| Q: |
Are RC helicopters
hard to fly? |
| A: |
Many people will
have you believe that they are. The truth is that they are not.
Helicopters are simply different than fixed wing aircraft and
must be piloted accordingly. As with learning to ride a bike,
there is a learning curve and certain rules that need to be
adhered to. A key item worth mentioning is that, unlike fixed
wing aircraft which must maintain forward motion in order to
remain airborne, helicopters can hover. This is really important
to a beginner in that they can learn in their back yard by adding
collective slowly until the machine is just a few inches off
the ground. When things start to go wrong, just lower the collective
and the heli will descend. In short, the beginner will be "hopping"
the heli, rather than flying it. As one becomes more proficient
with the controls, they can start moving around and so on. With
a fixed wing, once it's off the ground, you're flying. Hopefully
you'll be on a "buddy box", because landings can be
difficult. |
| Q: |
Can I learn by my
self? |
| A: |
Anything is possible . . . but . . . unless
you possess some extraordinary talent of unimaginable magnitude,
I promise you will be MUCH happier and more likely to maintain
an interest in the sport if you get PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE!
I cannot stress enough the importance of receiving proper training.
Besides, if you buy a heli from BOLAR (hint . . .hint . . .),
you will have the opportunity to recieve FREE
flight training! |
| Q: |
What if I'm stubborn
and want to do it BY MYSELF!?!? |
| A: |
In all likely hood, you will crash . .
. many times (how's your bank account these days?) . . . and
may even become so discouraged as to give up this wonderful
sport. There is no reason to crash if you get the necessary
training and follow some simple guidelines. |
| Q: |
I heard that I should
learn to fly fixed wing first. Is this a good idea? |
| A: |
Not necessarily.
Sometimes it is a little more difficult for fixed wing pilots
to adapt to rotor craft than it is to learn on heli's first.
This is primarily because many fixed wing pilots do not use
rudder when making a turn and operate the throttle differently.
With helicopters, rudder (yaw) and throttle (collective) must
always be used. If you learn on heli's, you'll get used to this
without really thinking about it. |
| Q: |
I
heard these things are not cheap to fly. Is that true? |
| A: |
Again,
with the proper training
and preventive maintenance, you need not be crashing your machine.
Most of today's heli's are very reliable and will provide you
with excellent service for a long time. |
