Tips / advice on improving progress

[99100]

So I have been flying for a couple of year and I don't feel I have got as far as I should have.

I can hover and fly but when it comes to any trick such as tictocs I can't do them, I still struggle with circles both forward and nose in, backwards flight and inverted are ok but not great , loops and stall turns are ok.

I think I need some structure and some guidance on what to learn and in what order, I may be trying to run before I can walk!

I fly from a private field on my own most of the time, other than lessons I have now way of getting help in person and they are quite expensive plus there isnt any one local to teach anymore.

I was wondering what order other people have learnt things and how they got on?

Also how well should you be able to hover / perform each move?

I can hover in all orientations but its by no means perfect.

I have recently gained access to a larger field and a generator so I can now put in lots of time at the field and have nothing restricting me. I would like to make significant progress next year and i'm just looking for some guidance on how to do that.

I tried the "from tail in to funnel 8s" it was ok i like the structure but HATE the sim with a passion, I would rather crash!!!

I would like to be able to do a couple of moves for example a tictoc but do it well not just stick bang, I would like to beable to control it in all orientations and perform it on the same spot.

I guess i am getting a little frustrated with the hobby atm.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[UCPharmD]

Sim. Or lots of attempting moves 3 mistakes high with the constant threat of being down for repairs.

Also, Get a bailout enabled FBL system and start stick banging at a safe distance and all alone so you don't risk anyone's safety.

Good luck!

[99100]

Originally Posted by UCPharmD

Sim. Or lots of attempting moves 3 mistakes high with the constant threat of being down for repairs.

Also, Get a bailout enabled FBL system and start stick banging at a safe distance and all alone so you don't risk anyone's safety.

Good luck!

Getting very very bored / hate full of the sim, don't really need a bail out, im not worried about crashing or trying something new its just im not sure what to do.

[ArchmageAU]

Originally Posted by 99100

So I have been flying for a couple of year and I don't feel I have got as far as I should have.
...
I think I need some structure and some guidance on what to learn and in what order, I may be trying to run before I can walk!
...
Also how well should you be able to hover / perform each move?

I can hover in all orientations but its by no means perfect.

I have recently gained access to a larger field and a generator so I can now put in lots of time at the field and have nothing restricting me. I would like to make significant progress next year and i'm just looking for some guidance on how to do that.

I tried the "from tail in to funnel 8s" it was ok i like the structure but HATE the sim with a passion, I would rather crash!!!...

Any advice would be appreciated.

You don't need to be perfect at a move before progressing.

Have you had a look at:

Originally Posted by ArchmageAU

...
Addendum:

For those wanting to track progress and fine more things to progress with, I can recommend: http://rcheli.club/programs/

This site can help you track proficiency and suggest more maneuvers to keep flying interesting and progress beyond this course.

Should give you plenty of things that you can work on.

There is also a list of things beyond orientations in: From all 8s and funnels to piro flips, 4-pt tic tocs, and piro loops in 12 months

Once you are nearly 100% on orientations, start experimenting. Set your own progress path.

Things to work on.
- piroing moves
- rolling moves
- prio-flipping moves
- tic-toc moves and variatations
- dismount autorotations.
- transitions between moves
- flights to music

Finally, what do YOU want to do with this hobby. If you could wave a magic wand and have anything happen, what would you want?

I really enjoy the "zen" of F3C type flying with precision. Will happily practice seemingly basic maneuvers (8's, inner loops, autorotations, etc..) just working on refining things (constant speed and height, no side slipping, etc..)

Above all, have fun.

[Russell Harding]

Walk before run...

Tic tocs are deceptively hard and 100% a 3D maneuver.

If you're struggling with circles and loops, I would continue to work on those and other orientation drills.

3D flight will be VERY hard to achieve without dedicated sim time. I probably averaged more than an hour per day the first year...

[Solmanbandit]

Fly with people who are better than you. I have found it to inspire me to want to push more and work on skills. Fun flies are a great source of such a thing.

[Obijuan Kenobe]

If you want to reach the real 3D fully oriented flying, you need to be supremely rich (so you have tech building for you, and extra copters waiting in the truck)...or you need to SIM.

None of the best have gotten there without SIMmming...except maybe Tareq. But even he probably SIMs. (Does anyone actually know that?)

The SIM is annoying if you have a terrible computer, or a small monitor, etc.

I can also imagine after a certain stage of skill, you might bore of the SIM.

However, it cannot be denied that all the best fliers swear by the SIM.

I am a dead beginner of one year, and I am still working on getting perfect 8s upright. My circles/circuits can be fast and banked. My stall turns (albiet on micros) are as fast as I can make them, and fully vertical at the ends.

But I can hover in all orientations upright, and if I can get my heli back upright, I am always safe. I am working on my inverted orientation, but not a faithfully as I hit it for upright in the beginning.

If you are not comfortable with nose in hovering, how did you ever get to tic-tocs?! Can you land nose in, even? If you find that hard, then maybe you have skipped some basics??

obi

[Solmanbandit]

I was just thinking of something else as well. Pick one maneuver and work on that until it get it down. When you master that one maneuver, more maneuvers will follow as a result.

[99100]

Originally Posted by Obijuan Kenobe

If you want to reach the real 3D fully oriented flying, you need to be supremely rich (so you have tech building for you, and extra copters waiting in the truck)...or you need to SIM.

None of the best have gotten there without SIMmming...except maybe Tareq. But even he probably SIMs. (Does anyone actually know that?)

The SIM is annoying if you have a terrible computer, or a small monitor, etc.

I can also imagine after a certain stage of skill, you might bore of the SIM.

However, it cannot be denied that all the best fliers swear by the SIM.

I am a dead beginner of one year, and I am still working on getting perfect 8s upright. My circles/circuits can be fast and banked. My stall turns (albiet on micros) are as fast as I can make them, and fully vertical at the ends.

But I can hover in all orientations upright, and if I can get my heli back upright, I am always safe. I am working on my inverted orientation, but not a faithfully as I hit it for upright in the beginning.

If you are not comfortable with nose in hovering, how did you ever get to tic-tocs?! Can you land nose in, even? If you find that hard, then maybe you have skipped some basics??

obi

Please read the op "I can hover in all orientations but its by no means perfect." This includes inverted i can also fly inverted fairly well

[99100]

Originally Posted by ArchmageAU

Finally, what do YOU want to do with this hobby. If you could wave a magic wand and have anything happen, what would you want?

I guess if I could wave a wand then I would like to be able to fly with the precision of F3C and do a whole host of 3D moves. I have no interest in competition at all but I would like to beable to show off or say "I can do that move better than them "

[ArchmageAU]

Originally Posted by 99100

I guess if I could wave a wand then I would like to be able to fly with the precision of F3C and do a whole host of 3D moves. I have no interest in competition at all but I would like to beable to show off or say "I can do that move better than them "

Then more flight tme and focus on the basics is the way to go.

The flight time could be sim or IRL. Whatever method you use, expect progress to be slow as most 3D moves take an enormous amount of skill to do well. The important part is consistent regular focused practice and recording progress to show progression and prevent discouragement.

If IRL over sim, expect crashes (less if you have and use a bailout system). Crashes will slow progress while you spend time fixing instead of practicing. Where IRL is better is that you get a much better feel for your own heli (and overcome more, if any, nerves).

Set down a list of moves you cannot yet do (well) and focus on those.

Best of luck.

[99100]

Originally Posted by ArchmageAU

Then more flight tme and focus on the basics is the way to go.

The flight time could be sim or IRL. Whatever method you use, expect progress to be slow as most 3D moves take an enormous amount of skill to do well. The important part is consistent regular focused practice and recording progress to show progression and prevent discouragement.

If IRL over sim, expect crashes (less if you have and use a bailout system). Crashes will slow progress while you spend time fixing instead of practicing. Where IRL is better is that you get a much better feel for your own heli (and overcome more, if any, nerves).

Set down a list of moves you cannot yet do (well) and focus on those.

Best of luck.

I'll give it a go, I have had a look at http://rcheli.club/programs/ its quite interesting as I can tick quite a few of them off.

I prefer the IRL practicing, as I said earlier I am fed up with the sim, I have 4 machines soon to be five so shouldn't have that much down time if I crash.

I will pick a training program to start with and see how it goes.

[Russell Harding]

Originally Posted by Obijuan Kenobe

...
None of the best have gotten there without SIMmming...except maybe Tareq. But even he probably SIMs. (Does anyone actually know that?)

...

Yes, he uses a simulator. I've seen interviews where he talks about how he like to play around to come up with things he hasn't seen before.

The specific interview I'm thinking of was in the Tareq SmackTalkRC video, which you can buy for a couple bucks.

[kittiwat1]

I am just a slow circuit, scale-like flyer and I still love flying, can fly everyday if time permits. Have never attempted inverted, let alone 3D.

[minatrix]

Idk if it's true, but I've heard it said that Tareq at one point used the sim for many hours a day. To me this is akin to "woodshedding" as a guitar player. You ever know a guitar player who disappeared for a winter to woodshed? Holy cow, there is no substitute for practice, practice, practice......and then practice some more.

I don't really enjoy the sim a whole lot either. But I do it. A lot more in the winter. I find flying to some music to increase sim time fun by about 200%.

And piro hovers. Use the sim to practice piro hovers until your good at them. Huge benefits.