Focus on Education - 2003/10

MANY OF YOU have been asking for
ideas on performance testing for a club
training program. The following includes
both ground school and flight performance
standards that you may want to use and/or
adjust for your needs. If you have any
questions about this, please feel free to
contact me.
Aerodynamics
The trainee will:
• Given a list of aerodynamic terms and
definitions, match the definition to each
term.
• Given a diagram of the training
aircraft, identify each of the components.
• From a list of statements on the three
axes of rotation and flight-control surface
names, match each statement with the
corresponding surface.
• Given a list of the individual control
surfaces and a list of their effects on the
flight of the aircraft, match each effect
with its associated control surface.
• From a list of statements on the
principles of flight, select the statement
that describes the flight principles of the
training aircraft.
• Given a list of true/false statements on
stalls and the factors affecting stalling
characteristics, select the true statement.
• Given a diagram of the relationships
between lift, weight, thrust, drag, and
angle of attack, identify the flight mode
applicable in that relationship.
• From a list of flight factors, select
those factors affecting lift, drag, and
ground effect.
• From a list of true/false statements,
select the statement that correctly
describes how an airplane turns.
• Given a diagram of three types of
aircraft stability, identify positive, neutral,
and negative stability.
• From a list of true/false statements on
the effects of bank angle on load factor
(LF) and the effects of LF on stalling
speed, select the true statement.
Mechanics of Two-Stroke Engines
The trainee will:
• Given a diagram of a two-stroke model
aircraft engine, identify the engine parts.
• Given a list of true/false statements of
the operating cycles of a two-stroke
engine, select the true statement.
Radio Control (RC) System Introduction
The trainee will:
• Given a list of the components of the
radio-control system, choose the
application of the component.
• Select from a list the requirements for
battery charging.
• From a list of true/false statements on
the operating restrictions imposed by radio
frequencies, select the true statement.
Crosswind Effects
• The trainee will:
• From a list of true/false statements,
select the true statement on the effects of
wind on aircraft flight path.
• Given a list of true/false statements on
the proper execution of turns in windy
conditions, select the true statement.
• Given a list of the effects of
headwinds, tailwinds, and crosswinds on
aircraft ground tracking, identify the
compensation techniques for each effect.
Aircraft Electronics Systems
The trainee will:
• Given a list of components of the RC
aircraft, select their location on/in the RC
aircraft.
• From a list of true/false statements on
the component operation and function,
select the true statement.
RC Aircraft Flight Preparation and
Familiarization
• Given the RC training aircraft, engine
starter, and fueling and defueling station,
the trainee will demonstrate by
performance fueling, defueling, engine
starting, routine maintenance, preflight
checks, and taxi procedures utilizing the
checklist while observing all pertinent
safety precautions.
RC Aircraft Fueling and Defueling
Procedures
The trainee will:
• Perform the procedures for fueling
and defueling the RC training aircraft
utilizing the steps of the checklist.
• Perform the procedures for properly
storing aircraft fuel.
RC Aircraft Engine Starting and Needle
Valve
The trainee will:
• Perform the procedures used to start
the RC training aircraft engine.
• Perform the procedures used to adjust
the needle valve for proper operation of
the RC training aircraft engine and adjust
it to its proper mixture setting.
RC Aircraft Routine Maintenance and
Preflight Procedures
The trainee will:
• Perform preflight of the RC training
aircraft utilizing the steps of the checklist.
RC Aircraft Taxi Training
The trainee will:
• Perform obstacle-avoidance procedures
while taxing the RC training aircraft
between cones that are spaced 40 feet apart.
RC Aircraft Basic Flight Skills
Development
• Given the RC training aircraft, the
trainee will perform basic aircraft-control
functions in flight including launch,
recovery, and solo flight, maintaining
specific traffic pattern positions for
accuracy while observing all pertinent
safety precautions.
RC Aircraft Orientation Flight
The trainee will:
• Perform the proper stick commands
for aircraft response in the roll, pitch, and
yaw axes, and throttle command changes.
• Perform aircraft banked turns while
maintaining a safe and constant altitude.
RC Aircraft Air Speed and Altitude
Control Basic Maneuvering
• Maintain constant airspeed and
altitude while performing basic turns using
the basic RC training aircraft.
RC Aircraft Ground Reference Maneuvers
The trainee will:
• Maintain required airspeed, altitude,
and position of aircraft while performing
ground reference maneuvers.
RC Aircraft Stall Recognition and
Recovery
The trainee will:
• Perform stalls and stall recoveries.
RC Aircraft Landing Patterns, Approach,
and Trim for Descent
The trainee will:
• Perform landing patterns with
required approaches and trim for airspeed.
RC Aircraft Takeoffs
The trainee will:
• Perform a safe takeoff, steering the
aircraft on centerline, and climb out.
RC Aircraft Landing Patterns with Touchand-
Gos
The trainee will:
• Perform constant approach patterns
and safe touch-and-gos in a touchdown
zone 100 x 5 meters.
RC Aircraft Supervised Solo Flight
The trainee will:
• Perform control of the aircraft as a
solo pilot throughout normal touch-and-go
patterns with overall accuracy of 80%
maintained in execution.
RC Aircraft Advanced Flight Skills
Development
• Given the RC training aircraft, the
trainee will perform touch-and-gos,
crosswind landings, extended-range flights,
emergency responses, and payload
management within prescribed parameters
while observing all pertinent safety
precautions.
RC Aircraft Touch-and-Gos with Power
On
The trainee will:
• Perform touch-and-gos utilizing power
to adjust for the 50 x 5-meter landing zone.
RC Aircraft Touch-and-Gos with Power
Off
The trainee will:
• Perform training aircraft touch-andgos,
with power off, utilizing a specified
zone 100 x 5 meters.
RC Aircraft Extended-Range Flight
The trainee will:
• Perform extended-range flight at
distances between 900 and 1,200 meters.
everyone’s help and patience, we will come
through this as a club, intact, and in a new
location. It just won’t happen overnight.”
The next story comes from Don Fajen of the
Guymon Flying Tigers Radio Control (RC)
Club in Guymon, Oklahoma. You’ll see that
the Flying Tigers used some inventive
approaches to get their field prepared and
covered. Note that this club opted to use
relatively inexpensive geotextile as a flying
surface. Once the surface is prepared, this
material is something your own members can
apply without too many sore muscles.
“We are the Guymon Flying Tigers RC
Club located in Guymon, Oklahoma, in the
middle of the Oklahoma Panhandle. The
pictures are not in order, but depict the
before, during, and after stages.
“This project started after viewing
pictures of your field and the one in Elk City,
Oklahoma. We started the project by
establishing a field-improvement fund with
two $100 contributions. A raffle and fun-fly
added roughly $1,000. An anonymous pledge
of $1,000 was offered on the premise that we
could raise the balance needed.
“Members and others contributed
amounts from $25 to $250 and we soon had
the necessary funds. We were able to get the
dirt work done by the county at no charge.
We ordered geotextile from Maxwell Supply
in Oklahoma City—four rolls of #2019 (15 x
300) and one roll of #2006 (15 x 250). The
sheriff furnished us with work crews to help
lay the material and put the spikes in.
Club members rolling out the geotextile.
Geotextile complete except for the
shrinking process. Leave it to the sun!
“We will stripe the runway, taxiway, and
ramp when the runway finishes shrinking. It is
still a work in progress as we have plans to
put a chain link fence in front of the spectator
area and some painting and signs, but we are
well along to a great flying field.”
Got a potential flying site problem? Get
involved! Get Joe or me involved. We’re here
to help!
Flying Site Assistance
Continued from page 159