Radio Control Helicopters
Mark Fadely [email protected]
A teacher’s story about helicopter activity in his school
HELLO AGAIN, EVERYONE. Thanks to all of you who have been sending e-mails to me. Your input has much to do with this column’s future direction. I have gotten letters from quite a few of you, and this month’s story comes to you via one member’s Internet correspondence.
There is more activity going on with RC helicopters than ever. I have written about how the new breed of mini electrics has greatly boosted interest in helicopters.
If you have ever considered getting into helicopters, now is the time. We are seeing new pilots of all ages getting a great start, thanks to the recent advancements in every aspect of the equipment.
The 2.4 GHz radios and clean, smoke-free mini helicopters are taking over! I still enjoy flying my big 90-size nitro model, but it is not a beginner’s machine. The mini electric bug has bitten me too. They are a lot of fun and they keep your skills sharp if you can’t fly outside in the winter.
I know many of you are airplane fliers and you read this column every month because you are interested in helicopters too. What are you waiting for? Go buy a little electric helicopter and give it a go. I don’t think you will regret it.
I don’t know of any airplane-to-helicopter converts who have given up helicopters to go back to airplanes exclusively; it is usually the opposite. I do know of several former airplane pilots who now fly only helicopters. It surely says something about their appeal.
I received a great e-mail from Dave Hagelganz: a junior high teacher in Idaho who is also a helicopter pilot. He has taken time to share his passion for the hobby with his students. He wrote:
"First I’d like to say how much I’m enjoying the helicopter articles in Model Aviation magazine. You’re doing a great job! Very up to date and in touch with what’s going on in helicopters today.
"In your first column you made the observation that RTF E[lectric] helicopters are bringing young people into the hobby. Since reading that, I’ve had some experience with that very thing at work.
"I'm a junior high teacher and somehow word has gotten out around school that I’m into helicopters. So students have been showing up in my room wanting to talk helicopters, fly helicopters, work on helicopters, etc.
"It's now considered normal for a kid to walk into my room while I’m helping another student with real school work, hand me a transmitter and ask if I would please trim his helicopter. So I take the transmitter, hover the helicopter in my room, make a couple of comments and then hand the transmitter back.
"The other kids in the room watch quietly. The owner of the helicopter says thank you, folds his blades and leaves the room. Then we just go back to work as if nothing unusual happened. It’s all a bit surreal.
"So now after school in come the helicopter pilots. We fly, perform impromptu rebuilds, and crowd around my computer to check out the helicopter forums. I finally contacted the principal about starting a club. I got keys to the gym and we’re going to have weekly flies after school.
"I'm setting up my outdated copy of RealFlight G2 on a spare computer. I’ve got a car battery next to my desk, which at this very minute is charging some kid’s Li-Poly. The spare room is littered with entry-level helicopters.
"I set up a large sound system in my spacious room and we're going to play cool music for the kids to fly to. Get the energy up, ya know? We'll do some obstacle stuff, pick up rings, etc.
"Most of the kids have fixed-pitch pod-and-boom helicopters or coaxials. I'm teaching them safe modeling practices such as flight lines, frequency control and just common sense. Like not trying to fly your CX2 inverted just because you saw your teacher do it with a T-Rex. I'll bring in local experts to do demos.
"So now we're a club! We only have a half-dozen members so far but I'm sure it's going to grow. The kids and I are having a great time.
"Thanks again for putting so much heart and energy into your column. Each month I read something that rings true.
"Here's what a couple of the students have said about helicopters: Garret Burman likes helicopters because, 'They are so maneuverable. They can do things airplanes can't.'
"Jacob Holthaus says, 'They're interesting because of their complexity. It's really satisfying when you pull off a new move.'"
Wow, Dave! That is such a great story. I wish I had a teacher like you when I was in junior high. That is an awesome experience you are giving those kids. You can see how much they love it in the pictures.
I asked Dave to tell me a little about himself: what’s his background in RC, where he's from, and how he got into helicopters.
"I am 49 years old and live in Pullman, Washington. I've been married for 28 years. I teach junior high in Lewiston, Idaho, which is 33 miles south of Pullman.
"I've been in RC for about 30 years. I've been a fixed wing 3D fanatic for years, flying everything from profiles to giant scale IMAC (International Miniature Aerobatic Club) models.
"Since being bitten by the helicopter bug about five years ago, fixed wing has kind of taken a back seat. I consider myself an intermediate helicopter pilot. I can fly backwards upright and inverted, do basic tic-tocs, but am still working on pirouette flips."
Nice! It is good to hear from another 40-something pilot. I am 47 and it seems to be a great age to be flying helicopters. Even though I forget where my glasses are many times, I don't forget how to fly a helicopter. I guess as you get older your brain prioritizes what you need to know, and helicopters are high on the list.
I really appreciate Dave's taking the time in his story. I hope all the students have a long career in RC helicopters. In 20–30 years I hope they are teaching their kids how to fly.
I love to hear stories like Dave's. If you are doing something like this or have a fun helicopter-related story of any kind, I would enjoy hearing about it. It is nice to get a real-world account of how helicopters are bringing the hobby to new pilots in unique ways.
The flying season is in full swing now. Have you revisited your flying goals for the year or have you been working on them?
I keep coming back to this in my column because I think it is important to keep training at the forefront of your mind. There are many ways to enjoy this hobby, but there are very few pilots who do not want to improve their game.
It is a great deal of work to train consistently and improve your flying. I have all the same feelings, so you are not alone in this. Sometimes you are really fired up to go fly, and at other times it seems that every excuse not to fly is what you think about.
I saw a post about this online recently, and plenty of good information was exchanged. Some people said not to fly if it does not feel right. Others claimed that the only way to get over those negative feelings is to fly your way through them.
It seems that fear of crashing (FOC) is one of the most common flight stoppers. The longer it is between flights, the higher the FOC. The only way to get over this is to go fly. If this sounds familiar to you, get out there.
If you were told that you could no longer fly, would you have any regrets about what you had or had not done? We should view our hobby with this kind of urgency to get the most out of it. Is there a young pilot you have mentored to help out but have not made time for? The gist of all this is to not get lazy.
Dave's story is inspirational to me not just because he is helping the kids but because he is helping himself by staying fresh and active in the hobby. It does not matter how old you are; it just matters how long you have been flying and at what point your enthusiasm fades a bit.
It will probably happen to everyone sooner or later, and that is the time to decide whether the benefits this hobby holds are worth the effort you have to put in. That is a personal decision for everyone, but if you were excited to get into helicopters you should work out a way to keep that feeling alive.
I am getting off my soapbox now. Just go fly and have fun! Thanks for reading; I'll be back next month. MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
