When is a newbie no longer a newbie?

[TheBum]

I got to thinking about all the people calling themselves newbies and their various stages of development and I started wondering: At what point does a person graduate from newbie-dom? I tried to do a search to see if this topic had been covered before, but any related search terms bring up hundreds of threads unrelated to the question.

[Migs]

I think when I can take off, go somewhere and come back and land without a feeling of total panic I will no longer be a newbie. That said, I have yet to take off outside the safety of my simulator's womb. This guy could probably answer better:
http://www.dream-models.com/eco/flying-index.html
-Migs

[syamaner]

I think that...
if you can fly the heli wihtout any crash and without panic (most important keyword is "panic") you are no longer a newbie.
If you can fly your heli and at the same time talk to others making some explanations you are a pro.
And finally, if you can fly with your eyes shut you are a master :)

From a philosophical standpoint, we are all (and always) newbies! :)

[Aussie_G]

My goal is to be able to lift off, go directly from point A to point B, touchdown, then return to point A and land. with no deviations, and with constant altitude.

Then I will no longer call myself a newbie...

I can accomplish the above with some drifting & altitude wandering....
I figure i'm on my way, about 500 more packs ought to do it :)

[Skiddz]

How about when you can completely assemble and set up a helicopter (radio programming too) by yourself with NO help from videos, forums, other people??

[syamaner]

How about when you can completely assemble and set up a helicopter (radio programming too) by yourself with NO help from videos, forums, other people??

A second question: How about when you are able to accomplish the above mentioned tasks (do them several times for friends's helis) but are not able to fly your heli appropriately? :)
Are you a Pro-Newbie or what? :)

[Migs]

Skiddz:
I'll bet if you went it alone you wouldnt do nearly as good a job as after having seen videos and gotten input. No man is an island, and there are subtle points (like direction of servo balls), firmware updates, where to locate delicate electronics, servo orientation ... well, you get the idea. There are lots of things that are borne out of experience, and in the case you suggest, the experience is elsewhere when you go it alone. -Migs

[capebob]

When a crash no longer ruins the rest of your day.:YeaBaby:

[Skiddz]

Skiddz:
I'll bet if you went it alone you wouldnt do nearly as good a job as after having seen videos and gotten input. No man is an island, and there are subtle points (like direction of servo balls), firmware updates, where to locate delicate electronics, servo orientation ... well, you get the idea. There are lots of things that are borne out of experience, and in the case you suggest, the experience is elsewhere when you go it alone. -Migs

I meant "go it alone" as in you HAVE the experience to do so, not from the "OMG WTF have I gotten myself into" point of view.

2.5 years ago, I knew a little but still absorbed a lot of knowledge from the 'net. Now, I don't watch videos, I RARELY have questions regarding setup/radio programming - I have the skills and knowledge to "go it alone".

As for not being able to fly, one would assume that as you've garnered the knowledge to build and set up a heli solo, you'd have developed some flying skill along the way.

[Migs]

I need your 2.5 years badly... -Migs

[zeese5]

For me, you're no longer newbies when you can invert,flip or roll.. If you can do f8, you're still newbies. This is my own definition that I use for myself..

[Skiddz]

I need your 2.5 years badly... -Migs

It'll come... I'm fascinated by machines and helis in particular. I think that helps me stay enthusiastic about the hobby...

[JasonJ]

For me, you're no longer newbies when you can invert,flip or roll.. If you can do f8, you're still newbies. This is my own definition that I use for myself..

No...

As far as I am concerned, if you can order a kit, build it, program your radio, walk outside, and fly the helicopter as a real helicopter would fly, landing, and walking inside, then you are no longer a newbie. Stuff like inverted, rolls, flips, that is extranious skill that is for fun but not necessary to enjoy the hobby. Go tell a scale rc helicopter pilot he is a newb because he isn't flying hie $10,000 turbine scaler inverted, and see what you get. Basic forward flight and the ability to hover all orientations consistently removes you from noob status. The rest is icing on the cake. Period.

[Jim T]

No...

As far as I am concerned, if you can order a kit, build it, program your radio, walk outside, and fly the helicopter as a real helicopter would fly, landing, and walking inside, then you are no longer a newbie. Stuff like inverted, rolls, flips, that is extranious skill that is for fun but not necessary to enjoy the hobby. Go tell a scale rc helicopter pilot he is a newb because he isn't flying hie $10,000 turbine scaler inverted, and see what you get. Basic forward flight and the ability to hover all orientations consistently removes you from noob status. The rest is icing on the cake. Period.

That sounds like a pretty good definition to me. :thumbup:

Jim

[FlyJ]

Building should have absolutely no part in being a newb. often many of the pros do not build their own aircraft. programming is another story and the input of others is an extremely necessary component of building. taking other peoples ideas and evolving them is not a newb characteristic but in fact a very strong one that is in no way a weakness.

When you can hover in all orientations with confidence you are officially a graduated newb.

[TheBum]

When you can hover in all orientations with confidence you are officially a graduated newb.
I guess that means I still qualify as a newbie: I can do FF figure 8s all day but I can't stably hover nose-in.

[JasonJ]

Building should have absolutely no part in being a newb. often many of the pros do not build their own aircraft. programming is another story and the input of others is an extremely necessary component of building.

Pros have nothing to do with this. They are pros, are sponsored, and are not in the same realm as us mere mortals. I would bet they still can fix their own stuff if needed, they weren't born with a silver sponsorship in their mouth. Yes, we could use the "you don't have to be able to build your automobile to drive it" analogy, but it is not the same thing. Most people in this hobby cannot afford to pay someone else to build or fix their helicopter, so at some point they have to develop the skill to do their own repairs. They have to develop the skills to program their own radio. Expecting to not know this stuff and to just come onto a website and just copy someone else's work instead of taking the time to actually learn this keeps you as a newb, and quite honestly, makes you lazy. There is a huge difference between someone who comes on here, reads, learns, implements, and is then self sufficient after that and someone who just come on and copycats someone else every time they run into a bind. Yes, sometimes some completely new unseen situation comes up and a question needs to be asked because of a new product, but that is understandable.

So my comment stands. You are a newb until you are self sufficient at building, troubleshooting, and able to achieve consistent basic flight. Just how many seasoned pilots on this board only fly, and have no idea how their radio is programmed or how to fix their helicopter?

[FlyJ]

I never said that they have no idea how to build, i just said that a lot of them do not build their own machines and are certainly not newbs.

[JasonJ]

I never said that they have no idea how to build, i just said that a lot of them do not build their own machines and are certainly not newbs.

Fair enough, I understood your statement to imply that the pro just goes out and fly with no knowledge of building.

I am curious though, is there truth to the pros not building their helicopters? I mean, I doubt they have a staff like an Indy 500 driver. I would assume that at the most they might receive an assembled helicopter from the sponsor, but have to fine tune it to their personal preference. This is just me wondering about this, not saying it is true.

[Hammer Head]

I guess that means I still qualify as a newbie: I can do FF figure 8s all day but I can't stably hover nose-in.

I dont know if I will EVER be able to hover nose in.
Tail in, its like it hovers all by itself.
Nose in??... very frustrating.
If I had to do it all over again, I think I would have tried learning nose in first.
Its almost as if you have to unlearn tail in hovering to be able to do it.

[Jim T]

I dont know if I will EVER be able to hover nose in.
Tail in, its like it hovers all by itself.
Nose in??... very frustrating.
If I had to do it all over again, I think I would have tried learning nose in first.
Its almost as if you have to unlearn tail in hovering to be able to do it.

Don't give up. What really helped me is to spend a lot of time on the sim working on nose in to get the movements down. Now in real life I go up to 20 to 30 feet high out in front of myself and get all stabilized in the tail in position. Then piro to nose-in and hold it till things get wierd, then piro back to tail-in. I'm getting to where I can do it longer all the time. On the sim, one excercise I like to do is hover tail in in front of myself about head high. Then work on doing a circle around myself without touching the rudder. That way when I've gone around 180 degrees, I'm now nose-in. It's been a good way to ease into it. I haven't had the courage to try that in real life yet.

Remember some of us learn slower than others..................I consider myself somewhere in the "slow learners" class. :YeaBaby:

Jim

[zeese5]

You can try another method. Put on the training gear.. start lift up the heli from nose in condition..
then hover nose in lowly...
I did this. I give me less fear because if I froze, I just land it immediately.. It has a training gear, so,
no worries about heli being tilted sideways while landing..

[JasonJ]

I dont know if I will EVER be able to hover nose in.
Tail in, its like it hovers all by itself.
Nose in??... very frustrating.
If I had to do it all over again, I think I would have tried learning nose in first.
Its almost as if you have to unlearn tail in hovering to be able to do it.

Just spend more time at it. Rather than trying to jump right into nose in, make sure you are solid on both sides in. If you can hover side in proficiently, you can inch that nose in a bit at a time, and pop back to side in if it gets weird. There will be a day when it clicks and you will be all like "dang, that wasn't so bad".

[HFG]

Bare minimum is piro globes :)

[rdlohr]

When you transition to answering questions the majority of the time rather than asking them.

Rick