Did anyone else learn without a sim?

[Nubb]

Just wondering if anyone else didn't use a sim to learn...I had been flying plankers for a few years and then got a blade 120sr. I spent TONS of time on the 120, and felt comfortable on it then got a Mini CP and Venture .30.

I can inverted hover and tic toc, and I've never used a sim.

Thankfully I haven't had any crashed on my Venture yet.



Anyone else in the same boat?

[Epoweredrc]

Used a sim many yrs ago but prettty much taught myself to fly helis w.o one


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[drdispatch]

Sims used to not even exist - a sim helps accelerate your learning but is not required.

[Nubb]

Originally Posted by drdispatch

Sims used to not even exist - a sim helps accelerate your learning but is not required.

Haha, I wasn't asking if it was required either way.

[dfgipe]

I learned on my mSR without a sim. Until I got my DX6i I had a terrible time trying to fly. I got my Phoenix about a year and half ago. I've not really used the sim that much, more of a rainy day activity. I prefer to actually have a real heli in front of me. But then I ran out and got a Flymentor, realized after I bought that I didn't need it either and never used it. Just my perspective, Dale

[seanh]

"get a sim" is more of a dogma mentality then a requirement in my opinion.

I started out without one as well. Eventually I got one but by then I could already hover in all but nose in and could fly the 8's. For me the sim was more for fun than practice. I can't think of anything the sim really helped me out with that I couldn't do on a heli if I simply gave a little more altitude.

Also, I didn't have any help in learning to fly...all on my own. Personally I believe just having a skilled pilot next to you will do more good. I have on a few occasions had just that. It's amazing how fast you can pick something up by having someone simply say, add collective here or aileron there etc. as you make a mistake.

[drdispatch]

Originally Posted by Nubb

Haha, I wasn't asking if it was required either way.

I'll rephrase it then

Yes, a ton of people have learned without a sim.

[aloys24]

Im just getting into the hobby and couldn't imagine learning without a sim.

Basically just backwards flight and all inverted flight would seem impossible without the sim. unless you had endless heli's to crash!

[SplashN'Crash]

Started with glow RC fixed wing in 73. Switched to electric scale hydros in 2000. Went E-Helis with a 120 SR then MCPx last year. Never been near a simulator.

I'm 128 years old /2

[flyinfool]

I learned to fly before home computers were even common, there was no such thing as a RC simulator. There are a lot of people that I know that learned without sims.

With all of that said, I still will recommend a sim to all noobs that I help get started. Plank or heli. It does make learning faster.

[ritzcrakers]

i was flying mcpx without a sim and was able to hover learn forward flight and loops. once i started trying inverted hovers i just couldnt learn and i broke down and bought a sim. u can learn to fly without one but to really progress the sim has helped a bunch.

[Train Fixer]

When started about 11 years ago I could barley afford the heli I had, so there was no sim. Just me chasing a Nexus 30 with training gear on around some soccer field. I did get one about 2 years later, but by that time the basics were pretty much down.

[aloys24]

I think people who learned without a SIM in the 80's and 90's had a MUCH longer learning curve than people do now.

Now you have young guys learning who progressed to a level in the first year that would have taken people in the 80's 5++ years to get to.

I'm sure there are plenty of exceptions to this rule, but to the average guy with average skills, the SIM just allows you to learn at a rate that might be 5-10x faster than without the sim.

The mcpx and electric heli's in general have also sped up the learning curve

[breathe rc]

I started without a sim. After the cost of crashes started adding up, I figured I would end up saving money with the sim. The sim is where I really got comfortable flying nose in. Although I think flying sim, and the real thing aren't really the same experience. The sim is where I go to try new things. For example, I do funnels perfect on the sim. Not so perfect for real, but from learning on the sim, I know how to get out of a funnel going bad, without crashing.
So a sim is not a must have, but it's really nice to have, and for most people, a money saver.


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[dchekas]

The sim has saved me thousands of dollars, dozens of crashes, and along with constant real life practice, has allowed me to progress tremendously in this hobby.

Used properly, the Sim is one of the best investments you can ever make in this hobby IMO.

[Spunjah413]

I learned basics without a sim, but as soon as i got a sim my skills skyrocketed. I nailed consistant piro flips a mere 8-9 months after picking up my first CP.

Learning without a sim is def possible, but why potentially slow your learning down while simultaneously draining your wallet from crashes? Seems like a no brainer to me.

[nightflyr]

RADDS RC Helicopter course and a Blade 400 was what I used to learn with, Have a sim now but just doesn't cut it for me.

[lanny haff]

Used a sim in the LHS a few times it's like a video game I I bought a450 trex years ago brushed motor cheap servos never could figure out pitch curves or any of that stuff so I sold it A couple of years ago Ibought a syma 107 and learned to fly it then I got a exceed 300 and the guy i got it from showed me how to take off and land and i've been doing great without 1 so no you don't need asim i'm 71 yrs old lanny

[Epoweredrc]

Originally Posted by nightflyr

RADDS RC Helicopter course and a Blade 400 was what I used to learn with, Have a sim now but just doesn't cut it for me.

I started with RADDs also with a Blade CP pro. after about 3rd pack it was boring. lol 7th battery i was doing FF got videos on my youtube. I did fly a sim back in the 90s when the helis and planes looked like boxes you could set them up close to what your heli did my father had 30 and 50 sized helis but never let me fly his real ones. But i pretty much learned how to fly heli alone. only thing I used the sim for was inverted but if I would have had a MCPX i would never used the sim Im sure

[kavic5150]

No sim here.