Finless Bob's HeliFreak Flight Challenge #1

[Bob O]

Finless has asked me to post this thread, regarding the first in a series of flight challenges! The idea of issuing flight challenges has been tossed around for a while, but has never actually made it into a thread.

There was a discussion a few weeks ago about basic flight skills. All to often, and I was guilty of it as well, we see pilots learn to hover tail-in and then jump right into FF and then into 3D. While a lot of us were able to pull off some nice 3D maneuvers, we lacked basic orientation skills, which actually hindered us in learning and performing advanced 3D maneuvers.

The idea behind this Flight Challenge and the ones to follow, is to force us to go back to basics, and become proficient with the more difficult orientations that we skipped early on. The goals behind these Flight Challenges are 1) to have FUN , 2) become safer pilots, and 3) gain a set of skills that will help us when learning more difficult maneuvers.

There are no prizes, there will be no voting or judging, and there will be no single "winner". In the end, we will all be winners so to speak, being that we participated, had fun, and became better and safer pilots.

The first challenge is outlined below, and is geared toward CP (Collective Pitch) helis; those that are capable of 3D flight. It does not matter if the heli is large or small, electric or nitro. Please don't get too carried away with your videos; try to limit your flight/footage to what is spelled out in the challenge. Always keep safety in mind.

Originally Posted by Finless

SNIP
NOT ON THE SIM.... Real life! Here we go:
1) Nose in hover controlled in one spot for 20 seconds solid!
2) Show a SOLID hover tail left, tail right, tail in, nose in. EACH has to be 15 seconds solid.... As little drifting as best you can and each transition to each orientation cannot have cuts in the video... RAW showing the transitions.
3) BONUS POINTS! Hover upright and piro in either direction you want and show you can hold that piro hover in one spot!
SNIP

While the challenge may sound simple, I found that it was easier said than done. Here's my video to kick things off!

[Finless]

Good job Bob... You can see a little drifting right side in hover and in the slow piro... I would like to see a slower piro myself but all in all you show good control! This is what I look for.....

Bob

[caralmar]

Good job Bob! Dang, those nitros are quite the polluters! Reminds me of being downtown Mexico City!

I'm going to start practicing this and hopefully can get it on video.

[helicopter1]

Very nice It still needs a little work on stationary piros but you are getting there.
I also have the same problem i can get them to be locked in stationary like the pros
do but i cheated on my learning and skipped the basics and now i am going back to
them. This is a nice thread and people should get more involved with this. I believe it
will make their 3d skills more precise and controlable.

[Rªzª]

ill submit a video this weekend. I think Bob needs to make a submission too so we can make sure he practices what he preaches.

[ziper_it]

That's a great initiative!

Need to find a way to record it and I'll be back.


Francesco

[Bob O]

Originally Posted by caralmar

Good job Bob! Dang, those nitros are quite the polluters! Reminds me of being downtown Mexico City!

I'm going to start practicing this and hopefully can get it on video.

It was making more smoke than normal that day. Humidity was 80% or higher and it was a click or two rich to boot.

[caralmar]

Ok, so I've been flying for about a year and a half now and thought this was going to be cake... I just fired up RealFlight and tried it on the SIM and its not so easy! I got so hooked on flying fast and aggressive that I didn't pay attention to precision. This is going to be hard!

[Jasmine2501]

Cool
Glad to see this get going... I'll be happy to do one, if we ever have a day with less than 30mph winds...
http://arvadamodelers.com/index.php?...pper&Itemid=60

[jt45255]

great idea finless i just poped my cherry last weekend with flying forward and up side down for the first time. i ve been flying on real flight with helis for 2 years and wow what a difference in real life . ill start doing this challenge and ill let you all see where im at.

[JAG1]

That was great Bob o!!!

i will have to ask my gucci wife to film for me! and i'll be back

[Mercuriell]

Like the smoke screen Bob O - not so easy - had a trial with my Atom 500 and too embarassed to post - little practice needed !

[Dirtmagnet400]

Guys, this is a GREAT idea, but the first thing that comes to my mind, is whether or not to include flybarless in this. I spent my first year of flying doing exactly what you are asking here (with a flybarred 450), but i can tell you that with my Vbar Logo 500, most of this will be quite a bit easier.. FBL stabilization is at a serious advantage here.

I am NOT saying that i'm a stellar pilot by ANY means, just a thought on my part..

[Bob O]

FBL helis are not excluded.

[funkindatrunk]

Will try to get a vid. I have been flying mainly 450s for 2 years and can do what the first thred said. Learned to hover then ff then 3d. I know this is not going to be easy. I can hover all around but its sloppy.

[HeliBenj]

Nice contest! BobO, just a thought, I wonder if lower headspeed is not easier for that kind of moves, like FAI?
I don't have a video camera, I won't be able to participate and I wouldn't deliver a great performance anyway, but it's a great routine to practice your basic hovering

[Finless]

Originally Posted by Rªzª

ill submit a video this weekend. I think Bob needs to make a submission too so we can make sure he practices what he preaches.

HEY! Just because I put a challenge out there doesn't mean I can do it! That's not the point of the challenge for me to be able to do it.... It's to challenge you all especially new people learning. I know what to do and the right ways to learn but how many teachers you know can do what they teach! But hey.... I will go for it as I do these challenges.

OK so I will go out and shoot a video of me doing the challenge. But in the mean time here is a video that was shot of me like 2 years ago doing a slow piro. This will have to hold you over until I can shoot one of the full challenge.

YouTube

YouTube

Bob

[Bob O]

Yeah, I don't know about lower head speed for more stable hovering, never tried it. Might give it a go next time. My video is far from a great performance.

I wonder who will post the next video? Hopefully guys are working on them!

[Cullen Colapietro]

I'd love to post, but I've no camerman!

[Bob O]

Originally Posted by simonseize

I'd love to post, but I've no camerman!

I didn't have a camera man either. I just set the camera on the pit stand and let it record. Depending upon the camera you have, might be best to set the focus to manual and on infinity. That's what I have to do with mine.