Basic flying question

[Raysun]

Two tips...for hovering, don't think of stick input, think of bumping the stick and allowing it to return to center to correct a drift. If you hold the input till the heli reacts, its way too much and you will be chasing it all over the place. Just give it small bumps. and get up five feet or so, out of ground effect. Much smoother.

For orientation start flying figure eights, turning away from yourself each time. As you come in towards yourself, slow down, and the corrections will start to become automatic. The biggest skill to strive for in early days is to be able fly back in towards yourself under control. Figure eights will help a lot. Don't spend too much time hovering...start flying...much easier and more satisfying. Hover will come, as long as you can land OK. I learned inverted by flying a big loop, then holding the inverted part longer and longer.

[ArchmageAU]

Originally Posted by Raysun

Two tips...for hovering, don't think of stick input, think of bumping the stick and allowing it to return to center to correct a drift. If you hold the input till the heli reacts, its way too much and you will be chasing it all over the place. Just give it small bumps. and get up five feet or so, out of ground effect. Much smoother.

+1. Bumps are far more effective than constant control for hover.

Originally Posted by Raysun

For orientation start flying figure eights, turning away from yourself each time. As you come in towards yourself, slow down, and the corrections will start to become automatic. The biggest skill to strive for in early days is to be able fly back in towards yourself under control. Figure eights will help a lot. Don't spend too much time hovering...start flying...much easier and more satisfying. Hover will come, as long as you can land OK. I learned inverted by flying a big loop, then holding the inverted part longer and longer.

For this, I agree in principle, but it's not the only way to go.

Yes, you must ALWAYS be able to bring the heli back to you in control. I usually drag it back upright tail-in.

I am following the chadrg Flying school method http://www.chadrg.com/flightschool/ . This relies very heavily on simulator, but I can attest it works. (IRL, confidently hovering inverted within 4 months of starting CP flying. Flying backward circles within 5 months). IRL, I have never tried a loop, and could nose-in hover before I could get a circle even vaguely round. RC heli is my first RC experience (no planes or cars). I think this is not bad progress for someone starting in their mid 40's.

I concentrated on hovering orientations and slow piro's A LOT. It's boring, but it works. Now when I get in trouble with circles or 8's I can stop, hover, correct and go again without crashing.

Lazy 8's are more fun, but my belief is that you will progress slower.

Keep us freaks informed of how you go.

[Trini92]

Originally Posted by Crenmore

Yeah, I'm trying to fly the MCPX and I keep reading about how stable the little bugger is but the thing just goes off on me. I tried your advice about stopping the movement before it gets back to where I want it. Doesn't seem to work. The input doesn't take soon enough or it takes immediately. BTW, do you belong to club in this area?

The little helis are sometimes a bit to get tamed. I picked up a Nano cpx just for winter practice and it took me a while to get use to how quick it was. Just keep at it, you'll eventually get the feel for it.

I'm currently part of the MD Heli Association (http://home.flymha.com), we are currently looking for a new field and may have something in Laurel, MD soon. Great group of guys, i definitely learned a lot when i joined. Where are you located? You can respond via my inbox.

[big_jim]

I remember being in your position. It seemd like what ever I tried the heli just kept moving on me. I agree wit most of what has been said. I am by no means an expert pilot, in fact I am just coming back to flying after a 5 year hiatus. When I stopped flying I was just starting to get into inverted flight, loops and rolls. The best thing to remember is use small short inputs, "bumps" as was said. when the heli drifts, bump the controls to correct and wait for the heli to respond. Patience is key when learning to fly these things. I would also suggest you not get in too big of a hurry to transition to forward flight. I am speaking form experiance here. I did just that, one I could hover comfortably tail in I started doing forward flight. While there is nothing wrong with this and it is quit fun to see the bird fly around. I found that I did not have the neccisary skills to move beyond simple circuts and figure eights. And I would panic if the heli stopped moving forward during a circut forcing me into nose in hover. IMO if you don't have good control of hover in all orientations you will find yourself getting into trouble when in FF.

My recomendation for learing woud be this:
first start with hover, tail in.
then start moving the heli around to the left and right a little, still tial in.
then nose left and right hover.
you shoudl also be comfortable with the heli at altitude at this point. I liked flying "V" patterns. Fly up and to the left then back to center, then up and to the right and then back to center.
then nose in hover.
then transitioning to FF. It will be much easier and if something goes wrong during a circut you can stop, hover relax move the heli to a comfortable position and the try the circut again.
lastly always practice hover in all orientations. I know it is boring but it is well worth it.

This just my opinion, from my own experince. I jumped right to forward flight and bocause of this after flying for almost 5 years I never learned to hover nose in, I was too afraid I would crash. Now that I am flying agian I am working on hover in all orientations and I am already much more comfortable with FF and am looking forward to 3D in the future.


Oh, and get a good Sim, Real Flight or Pheonix. The are well worth the money. The help build muscle memory.

Hope this helps and good luck.

-Jim