Fly like you have no fear....

[Paul Taylor]

Well today I leaned something....
I took the boys to the park to fly rockets. ( Of course we took a few planes)

It was a little windy, and after one did a splash down in the park pond we broke out the planes.

Ryan flew his Buster trainer first, then we put my younger son on the handle. I am still trying to get him hooked on C/L. Ryan put up a flew flights on his Tutor II. I sure like the way that plane flys.
It was a little too windy for the SkyRay, so I put up a few flights with the Buster Trainer. I have been using this plane to work on my inverted flying. I can now fly more then one lap without getting dizzy.
Well today I flew with out any fear of crashing. I did my first overhead 8 and a reverse wing over. Man was that fun !!!!
So now if I can just fly my Twister without fear I would be a happy banana.
A few pictures from today.

[Paul Taylor]

one more

[roger gebhart]

Paul sounds like good times. sorry I missed it.  rog

[Paul Taylor]

And one more..

Roger - we just did it to get off the couch for a few hours.

[Paul Taylor]

And one more...
Not why they are showing up small.

Ryan inverted with his Tutor II.

[Bill Heher]

They show up small with the new software, just double click on them and they open up in a window.

[Dick Fowler]

Progress does require getting beyond your fears. I think a very big problem with this hobby is the amount of time and effort required to build a “nice” airplane.  We become emotionally attached to the result and thus don’t want to put the plane at risk. To me this is where ARF’s and ARC’s meet a need.

That said, I really believe that one of the biggest problems I see with new pilots is lack of a plan. IMHO this accounts for more broken airplanes than any other factor.

Once a new guy gets beyond takeoff, sort of level flight and landings most begin screwing around with maneuvers with no real plan. They start trying different stuff, most of which is not a part of the pattern and get confused. The plane gets ahead of them and into an attitude they haven't seen before (usually the plane is over their head and/or getting behind their back and maybe inverted too) and have no idea which input is going to save the plane. A little planning can keep some of this from happening.

I suggest selecting individual pattern maneuvers or a certain sequence that you think you can handle to start.  Usually inside stuff is easier for most people. Confine the flight to the “planned” tricks. Do not “freelance.  Do some "air flying" first. Grab a handle and paint the shapes with your flying hand and input the handle direction until you feel you have it. Each flight should stick to the planned maneuvers.

There will be fewer unexpected excursions into unfamiliar airplane positions and broken airplanes that result from the confusion  Keeping adding pieces of the pattern until you get it down.

If you really want to make big strides… build a combat airplane and fly the pattern. I did this back in about 1964 and after you crank through about four patterns on one tank… the old stunt ship is crawling along. Feels like you have all day on outside squares!

[bob branch]

I'll be the first to second that! It was only when I started flying a disaplined set of maneuvers that I stopped killing planes back when I was beginning in stunt. As a kid it happened all the time. When I started flying stunt I did it the first day. I'll never forget Frank Carlisle's first words to me as I went to pick up the pieces: "that was impressive." The next ones were that if I wanted to keep airplanes around I would have to fly the same sequence all the time and the pattern was the one to fly. He explained that that way no mater what else was happening, I knew ahead of time where the plane was going to go next.  He got me ove my fears by telling me that anytime I got lost I should give it full down.... it was usually the shorter way out. Both worked and still do.


bob branch

[Keith Spriggs]

Progress does require getting beyond your fears. I think a very big problem with this hobby is the amount of time and effort required to build a “nice” airplane.  We become emotionally attached to the result and thus don’t want to put the plane at risk. To me this is where ARF’s and ARC’s meet a need.

That said, I really believe that one of the biggest problems I see with new pilots is lack of a plan. IMHO this accounts for more broken airplanes than any other factor.

I wish I had, had your advice 50 years ago. It would have saved a lot of planes.  You are also right about the ARF's I doubt that I would ever have tried it again with something I had built, but I didn't worry too much about the Flite Streak ARF.

[Harleyman]

This is like the No Fear feeling/breakthrough I had when flying my ARF FliteStreak two seasons ago.  I didn't care if I piled it in, so therefore became BULLET PROOF in one outing.   

I suddenly had the courage (not the ability) to try my first square stunts.  Now, if I could just gather the courage to fly the full pattern.   

[bob branch]

The way Frank taught me was just start with the novice pattern and add one maneuver at a time with 2 laps between each maneuver. If all you can do is a non reversed wingover, then do the takeoff, your two laps between maneuvers, 2 laps of level flight, 2 laps between maneuvers, wingover, 2laps between manevers, and repeat it. When you are ready to try the next maneuver put it in its correct place and try it. Whether you succeed or not do not go back and try it again. Do your two laps of level flight and then the next maneuver.... returning to the beginning and going on again until you are near the end of your engine run. This way you build the unconscious relfexes of where the plane is supposed to go next from where you are at. If you get really screwed up give it full down and you'll probably miss the ground and recover up high to get right side up and start again. Its a slow building block process. Forget where the bottoms should go. That will come later. If you have a flying partner in the center of the circle with you to call the next maneuver that helps too cause you aren't stuggling to remember the order. They don't have to even know the pattern, just read the maneuvers off a list. When you get to outside maneuvers start really really high. The plane has the ability to clear the ground, you just have to see that it does. On your first inverted laps, fly them really really high. Just change positions gradually as you get confidence.

   bob

[Greg L Bahrman]

In talking with an expert he said if you want to be competitive you need to have the confidence in your plane that it will do what you ask it and then you need to fly it like you don't care......GRINS

[Randy Powell]

I have no fear when flying. It's why I have a trail of broken planes.

But they have lessened and I still fly pretty close to the pavement.

[Steve Helmick]

It doesn't help anything to get nervous. Being calm and able to think as you fly is crucial. Panic generally causes more crashes than it cures. However, it's very important to have your model flying as well as you can get it, before you start getting jiggy with it. Trimming helps a bunch. For those of us that aren't Experts, it's a slower process, but Experts are usually willing to watch and give input, if asked.

When the model is trimmed and flying well, it can put the pilot into "the zone" where stuff seems to happen in slow motion. Makes panic less likely. Randy and I watch a lot of fliers in our area. Whose patterns look like they're in slow motion, from the Judges viewpoint? Not many, but some. Randy probably knows what/who I mean, and knows it isn't PW or Howard, or Randy or Pat, either. If Chris Cox could fly as hard a corner as Howard and PW, but with the same Slow Mo look, he'd be unbeatable, I think. Mike's Oriental Plus looks like that, as does Jack Pitcher's Centenial with it's new power. It's getting more interesting in Expert in the PNW.  Steve

[Bob Reeves]

One of our club members Tom Martin says fly it like it's stolen

[Russell Shaffer]

I'm going to try to get out with my new Flite Streak tomorrow.  Should be in the mid 30's and sunny.  First flight for the plane AND the Fox 35.  Streak is my first scratch built for many years and the Fox was in a box since about 1980.  I don't think the " no fear" description will apply to me. Lots of work in the Streak, but if it goes straight in, the total nonrecoverable cost is only about $30.  We won't count labor. Happy New Year to all.

[Leo Mehl]

I found out somthing a couple years ago about flying. If you have a nice plane that realy flies good there is alway the fear of loosing it. I came to realize that this is a tool to accomplish something. Sure it's pretty and it does what you tell it to do so the natural thing is I do not want to wreck this plane. this is usually when something happens. I changed my attitude about this. It's a hanger queen until you hook lines on it and then it becomes a tool. You don't have to be reckless just do what the plane is capable of. Boy did this help my flying a Lot. I got some  good scores that I thought I would never get. A good lesson to be learned!

[Leo Mehl]

I did something a couple years ago that really helped my flying. It was not building or flying in general. When you have a plane that you really like and it does everything we want it to we get this message in our brain that says we do not want to loose this plane

[don Burke]

A pro circle track driver once said, "The only way to go fast is to drive it like you don't have a penny invested in it!"  Applies to airplanes too.  There are two kinds of airplanes, those that have crashed, and those that are going to.  So might as well just go ahead and try things.

[Russell Shaffer]

Yeah, my Akromaster is almost reassembled.  Not nearly as pretty, so I won't have to worry about it. 

[Paul Taylor]

I find that I have a little more nerve if I have one of my mentors out with me. 

[Scott Jenkins]

Paul,
Your mentor is not holding the handle, he probably did not build the airplane, do try the combat ship for flying the pattern and put a streamer on it. The streamer helps to locate and reference your manuvers as you fly. Just watch out for the guy that will come up as say lets fly some combat.    They are usually the ones with a far off look in their eye and the urge to kill something. 

Scott

[Paul Taylor]

I have the Scrapper hanging on the wall and ready for another flight. I hope to use this as a tool to help me learn so I don't break my Twister. Then I will tie on the streamer and mix it up.

You are correct in my mentors did not build or fly the plane, but they help me focus and encourge me.

Here is one of my mentors.

[catdaddy]

Here is one of my mentors.

The Z man is a good one.
I've seen him fly at our contest and he's one of those guys that looks very comfortable at the handle.
Maybe you can come to Tulsa with him this year...last weekend in September, you won't be sorry.

[Jim Thomerson]

If you are seriously, or semiseriously, interested in flying competitively, or just in flying better and having more fun, I recommend you find a copy of "Winning: The Psychology of Competition", Stuart H. Walker,  W.W, Norton & Co. 1980.  Walker is an MD psycologist and a world-class sailboat racer. I found hi9s ideas and approach very interesting.

[bob branch]

Please use caution when mentioning Stuart Walker here. There are several of us on the forum who have more than passing association with his work. Maybe even one or two who actually understand his Tactics book. The fact there may more one or two on the planet who could and that they now reside here is a testamony to the caos he caused in competative sailing.  And a testamony to the joy of stunt flying. Reading Stuart Walker can make you entirely too serious.

Bob

[Scott Jenkins]

Rootbeard,

"Use the force, Luke" er Rootbeard use the streamer to practice the stunt pattern. It will help reference your position against whatever background you have at your flying field. It also helps smooth out the patterns and eliminate the jerky motion you may not see from the handle end. Believe me, try it you will like it. It will not inhibit the normal flight characterics of the plane with it on.

Scott

[Russell Shaffer]

I like the streamer suggestion.  I know nothing about them, so what should I use and how long?

[Scott Jenkins]

Russell,
This is right out of the AMA Rulebook the only exception would be to use a cheap plastic table cloth for streamer material instead of crepe paper to make it last longer. Be advised running a streamer automatically will set you up
for that lean and hungry look from a Combat flyer. 
4. Streamers. Streamers shall be supplied by the contest management. Streamers shall be made of crepe paper
sheets or other suitable material such as plastic, be of uniform length using two distinct colors, and shall be cut two (2) inches wide and up to ten feet long. The streamer material should then be doubled and the folded lengthwise for two inches before being double tied with the string leader. The string leader shall
be 16- to 20-pound test, shall be marked 84 inches from the knot, and shall extend beyond the ink mark 18 inches.

Scott