Learning and practicing
Scott Stoops — [email protected]
I hope this fall finds you and yours happy and healthy! Thanks to all who took the time to respond to my request for new ideas and for the kind words of congratulations on this new column. The response was overwhelming and much appreciated.
The most common request for content generally included the question, “How do I learn xxx maneuver?” or some variation on that theme. Instead of jumping right into a specific skill, it seems as though it’s a good idea to discuss the process of learning to fly RC model airplanes in a more comprehensive sense. Although there isn’t a magic bullet that makes any maneuver or skill easy, I’ve found several tips that can make a huge difference.
It is critical to acknowledge that we all learn differently. I find this to be particularly pronounced when working with pilots of different ages. Younger pilots (to a point) adapt and learn faster. I believe this is in part because younger pilots are accustomed to learning — they do it in school every day.
For those of us in middle age (I’m 39), I haven’t attended any formal, non-job-related classes in nearly 20 years. I think it is fair to say that I’ve forgotten how to learn as well as I once could. The tips that follow are my attempt to distill some learning skills and processes we can apply to our flying to help us improve.
Owning It
Probably the most important mindset with regard to flying model airplanes is the premise that you, as the pilot, are in control. This seems obvious, but you wouldn’t believe the number of times I’ve heard pilots claim that the airplane just “did” this or that as if it had intent or will. Clearly, your model has neither. It is, in all instances, doing what you told it to do.
Unfortunately, sometimes we don’t realize what we told it to do. Additionally, 2.4 GHz technology has nearly eliminated glitches and interference-related issues, making the connection between the pilot and model as secure as it has ever been.
Sure, each airplane’s performance and feel differs, causing it to respond differently to the control inputs based on those unique characteristics. It is your job, as a pilot, to learn each model’s unique characteristics and adapt your control inputs to better operate the model. Always remember that you are in control and 100% responsible for the model’s flight path.
A Sense of Purpose
To improve as a pilot, you need to focus on learning and fly with a sense of purpose. I hear far too many pilots complain that they’re not getting better, yet they fly basically the same flight each time. They take off, burning holes in the sky with the throttle wide open, their left thumb resting on the side of the transmitter, followed by a loop or roll, and a mediocre landing. In that short flight, there were at least a couple dozen opportunities to work on a skill or maneuver.
That isn’t to say that you shouldn’t spend part of each flight just messing around, but I’d argue that the only way to improve is to spend a sizeable part of each flight working on a specific skill. When working with a student, I’d prefer it to be at least 50% of each flight, but I would settle for a solid third. This brings me to my next point: plan your flight.
Flight Plan
When I speak of having a flight plan, a more correct term might be to plan the flight, or at least have a rough outline of what you’d like to accomplish. My competition aerobatic flights are nearly 100% scripted. Flying the Sukhoi forces me to work on skills that I struggle with instead of only doing what I’m already comfortable with or enjoy the most.
It could be something as simple as forcing myself to work on outside snaps or rolling circles for 5 to 10 minutes (I dislike these maneuvers, but I have to be competent at both). In that same sense, I routinely see excellent pilots who are horrible at landing their models. Not unlike a four-point roll, relatively simple things such as takeoffs, landings, and flying a clean traffic pattern are maneuvers that should be practiced and perfected. By allowing time in each flight for a couple of touch-and-gos, you can improve your skills. Plan your flight and fly your plan!
Effectively Using Flight Simulators
Flight simulators are one of the primary reasons that the skill of the average RC pilot has improved as much as it has in the last decade. The quality of the simulation is so close to feeling real that the skills can be directly translated to the model with a high level of confidence.
Being able to hit reset and have a perfect new airplane sitting on the runway allows you to attempt new maneuvers with confidence. Pilots of every level can benefit from incorporating a quality flight simulator into their training repertoire.
I have a couple of suggestions about how to use the simulator, however:
- Use the largest monitor you can find. This helps give useful visual perspective that isn’t possible on a small screen. I have an HDMI output from my laptop into a 60-inch LCD TV in the family room that works great.
- Stand while flying. Unless you sit while flying at the RC field, sitting in front of your computer flying the simulator doesn’t resemble how you’ll hold your transmitter at the field. If you fly with a transmitter strap, use it while flying on the simulator as well.
Conclusion
Flying model airplanes can be a frustrating endeavor. It isn’t easy, and the path to success can be fraught with setbacks.
That noted, it is also one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. Seeing the smile on a student’s face after a first solo is absolutely priceless. Own it, fly, and train with a sense of purpose; make a plan and fly it! You can do this.
As always, remember that learning is fun — and fun is what this great hobby is all about!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
