Wahoo... I've graduated. But now what?

[HeliMix]

Ok, so I went through the steps in Radd's School of Rotary Flight. Now what? Graduate school? My masters? Anyone have any good suggestions for advancement like Radd's well done program? He only takes you up to the point of take off really. Nothing about forward flight etc.

[sokal]

im working on thing iv used to develop good control skills and flight

[otto975d]

That's great Mike :thumbup: I wish I could help you, but you know more then I do

[HeliMix]

:thumbdown: AAANNNN Wrong answer.

I just saw your video. You took the training wheels off. I'm scared to. I think I want to practice FF and such with them on too, while spending more time on the sim. My eye sight is not that great looking at something that small up high. I need to get my glasses Rx updated. I never really wear them since my vision is not that bad, but for helis, I need them. I have been about 20 ft straight up and boy... I only hovered there a second and brought it down. Trying to determine if it was level looking up at it like that was weird and very scary. :shock:

And thanks Sokal. And while you're at it, how about inventing a way to tether a heli and still have full flight. :lol:

[LockMD]

LOL I hear ya Mike, that still gets me too. Way up at an angle looks crooked just gotta rely on well its not going crazy so it must be level.

Just practise smooth landings and get rid of the gear, you'll find out like otto did WOW its a whole other heli (in a good way)

[HeliMix]

:lol: But I like to drag my feet. Feeling the ground under me gives me security. And you can't drag your skids too well. :lol:

I still think the gear on there, doing low level FF, RH turns, LH turns, etc would help me feel more comfortable. Look at you. The other week I wanted to hover and you talked me out of it. Now you are trying to make me fly.

Geeezzz Is there any pleasing you? :rolling j/k of course

[LockMD]

LOL - well you said you graduated.

I am not rushing you and dont let anyone else, ONLY when you feel comfy.

But having smooth landings is a MUST before taking them off.

[sparx-]

What's Next?

Can you hover in all orientations? If so, then start flying circuits and figure 8's in a 20x20 area. Practice on the Sim and then apply it for real. Leave the gear on. When you are practicing for real, just get the heli light on the train balls and then fly it around. You will need to be on a concrete or blacktop surface. Drive the heli around like those training balls are wheels on a car. As you get comfortable doing that, then raise up to about 6 inches. Gradually work you way higher and higher untill you are doing it a head height.

Practice on the SIM first, then apply to the heli.

Something that is vital at this stage. ROOM! Find a place where you can stretch the helis legs. It is hard enough learing to fly the heli around, do not add the frustration of Obsicles in your flying area.

SPaRX

[jl449]

What's Next?

Can you hover in all orientations? If so, then start flying circuits and figure 8's in a 20x20 area. Practice on the Sim and then apply it for real. Leave the gear on. When you are practicing for real, just get the heli light on the train balls and then fly it around. You will need to be on a concrete or blacktop surface. Drive the heli around like those training balls are wheels on a car. As you get comfortable doing that, then raise up to about 6 inches. Gradually work you way higher and higher untill you are doing it a head height.

Practice on the SIM first, then apply to the heli.

Something that is vital at this stage. ROOM! Find a place where you can stretch the helis legs. It is hard enough learing to fly the heli around, do not add the frustration of Obsicles in your flying area.

SPaRX

Good advice... I try to pratice equal amount of tail in, nose in, and both sides... It take a lot of patience --

[darkhawk22]

Hey way to go! I've started some free flight without the training gear and it's actually a bit easier, but you risk the chance of a slight crash. If you stay around 5-8 fee above the ground you should be ok with a minor crash. I've spilled it several times and only had one major set back. I got a bit adventurous and went up about 15 feet and the wind caught my heli and took it into the neighbors fence. It bent the feathering shaft and broke my blades. I used the Align feathering shaft and have had some small crashes since and all seems to be ok. The only thing going on now is a slightly bent tail rotor shaft which makes the tail shake a bit but it's still flyable.

When you remove the gear try to take off on a solid surface and then fly the heli forward over a grassy area that way if you bust it won't be so bad. Also, make sure to kill the throttle prior to impact!

My next step is to follow Sparx's advise and do some circles and figure 8's but I have to take my heli to an alternate location as I only have a back yard area of about 10x10" to really practice in. I'm thinking of a local ball field.

Anyone have any tips or know of a link for info. on replacing the tail rotor shaft?

[HeliMix]

I do not have any links but I have done the tail shaft replacement. It is not that bad. About four of ive screws to remove. Watch for a little brass bushing. Make not of how things come off and put them back on in the opposite order. It may seem intimidating at first, but now, I can do the tail shaft in minutes. It is easy. I replaced my tail shaft as well as the little arms that move in and out (sorry I cannot remember the official name of the part right now).

If you really need it, I can make a video of that job for sure. Would not be able to do so until this evening after work but if you need the help, glad to offer it.

[sparx-]

If you are going to try it in a field without training gear, then I would go about it different. What I outlined above really only works if you use training gear on a Blacktop/Concrete surface so you can "drive" the heli around.

If you are going to go to a grass field, here is how I did it there. First key is ROOM. I cannot stress this enough. Nice big area with nothing for you to run into. You do not need that added stress :)

Step 1: Raise into a Tail-In hover. Fly straight away from yourself about 10 feet. Stop, Bring the heli back to you. Keep the tail in at all times. Fly out again, bring it back. Do it a few times and then start extending how far you are going away from yourself.

Step 2: Raise a Side in hover. Pretty much same as above. If your nose is pointing left, then fly out to your left about 10 feet and then bring it back to you. Keeping the heli pointed in the same direction the entire time. Do this on BOTH sides till you are comfortable with it.

Step 3: This is like Step 2 but with a small change. Raise into a side in hover say with nose pointing left. Fly out about 10-15 feet to your left. Stop and turn the heli 180 degress. Fly the heli back to you and stop infront of you in a Side in hover. Then continue on to the right 10-15 feet. Stop, turn 180 and bring the heli back to you stopping in a Side-in Hover. After you get comfy doing this, do not stop in front of you, just continue on past yourself.

This will get your used to seeing the heli flying in different directions in relation to you.

SPaRX

[skigolfmike]

Slow figure 8s is a good place to start learning forward flight. I'm not sure you need to be able to hover nose in first (wouldn't hurt to know how through), but you at least need to be able to fly in all upright attitudes.

I flew planes first, so flying a heli in forward flight wasn't a big deal. It was getting out of forward flight that took a lot of practice. This is where a good sim will really start to help get you used to the attitudes and making the right stick inputs. Also, go slow at first. It is a lot easier to transition out of slow forward flight to a hover than fast forward flight to a hover. You won't have to move the throttle collective as much. Coming out of fast forward flight you pull the throttle/collective way back and then you have to put in a lot of throttle/collective to hover. Lets just say the first time you will be surprised at just how much the heli wants to sink.

[darkhawk22]

Thanks for the tips on the Tail shaft Mike.

Good tips Sparx! I'll try those maneuvers once I can get the ol heli to a field.

[sparx-]

I do not agree with starting at slow figure 8s to move into FF. Reason being is that this will have the heli pointing Nose-In. Even though you might be able to Hover Nose-In...flying nose-in is totally different.

What I outlined above will get a person used to seeing the Heli moving around. If all you have done is hover, then it is a little "scarey" at first when you actually start trying to move the heli around in a controlled manner.

SPaRX

[HeliMix]

It is all good advice to me. I can see it all having a place.

I think right now I am about where SpaRX is talking. I think I will go with those steps. I have done a slow FF, stop, come back all tail in before. Now it is time to expand on that some. And I also need to get back on my sim regularly. Once I started hovering, it has been hard to make myself fly the sim. Last night I flew it a little bit and could tell how rusty I already was. In the sim, I could fly all over the place without crashing. Last night, I crashed the sim more than I have the entire time I have had the software.

Is it time to go home yet? Only 11 AM? UGH! Going to be a long day. I want to go home and check my pitch, swash, and flybar and hover more.

[jl449]

Make a video of your flying and post it!!
We all want to see!!

Never mind found your videos!!

[ChuckTSeeker]

well Helimix it's just on a month since you "graduated" :WOW so hows it going? we were seeing a new vid every day of you hovering tail in and with the new vid, i thought we would have seen some side and head on hovering by now, even some forward flight, but we haven't seen a vid for quiet a while now :thinking

so come on lets see some more vids of your progress, remember thats why you bought a new camera ;) and with all the tips in this thread, i thought you might be flying 8's by now :smokin:

cheers chuck

PS i'm still stuck learning to just keep my hover stable in my 10ft square, but Phoenix is definitely helping and i feel i'm slowly getting there, guess being 52 and not 18 is making it harder for me :D

[HeliMix]

Until yesterday, the last time I flew was the 8th. It is posted. I have a new one from yesterday but have not uploaded it yet. Been to busy on the weekends making how-to videos. :lol:

Been real windy here or raining so I have had little opportunities.

[LockMD]

Until yesterday, the last time I flew was the 8th. It is posted. I have a new one from yesterday but have not uploaded it yet. Been to busy on the weekends making how-to videos. :lol:

Been real windy here or raining so I have had little opportunities.


yadda, yadda, no excuses :P

[jimzpsd]

Isn't the simulator teaching you all this? This is why I asked last week if buying a sim. is worth it, but at this rate, where is the progress and why do you still use training gear? I'm not judging or ripping on you, but I'm curious and I'm still debating on buying a sim. for myself.

[LEADWORKS]

Until yesterday, the last time I flew was the 8th. It is posted. I have a new one from yesterday but have not uploaded it yet. Been to busy on the weekends making how-to videos. :lol:

Been real windy here or raining so I have had little opportunities.

I hear ya. been too windy and rainy here too. I can't remember the last opportunity I had to fly my heli. The weather has been preventing my flight training for real airplanes too. Without my sims, I'd be losing my skills quickly.

[Mon_t]

Isn't the simulator teaching you all this? This is why I asked last week if buying a sim. is worth it, but at this rate, where is the progress and why do you still use training gear? I'm not judging or ripping on you, but I'm curious and I'm still debating on buying a sim. for myself.
Well in Mikes defense carrying what you learn in a sim and transferring that to real life is really quite difficult. There is also the sphincter factor when flying. I can fly inverted endlessly in the sim, loops and rolls are nothing, but in real life its a whole different ballgame and took me ages to get my confidence up to get flying/hovering inverted steadily mind you I have only been flying for 3 months now.

Mike I would do as sparx suggested by moving backwards, forwards etc, then progress to hovering 8's (keeping the tail in), then when you're comfortable slowly bring the the thing into a side on hover (personally I found this harder than nose-in).

MOST IMPORTANTLY Find somewhere quiet with no distractions and preferably with few trees.

I found this one a lot more useful than rads flight school....
http://www.littlerotors.com/flyinglessons/index.aspx

[Mon_t]

Oh yeah one more thing.... try to get it out of the rotor wash as quickly as possible (a couple of feet should do it), it becomes a hell of a lot more stable and hovering needs less input to keep it on the spot.