When Will I Stop Being Petrified....

[24sevenslacker]

been flying again today, I was practicing hovering and some forwards and backwards, side to side movements. oddly I found that if I sit down whilst im flying I find it easier to concentrate?

I have been looking at the blade nano cpx and the 130x, which would be best for me to use indoors?

thanks

p.s sorry to bomb your thread lol

[clicky]

nano for indoors, 130X for outdoors.

Nano is fantastic for indoors, small, slow, non threatening head speed, solid and robust. You can bash it to floor, ceiling, walls, kitchen element, fridge, etc and it will still fly without visible consequences...

[longhammer]

This is a topic I can relate to since only being in this hobby for about four months. Can't say I had any fear moving from an mcx2 to my first cp heli, the mcpx. My first taste of slight fear came when I moved up to the 300x. I started questioning my skills before I even lifted off the ground. It's so much bigger than what I was used to flying. But after switching to IU and bringing it to a stable inverted hover, the fear was gone. Granted, on the fourth flight, I stuffed it into the side of my house and damn near totaled it, but now the nervousness is completely gone. If anything, I was angry about having to spend $130 to get it back in the air. I am completely hooked on this hobby and am going to stick with it. These are so much more fun than rc cars, which I've been messing around with for decades


Nano bl, Mcpx bl, 300x

[BOB WHO?]

Hey Charlie
Yes, turn off the gadgets on the sim. And only fly the sim for weeks and weeks until you get nose-in and circuits down pat. Go to the field if you want to but don't fly a real heli until you can do nose-in, figure 8s, and circuits easliy on a simulator. I have been flying for years and am a pretty good pilot and I still love the sim. I am on it every day. It helps tremendously. Some guys like it and some do not, it does help you in real-life flying though.

[HeliSmith]

When you first begin flying you don't have great control of the heli and the farther it gets away from you the harder it is to see compounding the issue. You will stop being petrified when you put in enough time on the sim.

You haven't mentioned that you have a bailout orientation. When I first started if the heli got away from me a little bit I would turn the tail back toward me where I did have control. If I was shaking I would land until I wasn't. Or if it just got a little far away I would bring it back in and start over. You need to practice a safe orientation really good so you have a go to move. This will give you confidence.

Lastly if your shaking out of your skin just land. This isn't a man up and push through it kind of thing. Wait for the shakes to go away and try again.

[Molari]

Amen on using a nCPX or mCPX as a trainer. Initially I bought a 250 for that purpose but it is too big/too dangerous for the gym of my club. I have a Nano since christmas and have been practising all orientations, especially nose-in hover. After about 50 Nano flights I have learned more than I did during last summer with my 500! I also have Phoenix but I hate it! I never expected the Nano to be such a great trainer. I recommend the Nano to everyone as a trainer!

Great topic!

[VonRecktofen]

Originally Posted by HeliSmith

When you first begin flying you don't have great control of the heli and the farther it gets away from you the harder it is to see compounding the issue. You will stop being petrified when you put in enough time on the sim.

You haven't mentioned that you have a bailout orientation. When I first started if the heli got away from me a little bit I would turn the tail back toward me where I did have control. If I was shaking I would land until I wasn't. Or if it just got a little far away I would bring it back in and start over. You need to practice a safe orientation really good so you have a go to move. This will give you confidence.

Lastly if your shaking out of your skin just land. This isn't a man up and push through it kind of thing. Wait for the shakes to go away and try again.

My bail out manuever is usually to go tail in, then try to regain composure, and then resume whatever I was trying to do, loose figure 8, forward circuit, piro, turn, and return, whatever....I just lose confidence as it gets further away from me, and then I panic and get nervous/the shakes....It's been a bit cold out here this week, so not much outdoor time will be logged this week I'm afraid. I'll use the sim with all gadgets off, and if I can, I'll fly the mCPX around the house/garage this weekend...The Blade 130X sounds like a good idea, but I'm saving for a Goblin500 with an HC3 unit on it, so I think I'll just stay with what I have for now, and just concentrate on orientations with the Trex500 and the mCPX when time and weather allow...
I'm starting to get a taste for what I will be able to do when it all clicks, and I'm just a little impatient...Have to keep hammering the basics and orientations on the sim til I can do it stone cold without thinking about it, and then I should be ok when I try it in the real world!!!
Thansk for all the encouragement, and keep the good stuff coming, I read it all and filter it all through!!

Franz in NJ

[Ayres_08]

Gitbse:

I read your posts and I really enjoyed it. I've been flying for almost two years and u helped me. Thank you very much

[gitbse]

You're very welcome. It's basically my entire theory of flying these crazy things. I was going to start making some videos, but learned the hard way that my computer can't handle the sim, and recording at the same time.
So I guess I'll resort to very long posts !

[VonRecktofen]

Originally Posted by Ayres_08

Gitbse:

I read your posts and I really enjoyed it. I've been flying for almost two years and u helped me. Thank you very much

+1 gitbse, you've always given me very good useful information!
Franz in NJ

[clicky]

+1 gitbse,... I deliberately returned back and re-read the post (after a week or two now) and I still agree with all of it. I might be more inclined to use different phrases and names for things he used, I might argue about small details (just for him to prove me wrong) and among all of them - ask for more details of 'how'! But, things said that are 100% true.

For some people that kind of 'anticipation' comes naturally and others (like me) need to put effort to learn it, but it is true and it is there!

I spent 3-4 years 'wasting' my time not learning but just rushing in things not being ready for them. I didn't get the basics of (what gitbse called) 'anticipation'... but the moment I realised it it started becoming a second nature. And I can still see people not believing in it and doing same mistakes as I was.

Reason I said more questions about 'how' - we have already established some techniques for learning how to control helicopter in leveled flight - now to learn how to react in all situations - through learning slow pirouetting. Now I need more ideas how to get to other things easily - now to get to learn how to control (correct) heli in other situations...

[gitbse]

I was going to start making some videos, but I found out the hard way that although my computer can run realflight at perfect speed... It cannot handle RF, and recording RF at the same time.

I'd love to expand on certain things, except that post was long enough as it is.

Glad that what I wrote makes sense though, and that it helps.

[Nologic]

Originally Posted by gitbse

There are a few things you can do to help. First of which is easy, buy a bigger bird and the 500 won.t be nerve racking to fly or crash anymore.


But seriously, I'm a believer of getting the first crash out of the way. For a 500, you're probly looking around 85 to get back up. may seem like alot, but a wild failure of a front TT gear on my rave env just cost me about 450. once you rebuild your heli from a good crash though, it won't seem like a big deal anymore. That can help get over the fear a bit.

As far as feeling like you're in control, if you can do something on the sim you can do it for real, no questions. the first time you take a move from sim to field, you just have to force yourself to commit, and you'll pull it off. After the first time, it will be easy. I still remember my first live funnels. I could pull them off on the sim, but couldn't finish the last 90 degrees for real, I kept bailing. The one time I said f### it, and forced myself to commit. That actually not only helped me get the funnel down, but that flight helped me still to this day.

My best piece of advice however, may come out wrong. This comes straight from my experience, and trust me, I only mean to help.

You just gotta suck it up.
You need to develop the attitude of not caring if you crash. It's like anything else in life. If you try to fight a fear, you will always lose. This hobby is freakin awesome. I've had some amazing times, everybody has. It is constantly personally rewarding, but also chases alot of people away with fear, and misery. You need to make a decision which side you want. Sure, there will always be frustrations, because godam thus can be a frustrating hobby, but that's why the good moments are simply pure awesome.
In order to get to that point you have to accept the hobby for what it is. There is only one single thing you can ever promise everybody in this hobby. You are going to crash. Over, and over. And over. And when you think you "mastered" it, you still hit the ground. You can either accept that, and open yourself to everything amazing within this hobby, or you can ruin away from it, scared of hitting the ground.

It's really that simple. In words, but trust me I know can be hard in practice. I went through it, everybody who acheives any levels of success with these stupid machines goes through it.
just tell yourself, even convince yourself, you don't care about crashing. Who cares if I hit the ground? Hell, sometimes it can actually be funny. Then you rebuild, and fly on. Then you pull off a piro flip for the first time, before anybody else at your field can even think about it.
Let me know how it goes, I sincerely hope that helps. And I know for a fact that for the one of you writing your post, there are 100 others that feel the same way, reading this thread.

Some of the best advice I've ever read here. I think I'll print this, frame it, and place it in my hobby room.

[gitbse]

Thanks nologic

[004ustamok]

i'm sorry,but i don't agree with crashing intentionally. i don't understand what lesson that will teach other than crashing is not the good part of flying.

[Steve Graham]

+1

It's become cliche ie "If you're not crashing you're not learning" Sure glad none of my full scale instructors advocated that approach. It's one thing to say that crashing and repairing is very likely going to be a part of the hobby and that you can't allow it to deter you if you love to fly. It's another to advocate for crashing. I suggest we advocate for best practices to avoid crashing.

[Nologic]

Originally Posted by 004ustamok

i'm sorry,but i don't agree with crashing intentionally. i don't understand what lesson that will teach other than crashing is not the good part of flying.

He's is not saying to just take it up and lawn dart it intentionally. He is referring to the fact that when your new and haven't crashed and rebuilt again its all you worry about.

That worry and fear will hold you back from progression.

Take it up high, fly it around and figure it out on the fly... Hehe. If you crash who cares? Just rebuild and go do it again.

I used this mentality and I've only been flying since August of last summer. I'm already flying transitions and piro flips. I still crash sometimes, but I don't worry about it and I'm not bothered by it. Just rebuild and keep pushing!

[Nologic]

Originally Posted by Steve Graham

+1

It's become cliche ie "If you're not crashing you're not learning" Sure glad none of my full scale instructors advocated that approach. It's one thing to say that crashing and repairing is very likely going to be a part of the hobby and that you can't allow it to deter you if you love to fly. It's another to advocate for crashing. I suggest we advocate for best practices to avoid crashing.

I suggest you re-read the thread. He wasn't suggesting lawn darting it on purpose.

[Steve Graham]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll keep my own counsel on the matter however.

[HeliSmith]

Originally Posted by Steve Graham

It's become cliche ie "If you're not crashing you're not learning" Sure glad none of my full scale instructors advocated that approach. It's one thing to say that crashing and repairing is very likely going to be a part of the hobby and that you can't allow it to deter you if you love to fly. It's another to advocate for crashing. I suggest we advocate for best practices to avoid crashing.

This advice is given because if you come to terms with the idea it will return as a box of busted pieces then you can relax and have some fun finally. Not that you literally crash on purpose but rather come to terms with the crash and yes this line of thinking helps. The idea is to have the money to cover the crash all ready to be spent and if you do crash then spend it so you can repair it immediately. Or order extras in advance. Basically, go pay the entry fee and have a good day. If you come back uncrashed even better.