IT’S APRIL 13TH here in eastern
Pennsylvania as I write this column, and
the weather has just “broken.” Winter has
finally thrown in the proverbial towel and
we are in line for much more fair weather
than foul in the foreseeable future. Spring
has sprung.
I can hardly wait to see the line at the
frequency board at the local RC
aerodrome this weekend. The weather is
supposed to be perfect. Wind speeds are
forecast to be minimal to nothing at all,
and the skies are going to be blue and
clear. Like I said, perfect. Or is it?
Is great weather really perfect flying
weather? If your criteria is simply to steer
your airplane effortlessly around the sky
with no bumps or bruises, then, okay,
according to your definition, perfect
conditions are perfect for flying. However,
if you enjoy trying to fly well in spite of
crummy conditions, then perfect weather
is just not challenging enough for you.
Let’s be honest; we all enjoy flying our
models when the transmitter (or handle)
inputs we give yield gorgeous results in
the sky. It makes us look as though we are
really accomplished pilots. If there are no
conflicting air currents aloft, our models
generally respond as if they are flying on
rails. But I wonder if we’d sooner or later
get bored if every flying day were blessed
with such docile conditions.
As a competition aerobatic pilot I know
that practicing only on perfect days will
not make me ready for the conditions that
are usually present when my name is
called to put it on the line in front of the
judges. If I haven’t practiced in wind and
turbulence, I will not be able to display
my best flight on demand in such
conditions at a contest.
Most of the really good competition
pilots I know arrive at the Nats, or other
large contest, days in advance to practice
on the site and get to know the varying
conditions intimately. Invariably one day
during this process tests the courage of
even the most gifted pilots. A day when it
is probably more prudent to leave the
model in the car or van and go to a local
eatery for some spirited hangar flying.
This is when pilots find out if they are
really ready to win. I like to call this day
the “crucible.”
If pilots can gird themselves to fly in
the face of a big wind and force their
models to go exactly where they want
them to go—and ignore the fear that is
trying to take over their consciousness—
when the wind subsides even a little, they
will feel almost invincible. Nothing else
encountered that week will faze them in
the least. The confidence boost gained by
going through the crucible unscathed is
amazing.
The reason for the confidence boost is
more than a bravado thing. It stems from
stretching your own abilities and making
yourself learn something that is outside
your comfort zone. If you fly only in calm,
perfect weather, that’s what you have
defined yourself as: a fair-weather pilot.
I’m not suggesting that everyone
reading this column should go out and fly
in a veritable hurricane right now, but
rather that you evaluate your flying skills
and then push the envelope, carefully, a bit
at a time.
If you have only flown up to this point
in dead-calm conditions, pick a day when
the winds are between 5 and 10 mph and
learn completely how your model responds
before venturing aloft in stouter
conditions.
It’s important, too, to learn to fly in
crosswind and turbulent conditions.
Turbulence is much different from straight
wind. It is wind that has been passed
through something that deflects it into
roils of conflicting currents—and no two
currents are ever alike! Flying in
turbulence is more a test of your reflexes
than your courage!
If, for example, the prevailing winds at
your field are straight down the runway
and are coming in from across an open
meadow, there will not be too much
Bob Hunt Aeromodeling Editor
If you fly only in calm,
perfect weather, that’s
what you have defined
yourself as: a fairweather
pilot.
Modeling Spoken Here
June 2005 7
turbulence. If the wind comes at a right
angle to its normal direction, however, and
has to pass over a line of trees that is
adjacent to the runway, expect some
interesting airplane movement and be
ready to adjust the controls instantly and
often to keep the model on track.
Turbulence can slam a model from the
air violently or toss it upward suddenly.
You need to be ready to react to both
circumstances in quick succession.
Learning to fly your model in any
prevailing conditions also makes you a
safer pilot. It’s a bit like knowing how to
drive your car on wet or slippery
pavement as well as you can on dry roads.
I’m a motorcycle safety instructor
(technically known as a RiderCoach) parttime,
and we have a saying in our program
that fits this discussion: The more you
know, the better it gets!
Do you have some turbulence you want to
pass my way or something you want to
breeze by me? I can be reached at (610)
614-1747 or via E-mail at bobhunt@
mapisp.com. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/06
Page Numbers: 7,183
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/06
Page Numbers: 7,183
IT’S APRIL 13TH here in eastern
Pennsylvania as I write this column, and
the weather has just “broken.” Winter has
finally thrown in the proverbial towel and
we are in line for much more fair weather
than foul in the foreseeable future. Spring
has sprung.
I can hardly wait to see the line at the
frequency board at the local RC
aerodrome this weekend. The weather is
supposed to be perfect. Wind speeds are
forecast to be minimal to nothing at all,
and the skies are going to be blue and
clear. Like I said, perfect. Or is it?
Is great weather really perfect flying
weather? If your criteria is simply to steer
your airplane effortlessly around the sky
with no bumps or bruises, then, okay,
according to your definition, perfect
conditions are perfect for flying. However,
if you enjoy trying to fly well in spite of
crummy conditions, then perfect weather
is just not challenging enough for you.
Let’s be honest; we all enjoy flying our
models when the transmitter (or handle)
inputs we give yield gorgeous results in
the sky. It makes us look as though we are
really accomplished pilots. If there are no
conflicting air currents aloft, our models
generally respond as if they are flying on
rails. But I wonder if we’d sooner or later
get bored if every flying day were blessed
with such docile conditions.
As a competition aerobatic pilot I know
that practicing only on perfect days will
not make me ready for the conditions that
are usually present when my name is
called to put it on the line in front of the
judges. If I haven’t practiced in wind and
turbulence, I will not be able to display
my best flight on demand in such
conditions at a contest.
Most of the really good competition
pilots I know arrive at the Nats, or other
large contest, days in advance to practice
on the site and get to know the varying
conditions intimately. Invariably one day
during this process tests the courage of
even the most gifted pilots. A day when it
is probably more prudent to leave the
model in the car or van and go to a local
eatery for some spirited hangar flying.
This is when pilots find out if they are
really ready to win. I like to call this day
the “crucible.”
If pilots can gird themselves to fly in
the face of a big wind and force their
models to go exactly where they want
them to go—and ignore the fear that is
trying to take over their consciousness—
when the wind subsides even a little, they
will feel almost invincible. Nothing else
encountered that week will faze them in
the least. The confidence boost gained by
going through the crucible unscathed is
amazing.
The reason for the confidence boost is
more than a bravado thing. It stems from
stretching your own abilities and making
yourself learn something that is outside
your comfort zone. If you fly only in calm,
perfect weather, that’s what you have
defined yourself as: a fair-weather pilot.
I’m not suggesting that everyone
reading this column should go out and fly
in a veritable hurricane right now, but
rather that you evaluate your flying skills
and then push the envelope, carefully, a bit
at a time.
If you have only flown up to this point
in dead-calm conditions, pick a day when
the winds are between 5 and 10 mph and
learn completely how your model responds
before venturing aloft in stouter
conditions.
It’s important, too, to learn to fly in
crosswind and turbulent conditions.
Turbulence is much different from straight
wind. It is wind that has been passed
through something that deflects it into
roils of conflicting currents—and no two
currents are ever alike! Flying in
turbulence is more a test of your reflexes
than your courage!
If, for example, the prevailing winds at
your field are straight down the runway
and are coming in from across an open
meadow, there will not be too much
Bob Hunt Aeromodeling Editor
If you fly only in calm,
perfect weather, that’s
what you have defined
yourself as: a fairweather
pilot.
Modeling Spoken Here
June 2005 7
turbulence. If the wind comes at a right
angle to its normal direction, however, and
has to pass over a line of trees that is
adjacent to the runway, expect some
interesting airplane movement and be
ready to adjust the controls instantly and
often to keep the model on track.
Turbulence can slam a model from the
air violently or toss it upward suddenly.
You need to be ready to react to both
circumstances in quick succession.
Learning to fly your model in any
prevailing conditions also makes you a
safer pilot. It’s a bit like knowing how to
drive your car on wet or slippery
pavement as well as you can on dry roads.
I’m a motorcycle safety instructor
(technically known as a RiderCoach) parttime,
and we have a saying in our program
that fits this discussion: The more you
know, the better it gets!
Do you have some turbulence you want to
pass my way or something you want to
breeze by me? I can be reached at (610)
614-1747 or via E-mail at bobhunt@
mapisp.com. MA