heli flight school

[sing23]

I am kind of old to just b getting into this hobby, 65. Hopping I can find someone in the ny area that gives flying instructions.(buddy box), I am at my wits end and would really like to learn and do some light 3d. Please someone out there, please help.

[FrankFuss]

Get a good simulator and follow the "From tail-in to all 8s and funnels in 6 months" program, at least 30 minutes a day. Choose larger helis that that are easier to fly (e.g., 450 or 500). If nervousness is a problem in real life, get a FBL controller with a rescue feature. This worked for me and I am older than you are.

[Waxxingibbous]

Grab the Phoenix sim and a dx6
At about 350 it gets you in the door and you'll be able to tell if you like the hobby enough to move forward or not just based on that, the sim is accurate with flight characteristics so it will also help you heli window shop while improving your skills. Everyone learns differntly and crashing means it takes longer to learn. Flight time for mistakes and learning is invaluable on the sim. Not to mention so many new updates if I get bored I just go fly something new in the sim instead of wasting money.

If you absolutely wanna pick up a real world model, look at the nano cps at 100 bucks it's you real life sim that will teach you rotor wash and how to compensate drifts, it has a safe mode which will rescue and auto level your heli if you get confused. I don't like the cps just because after a 10 year break I was thrilled by this guy for a mere 2days and I went to the sim and flew the micros on there and I was like this is much better to be honest I should spend money on bigger, better built, proven Heli's.


It's never too late to get hooked, unless you have shakey hands, these birds are accurate and touchy. Accidentlal inputs will not serve you well.

Good luck

[ryanha]

Originally Posted by FrankFuss

Get a good simulator and follow the "From tail-in to all 8s and funnels in 6 months" program, at least 30 minutes a day.

This really is the best advice.

When you say you are your wits end, what have you been trying to do? Do you already have a heli or are you just starting to learn?


--Ryan

[Spazztl]

+1000 on the simulator .
for the real life trainer try the xk k110 . it comes with a transmitter and is one when not the best of the greatest most stabil micro helis out there .

[ArchmageAU]

Originally Posted by sing23

I am kind of old to just b getting into this hobby, 65. Hopping I can find someone in the ny area that gives flying instructions.(buddy box), I am at my wits end and would really like to learn and do some light 3d. Please someone out there, please help.

To begin with, 65 is not too old to get involved in this hobby. In fact it is often a good time to start (you have time, money and interest).

Light 3D will take a mastery of orientations.

Buddy boxing helps:

• It gives you someone to talk to and will show you what to work on.
• It has the "rescue" ability should be off target.
• It allows you to hand over control of takoff and landing (the most dangerous parts) to someone experienced.
• It requires you have time and access to someone with:
  • The skills to set it up
  • Who is available at the same time as you
  • Who is willing to help
  • Who is in a local area

However, there are alternatives:

• Online sim sessions, you can chat with people who can help you with what to do next.
• Some FBL units have a "rescue" facility (flick a switch and they level the model and/or send it away from the ground).
• Sim crashes do not cost time / money or parts. This way you can learn the most dangerous parts safely.
• Training gear does help initially IRL, but once you have control of takeoff and landing, models fly better without it.

So +1000 on sim and training. Even old brains can learn new tricks (just often takes while longer to stick).

Starting from scratch, at age 65, expect to take about a year to get to light 3D (loops, rolls, stall turns, etc...) IRL, with about 15 minutes a day practice.

Progress will seem PAINFULLY slow, but keep a record, and keep at it. The record will keep reminding how far you have come (as you WILL forget).

Ask LOTS of questions here. We have all been through where you are and will help and encourage as much as possible.

[gstoneberg]

+1 on 65 not being too old. I'm helping a 70 year old retired club member learn to fly helicopters. We just set up the wireless buddy box setup on his dx9 this past weekend and it worked great. He liked it because he didn't have to worry about losing orientation and I really enjoyed it too, a lot more than I expected. I think I took over 3 or 4 times in 2 flights. I'm looking forward to doing it again.

[blade450]

From what I have seen age does have some influence on how fast you learn, but other things are much more important. If you practice everyday, you can make quite a lot of progress.

This part of the forum is full of important information about learning how to fly. If you follow ArchmageAU's program, you should be able to learn how to fly.

[Cliff Chmiel]

Love the Sim, great tool to have, if you can do it on the Sim, normally it easier with the heli, hard part is not shaking, Take you time get orientation down first, I know guys flying doing loops rolls but the can not hover nose in or even side ways. Orientation is everything.

Sent from my SM-T550 using Tapatalk

[jwellsy]

Find a club near you. In fact find a few clubs near you and go visit 2 or 3 clubs. Each club has it's own culture and personality. Find the one you're most comfortable with.

Those guys will help you out a bunch.

http://www.modelaircraft.org/clubsearch.aspx

[Zermelo]

Originally Posted by sing23

I am kind of old to just b getting into this hobby, 65. Hopping I can find someone in the ny area that gives flying instructions.(buddy box), I am at my wits end and would really like to learn and do some light 3d. Please someone out there, please help.

Where in Queens do you live?