R/C Flight Training

There are detailed instructions with the E-GO C-182 which explain set up, trimming and flying the simulator and the actual model. The following can be used in conjunction with those, or as a beginners guide for those who have no previous knowledge of flying R/C aircraft.

Whether you have a coach or you are trying to learn to fly on your own, you will need to be mindful of these six areas if you are going to become a successful RC pilot. Some new pilots get it right away and some have to work at it. They are in no particular order because they all have to be learned to be successful.

Wind

The single biggest cause of crashes has been the insistence upon flying in too much wind. I recommend dead calm to 5km/hr is ideal and that includes gusts. An experienced pilot can handle more. It is the pilot, more than the plane, that determines how much wind can be handled. The ribbon on the aerial of your transmitter should be used as a guide to the wind strength. If it is blowing more than 30 degrees from vertical, do not fly. Instead spend the time practising on your Flight simulator. The more time you practise, the better you will be.

Always keep the plane up wind from you. There is no reason for a new flyer to have the plane downwind EVER!
Orientation

Knowing the orientation of your plane is a real challenge, even for experienced pilots. You just have to work at it and some adults have a real problem with left and right regardless of which way the plane is going. Licensed pilots have a lot of trouble with this as they are accustomed to being in the plane.

To work on orientation when you are not flying use a flight simulator on your PC. Pick a slow flying model and fly it a lot. Forget the jets and fast planes. Use the E-GO models C-182. Focus on left and right coming at you. Keep the plane in front of you. Don't let it fly over your head.
Speed

Speed is the enemy of the new pilot but if you fly too slowly the wings can't generate enough lift, so there is a compromise here. The key message is that you don't have to fly at full throttle all the time. Most small electrics fly very nicely at 2/3 throttle and the E-GO models C-182 does quite well at 1/2. That is a much better training speed than full power. Launch at full power and climb to a good height, say 100 feet as a minimum, so you have time to recover from a mistake. At 100 feet go to half throttle and see how the plane handles. If it holds altitude on a straight line, this is a good speed. Now work on slow and easy turns, work on left and right, try not to fly toward yourself and maintaining altitude. Add a little throttle if the plane can't hold altitude.
Altitude

New flyers are often afraid of altitude. They feel safer close to the ground. Nothing could be more wrong. Altitude is your friend. Altitude is your safety margin. It gives you a chance to fix a mistake. If you are flying low and you make a mistake .... CRUNCH!
Over Control

Most of the time the plane does not need input from you. Once you get to height, a properly trimmed plane flying in calm air will maintain its height and direction with no help from you. In fact anything you do will interfere with the plane.

When teaching new pilots I often do a demo flight of their plane. I get the plane to 100 feet, then bring the throttle back to a nice cursing speed. I get it going straight, with plenty of space in front of it, then take my hand off the sticks and hold the radio out to the left with my arms spread wide to emphasize that I am doing nothing. I let the plane go wherever it wants to go, as long as it is holding altitude, staying upwind and has enough room. If you are flying a high wing trainer and you can't do this, your plane is out of trim.

Even in a mild breeze with some gusts, once you reach flying height, you should be able to take your hand off the stick. The aircraft will move around and the breeze might push it into a turn, but it should continue to fly with no help from you.

Along this same line of thinking, don't hold your turns for more than a couple of seconds after the plane starts to turn. Understand that the plane turns by banking or tilting its wings. If you hold a turn too long you will force the plane to deepen this bank and it will eventually lose lift and go into a spiral dive and crash. Give your inputs slowly and gently and watch the plane. Start your turn then let off then turn some more and let off. Start your turns long before you need to and you won't need to make sharp turns.

I just watch these guys hold the turn, hold the turn, hold the turn, crash. Of course they are flying in 16 km/hr wind, near the ground, coming toward themselves at full throttle.
Pre flight check

Before every flight it is the pilot's responsibility to confirm that the plane, the controls and the conditions are correct and acceptable for flight. Proper R/C models are not toys and it is the owners responsibility to ensure they are operated in a safe manner at all times.
- Flight battery pack is fully charged
- Control Surfaces properly aligned
- No damage or breakage on the plane
- Everything is secure
- Radio - ensure no one else is on the same frequency as you before you turn on the transmitter
- A full range check before the first flight of the day
- All trims and switches in the proper position for this plane
- Battery condition is good
- Antenna fully extended
- All surfaces move in the proper direction
- Conditions -
  - No one on the field or in any way at risk from your fight
  - You are launching into the wind
  - Wind strength is acceptable ( see wind above )
  - Sunglasses and a hat to protect your eyes
  - All other area conditions are acceptable.

Then and only then can you consider yourself, your plane, radio and the conditions right for flight. Based on your plane, your radio and local conditions you may need to add or change something here, but this is the bare minimum. It only takes a couple of minutes at the beginning of the flying day and only a few seconds to perform before each flight.

If this all seems like too much to remember, do what professional pilots do, take along a pre flight checklist. Before every flight they go down the checklist, perform the tests, in sequence, and confirm that all is right. If you want your flying experience to be a positive one, you should do the same. After a short time, it all becomes automatic and just a natural part of a fun and rewarding day.

Special thanks to Ed Anderson for the information listed here.

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R/C Flight Training

Wind

Orientation

Speed

Altitude

Over Control

Pre flight check

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