flying tips

[ray62202]

If I had a wish while learning to fly, it would be to have a thread/list of flying tips that the gurus know, but the beginners don't know yet. Things like 'focus your attention on the mainshaft or skids for an indication of where the heli is going to move next' is something that can really help. Tips on simplying learning to hover are invaluable.

A lot of these ideas are just not obvious to beginners. The Finless videos for building are absolutely priceless while learning to build, it would be great if there were some equivalent repository for learning to fly.

Any tips from the more experienced?

[Jermo]

tag for ref

[EricW]

Yes would be helpful imo.
I spend a lot of time in the simulator and I manage to do all kinds of stuff i never did in real life :)
But most of it is learned by just trying and see what it does, crashing is not hurting at all so...
I also found some instruction videos by Finless and others using the simulator, that are very good, i learned doing Autos in the sim by watching them, all great stuff.

What i would love to see is a approach that uses the basics to successfully train a certain manoeuvre from a-z, with the proper manoeuvre names.
Tried to look at programs of 3d events on the net, and found some stuff too, but it doesn't explain how to get in a Funnel or how to do proper tick tocks.
It's very hard to watch the recorded stickaction of pro's, they have GOOD Collective management so the movements are extremely small and fast.

I know that the best thing is to have a pro on the other side of a trainercord, but where i live we have no Pro's or experienced heli pilots that are willing to give me advice AFAIK.
In my area the guys all fly around with nitro/electro planes (just like me until recently) and they don't take heli's that serious (to hard, to expensive they say..)

So a lesson/manoeuvre accompanied with a video or SIM replayfile at a time, and a forum to ask questions about it would be very motivating IMO.

Hope that one of you experienced guys picks this up and give it a thought.
If it's possible and if it's a good contribution for the heli community.

If it already exists, please let me know where to look.

Thanks in advance
Eric

[Buzzkill]

I'm certainly no guru. I'm a total noob but, one piece of advice I'd offer is when first learning to hover, get the heli off the ground quick. Most of the crashes I've had came when I first got the heli and got light on the skids. Granted I have a cp pro and the Trex guys and pretty much anyone else generally look at them with a knowing smirk but, the truth is many of us start with this size heli. The rotor wash with the CPP + being a noob spelled lots of repairs before I really even got off the ground. Once I was frustrated enough to get 1-2' off the ground I avoided the rotor wash and could correct without the frustrating crash while being on the ground humiliation. Just my 2 cents.

[WayneBrown]

First thing to remember, gravity SUCKS... after that hurdle is crossed, everything else is harder ;)

Overcorrecting and/or overcompensating is the bane of all newcomers. Sometimes you just have to step up the control response to appreciate the little things..

[djtedatlanta]

my biggest problem is when i get into trouble i cut the thottle

[ray62202]

First thing to remember, gravity SUCKS... after that hurdle is crossed, everything else is harder

Nice one, Wayne. So that makes the blades anti-gravity units? :shock:

Some other tips that I use:

tail-in hover corrections
follow the tail-rotor with rudder stick to correct - tail drifts left, rudder stick left

nose-in hover corrections
follow the nose with the rudder stick to correct - nose twists left, rudder stick left
follow heli left/right drift with alieron to correct (put a stick under it to prop blade disk up - used to be prop up the wing in the old airplane days)
follow nose to/from you with elevator - nose drifts toward you, pull elevator stick toward you to correct

A modern simulator is an absolute must-have for the beginner. If you are starting from scratch, buy just the sim and the TX (assuming you have the computer that can run the sim) and try flying the sim to see if you even like heli flying. Somewhere I heard, "put a dollar in a jar for every crash in the sim, and soon you can afford the heli kit."

[djtedatlanta]

I currently have a blade cp pro and have little success flying. I have now bought a honey bee king as my replacement and was curious if there was a way to change the heli from a cp to a fp for training purposes

[EricW]

First thing to remember, gravity SUCKS... after that hurdle is crossed, everything else is harder

Nice one, Wayne. So that makes the blades anti-gravity units? :shock:

Some other tips that I use:

tail-in hover corrections
follow the tail-rotor with rudder stick to correct - tail drifts left, rudder stick left

nose-in hover corrections
follow the nose with the rudder stick to correct - nose twists left, rudder stick left
follow heli left/right drift with alieron to correct (put a stick under it to prop blade disk up - used to be prop up the wing in the old airplane days)
follow nose to/from you with elevator - nose drifts toward you, pull elevator stick toward you to correct

A modern simulator is an absolute must-have for the beginner. If you are starting from scratch, buy just the sim and the TX (assuming you have the computer that can run the sim) and try flying the sim to see if you even like heli flying. Somewhere I heard, "put a dollar in a jar for every crash in the sim, and soon you can afford the heli kit."

Great tips!,
Some of them i actually did without noticing and both hovering directions are pretty stable now, still need lot's of training though.

In real life i find turning the heli doing figureeights with the rudder (and smal collective)much harder than doing it in the sim.
I actually have less problems with fast rudder turns to point the heli in the right direction than when i want a controlled figure eight.

I train using the two points to fly around method.
Some extra tips on this?

If i put down a dollar for every SIM crash, I'm off to get me a Trex600 :D

Eric

[Hughes500Bob]

Great tips! Here is an alternative to the "put a stick under it".

Tail in hover - left/right ...... Steer from the top of the steering wheel (car analogy)
Nose in hover - left/right ... Steer from the bottom of the steering wheel (car analogy)

[ray62202]

...and some great links I've found for learning

RADD'S SCHOOL OF ROTARY FLIGHT
http://www.dream-models.com/eco/flying-index.html

Great overall electric heli tutorial
http://www.readyheli.com/Beginner_Heli_Pilot_Information_links_and_rc_heli_ videos_s/73.htm

(I don't have ANY association with these sources, just stuff I found useful)

[Jermo]

Wayne gave me a huge tip for the Rudder,,,, when rightside up, rudder controls the part away from you. When you lose orientation move the rudder to tell which way the bird is going..
Jermo