or chopper together

Usually you will have bought an ARF or a used plane or chopper that needs to be finished.  It's a good idea to have someone with experience look it over and tell you what the critical items are.  Obviously you want to follow any directions that come with the plane.  Note that often, people deviate from the directions in order to improve on them or to try different techniques and learn.

Mounting the engine

Make sure your engine is securely mounted with appropriate bolts, washers, and nuts.  Use threadlock for any area that might vibrate loose.  Most sport planes are set up with about 2-3 degrees of right thrust to aid in offsetting the effects of engine torque.

Now for the gas tank

Most people wrap the gas tank in foam to help isolate it from the aircraft vibrations.  It should be mid-level with the carburetor and usually just inside the firewall.  Two tubes go into the tank, one is hooked to a tube with a weight on it so that if the plane is upside down the plane still gets fuel.  The other acts as a vent at the top of the tank and is typically connected to the pressure tap on the muffler.  Make sure the tank is air tight otherwise and that no pinholes exist in any of the lines or tubing.  Many problems have been traced to air leaking into the lines.  Also make sure none of the lines are pinched anywhere.  Many pilots will place a filter between on the line leading to the carb.  Balance the aircraft with the tank empty to ensure that the plane will not become unstable as the nose gets lighter!

Step 8:  Get Your Accessories

You?ll need a few other things to fly, and it can get a bit expensive when you sum it all up.  If money is a problem, you can make some of these things yourself.

All Planes require:

-         A frequency pin ? which shows in large, bold letters a number related to your frequency on a 3? x 4? sheet of paper, usually enclosed in plastic with a cloth pin or other clip-on device to allow you to clip it onto the flying pole in the field.  Some more crowded clubs require your AMA card. Often the frequency number is on the top of the radio. 

Gas powered engines may require:

-         electric starter to crank the engine

-         12V battery to power the electric starter

-         glow plug battery to heat up the glow plug during the start

-         chicken stick for turning the prop manually and saving your fingers.  You can buy one or make one.

-         fuel; 10% (or 15%) nitromethane for 2-cycle engines.  Get at most hobby stores.

-         fuel pump to fill your tank.  This can be manual or electrical.

-         all-purpose cleaner to clean off the wings, e.g. Fantastik or Windex or a mixture of soap and water.

-         rags or a roll of paper towels for cleaning the castor oil of the fuselage and wings

-         flight box to put all this stuff into.  Lots off people also use an over-the-shoulder bag (as well) as often not everything fits in the flight box.

-         spare glow plugs.  It's good to have a couple of spare as they do burn out or break once in a while

-         glow plug wrench

-         spare prop or two

-         small piece of copper tubing to connect the fuel line to the carburetor for refueling.  (see also, Post Flight below)

Step 9:  Your first flights - fly with an instructor

Our club has designated about 5 guys as flight instructors.  They know how to set up the buddy-cord and have enough experience to be able to check out your plane

Advice that will save you $$$

Do not try to fly a gas powered plane without a flight instructor.  On your own you will absolutely and without a doubt put the plane back into kit form!  You will save lots of $$$ by following this small piece of advice.

Do Not Turn on Your Transmitter

without first checking that your frequency is not going to collide with someone else's at the field as you can literally shoot his/her plane right out of the sky by simply turning it on!

Buddy Cord System

The instructor will bring a transmitter and buddy cord to hook up to your transmitter so that he/she can control the plane and pass you the controls once the plane is up in the air and away from the ground.  As you improve the instructor will yield more and more control to you until you are taking off, flying and landing.

The Hardest Part In Flying

By far the hardest part of flying is landing and getting used to the control reversal as the plane is coming towards you (as the plane is coming towards you, if you move the aileron to the right, the plane banks to the your left).  The instructor will show you how to bleed off the energy for landing.  If you've flown the simulator you will know quite a bit about this already.

Pre-flight

  1. Recharge transmitter, receiver, starter and glow plug batteries.
  2. Fix any tears in monokote.
  3. Check all surfaces to make sure they are on securely.  Try pulling gently on each surface to insure hinges. 
  4. Check that the engine is on nice and tight.
  5. Make sure the servos are on tight and don't rock when you activate them to move the surfaces.
  6. Fill gas bottle with gas.  Usually a 16 oz bottle is plenty if you want to save weight and your back (and not carry a full gallon).

Steps to flight

  1. Post your flight pin on the flight pole.  You should do this before you turn on your transmitter.  Hopefully you'll be the only one on that frequency.
  2. Check the transmitter by leaving the antenna down and walking off 25 yards while flexing the surfaces.  Always try to have the receiver receiving a signal when it's turned on.  In other words turn the transmitter on first and turn it off last.
  3. Put the wing securely on the fuselage
  4. Pump gas into the tank via the tube that goes to the carburetor
  5. Connect the starter to the starter battery (if applicable)
  6. Prime the engine.  Most people simply place their finger over the carburetor and spin the prop 3 or 4 times by hand or with the starter.  You can also just squirt some fuel in with the fuel pump.
  7. Place the glow plug battery on the motor
  8. Start the engine with the starter
  9. Adjust the needle valve until the engine is at full RPM and then open it up slightly (about 20 degrees) to make it a bit richer for times when the plane is pointed upwards
  10. Check the richness by pointing the plane up and checking that it doesn't die out
  11. Check the wind direction and pick the takeoff direction - into the wind is preferable as it takes the least amount of runway
  12. Carry the plane to the landing strip and check all the surfaces for proper operation. 
  13. Check that the field is clear of planes and pilots.  Announce that you are taking off - "Taking off!"  Make sure other pilots who are flying hear you.
  14. Give the baby full throttle, some up elevator and take off! 

Tips:

  • It's good to have an idea in your mind as to what you want to do.  It doesn't hurt to have rehearsed how you are going to control the airplane as it takes off by imagining the first minutes of the flight in your mind.
  • Stay away from the sun so you don't get blinded.
  • Try slow turns at first, nothing fancy, then slow figure eights.  Practice passes over the runway in preparation for landing.
  • Fly upwind rather than downwind from the landing area - in case the engine cuts out.  You want to have enough energy to get back.
  • If you get confused, wiggle the sticks to get your directions straight.  

Post-flight

  1. Disconnect tubing from carb and muffler and connect together with copper tubing. (optional)
  2. Run engine dry to help keep the bearings (especially ball bearings) from being immersed in the stuff.
  3. Turn off receiver, transmitter.
  4. Relinquish your frequency so others may use it.
  5. Clean off airplane.  You can use Windex or Fantastik, or equivalent.
  6. Inject a few drops of After Run Oil to lubricate and turn prop several times to work the oil into the bearings (especially for ball bearing engines)
  7. Pack up and go home!

Step 10 ? You Solo ? but you're not alone!

Once you are proficient in all the key aspects of flying you will officially solo and the trainer will announce the fact to the Club via the web site.  This means you can go and fly by yourself.  You will also receive a certificate that you can show off to your friends and neighbors.

The sky is the limit.  There are so many maneuvers!  The Aresti Aerobatic Maneuvers Catalogue provides a very comprehensive list of aerobatic maneuvers and their difficulty rating http://www.fai.org/aerobatics/catalog/pdf/Catalog.PDF

http://members.tripod.com/flyboy19 - This site contains some good tips on building and flying.

http://webpages.charter.net/mediashop/rc-giant-scale/technical-flt-trim.htm - provides some tips on trimming your airplane.

http://directory.google.com/Top/Recreation/Aviation/Model_Aviation/Radio_Controlled/ -contains lots of great links to R/C sites.

Well I hope you found this introduction helpful.  Enjoy the skies.

The End