UPDATED: May 10, 2007
Process Training Aids Resources
Radio control aircraft make a great hobby and getting started is made easy by the training staff at SDF and the technology available today.
Like any hobby, there is some cost involved, but entry level complete kits are available for very reasonable prices. You can even try flying at our field for free to see if you like it! You are welcome to visit our field (the best times are weekend mornings) and any of the members would be happy to discuss getting started options with you or introduce you to one of our instructors for more in depth information. Information is also available from local hobby shops listed on the links page.
The club maintains a staff of qualified instructors and has training equipment for the most popular radio systems. The instructors, usually identified by the "SDF Instructor" baseball caps, volunteer their time for free and support members learning to fly and those guests interested in a one time introductory try of RC piloting. For those early in their flying experience, the club maintains trainer aircraft and "buddy box" or trainer systems that provide a duplicate set of controls for the student pilot. The club also has buddy box equipment to work with popular radio systems owned by the student.
The general procedure for learning to fly is to start preflight ground training with an SDF instructor. Students are given a booklet covering the basic principles of flight, AMA and field rules, description of aircraft control, and a signoff sheet for basic maneuvers leading up to solo flight.
Ground training is usually brief and the student quickly moves, with the instructor, to the process of preflighting the airplane. The appropriate frequency tag is removed from the frequency control board prior to handling the transmitter. If a new airplane, it is inspected by the experienced instructor to make sure all systems are functioning correctly.
The buddy box system is installed and checked to see that the instructor's and student's controls all function correctly with the same polarity and trim adjustments. Finally the airplane (club's or student's) is started in the pit area and carried to an opening in the safety fence.
The instructor has the master transmitter controlling the aircraft, and he is in control except when he activates a spring-loaded switch to pass control to the students controls. The instructor initially calls his intention to take off and taxis onto the runway for the takeoff. The instructor continues the takeoff and initial flight until the plane is tested and trimmed (if new) and at an altitude informally referred to as "two mistakes high."
At a safe altitude, control is passed to the student ... "ready" ..."OK"... " you've got it." Instruction is provided to the student during this whole process. If (when) the student gets in trouble, the instructor retakes control, climbs to a safe altitude, and hands control back to the student.
Early in the instruction process, the instructor retakes control for the landing. However, as lessons continue and the student progresses, the student is flying more and more of the flight. Flight skills are signed off in the students booklet with landings and takeoffs usually completing the essential skill list. Finally, the student solos and is launched on a really great hobby.
The SDF club has buddy box systems for popular radios. Check with our instructors for specific radios supported. Training controls (buddy box and cable) attach to the back of most transmitters and provide low risk for a beginner to learn to fly without crashing airplanes. These systems nearly eliminate crashes due to student errors when the plane is at altitude. Most remaining risk comes when learning to land or takeoff because the instructor doesn't have time to react with the plane close to the ground. For this reason, students don't attempt landings and takeoffs until they have some pilot skills of their own and have demonstrated basic skills to the instructors satisfaction.
Computer simulators are the best training aids off the field. Several good simulators are available and can be purchased at local hobby shops.
One of the most difficult skills to learn during RC piloting is the recognition of the aircraft's attitude and the translation of that attitude to the needed control motions on the transmitter. For example, when the plane is going away from you, controls work like you are riding in the plane (right stick = right turn), when coming toward you, roll and yaw work backward, when inverted (upside down), roll works normally but pitch and yaw are backward. This may sound tricky at first but stick time makes it automatic.
Simulator time increases your stick time to produce instinctive control reaction and to shorten the learning time on the field. Instinctive response is especially important when the plane is close to the ground because there is little time to think about what control to apply.
Resources for starting or improving your RC air experience can be found in the training section of the links page.
For a starter, additional information may also be obtained at the following web sites: Getting started in RC planes, RC Airplane World, and the AMA. Many other web-based resources are also available. Most RC web sites have links pages that can direct you.