MattyB Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 45 minutes ago, 911hillclimber said: ...As a novice I am reliant on the good will of others around me at the time when I arrive. Certainly, not everyone is happy to take the responsibility of another's plane esp when it is all neat and tidy like my FMS was... Yesterday, my 'instructor' was not there. Martin has set up a buddy connection on a switch so he can join me on the field. Yes, we understand that and it can be frustrating early on if instructors aren't available. However that doesn't mean you should take it as a sign to fly solo when they aren't there! It also doesn't remove your individual legal responsibility to ensure the flight is conducted safely. I strongly recommend you get yourself a sim setup as suggested above - that should help a lot to bring on your general coordination when flying. Finally setting up some kind of contact method with your instructor(s) before you visit the field is highly recommended, and should reduce the number of times when you arrive with no-one there to help you. Whatsapp or similar group cht platforms are ideal for this. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
911hillclimber Posted June 5, 2021 Author Share Posted June 5, 2021 Have arranged to meet-up with an experienced flier at a new field to get me going hopefully without damage next Tuesday. Should get 10 mins in the air or more with 2 batteries. Will report on the day later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Manuel Posted June 5, 2021 Share Posted June 5, 2021 Two batteries really isn't enough at your stage 911h. Think about it. Your new mentor is going to want to check out the model before he gives you the sticks. That's one battery gone before you start. You really need to be planning on having at least 6 flights per visit. That's either by having 6 batteries or facilities for field charging. It's one of the reasons why I/C trainers are so popular. Top em' up and away you go again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
911hillclimber Posted June 5, 2021 Author Share Posted June 5, 2021 Well.. It's all I have for now, but take your point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Manuel Posted June 5, 2021 Share Posted June 5, 2021 But your new charger is good for field charging if you have a mains supply or 12v battery available on site. As soon as you land, stick battery on charge. If it takes an hour to charge, that's 2 flights per hour, which is about the going rate. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denis Watkins Posted June 5, 2021 Share Posted June 5, 2021 17 minutes ago, 911hillclimber said: Well.. It's all I have for now, but take your point. We all want you to get off the ground Hillclimber, and all wish you well. Tomorrow, I will be taking up a page one novice like yourself, and he has a high wing trainer too. Unfortunately, he has a play with the gear at home, and I have to trim his model every new day out. It goes something like this, after ground checks, I take off, he is On the buddy It takes me maybe a minute to get up and into circuit, then maybe another minute to trim the altered craft I switch him in for simple circuits, maybe 3 minutes, and 1 minute of direction recoveries in that Then the alarm goes off, And I need that last minute, to get into circuit and land. The poor man gets 3 minutes off that pack, due to messing with the tranny at home, and he gets 4 minutes from subsequent flights, if he stays safe The instructor has to learn to fly your model with you. It helps if you can both get in the sky a number of times to progress 6 is a good target for flights 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Davis Posted June 6, 2021 Share Posted June 6, 2021 Hillclimber I sent you a PM on Friday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyGnome Posted June 6, 2021 Share Posted June 6, 2021 @911hillclimberplease don't be discouraged, we're only trying to help you into this wonderful hobby successfully ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piers Bowlan Posted June 6, 2021 Share Posted June 6, 2021 (edited) Hillclimber, you must have parted with at least four hundred to five hundred of your hard earned pounds on the hobby to date. For goodness sake go and buy some more batteries, two is not enough. They last for years normally and don't have to be very expensive. Here. Another half dozen wouldn't go amiss. Edited June 6, 2021 by Piers Bowlan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
911hillclimber Posted June 6, 2021 Author Share Posted June 6, 2021 David, missed the pm but have responded. Will try to get some batteries tomorrow from Penn Models. I think the place I'm visiting on tuesday have 240V so can re-charge easy with my new charger, but will look to get some more. My potential 'instructor' has to leave at 1.30pm and with the weather looking good I think tme on the field could be at a premium. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyGnome Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 Hope it goes well! GG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
911hillclimber Posted June 7, 2021 Author Share Posted June 7, 2021 So do I, so do I. Bought 2 more cheap(er) LiPo's today and charged them. Had to refer to a Russian video on how to charge the battery as I had no matching connector to the battery output. Lots of other leads, but none to match the yellow ones i've used. The provided instructions are rubbish imho. Seems crude to use crocodile clips in the female connector after actually reading ALL the warnings about LiPo's from instant death to merely burning your house down. I think I will remove the clips and solder on a matching connector. How on earth did they ever get to production and global distribution? So, have 4 x fully charged batteries, all @ 99% and all cells even for each. Feel very much "All the Gear, No idea" and more nervous than before my wedding day. Hope Tim knows what is turning up tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denis Watkins Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 There will come a time, quite soon, where you cannot wait to get there. Pack your chair, some snacks and a bottle of water and relax down there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyGnome Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 @911hillclimberyes, solder on a matching connector pdq! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
911hillclimber Posted June 8, 2021 Author Share Posted June 8, 2021 What a total waste of time today. Tried to find the 'new' flying field, impossible to me, even 3 locals had never heard of it. Went down every lane twice and a very rough stone track once which, i think if I drove a further 1/4 mile I would have found it. Not sure. Google would not work on the phone so could not check directions. Text the guy I was expecting to meet to say sorry. Went to the other field where I have crashed 4 times. Several there, Bob, the good flier had his plane up a tree (the one I nearly went into last week, others had flown once and were packing away, the sock was horizontal. So, came home, the plane in one piece. Seems this lark is just so dependent on weather and such things uncontrollable, not sure it is really my cup-of-tea, so will sleep on it and ponder if to sell up and restore another vintage motorcycle instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim Taylor Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 Yes, it does sometimes seem that the gods are against you, doesn't it? Same in anything, I guess - I know you've had your problems with the Lola in the past. The problem for you at the moment is that you need all of the ping pong balls in the air at once - be at the field, have a buddy there at the same time, have the wind just so, etc. That's before you've assembled the model, put the battery in, switched on..................and find a fault that wasn't there when you packed away last time. Once you've had a few sessions and been able to go solo, then at least one of the variables is gone and you can pick and choose which day / weather suits you, so another variable is at least controllable. The last one, well that happens to everyone at some stage, the trick is to notice before committing aviation, which is when it can really get tricky!! What I'm trying to say is don't make rash decisions based on your understandable frustration at a morning wasted. Give it a day or so, then maybe arrange to meet your new buddy at a known point, so that he can lead you to the field before getting you in the air on a perfect sunny morning, with a 5mph breeze blowing steadily straight down the strip!! Two or three days like that, with 4 or 5 flights a day, you'll be wondering what the fuss was about. We've all been there - I've had all of the above and more, you just need to push through!! The first field you went to sounds like a nightmare to me - take the hint, stay away.? You can still restore your motorbikes when it's raining outside or blowing a gale.? Hth Kim 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Davies 3 Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 1 hour ago, 911hillclimber said: What a total waste of time today. Tried to find the 'new' flying field, impossible to me, even 3 locals had never heard of it. Went down every lane twice and a very rough stone track once which, i think if I drove a further 1/4 mile I would have found it. Not sure. Google would not work on the phone so could not check directions. Text the guy I was expecting to meet to say sorry. Went to the other field where I have crashed 4 times. Several there, Bob, the good flier had his plane up a tree (the one I nearly went into last week, others had flown once and were packing away, the sock was horizontal. So, came home, the plane in one piece. Seems this lark is just so dependent on weather and such things uncontrollable, not sure it is really my cup-of-tea, so will sleep on it and ponder if to sell up and restore another vintage motorcycle instead. Chin up old boy. Nothing that is properly satisfying comes easy. I know, I'm a musician! As Kim says, the day when the stars align and you watch your model against an azure sky before it gently kisses the ground are the model flying equivalent of a drive straight down the fairway. Learning IS tough, no matter how you approach it; there is a staggering amount to learn which is just not obvious when you first pick up a model or transmitter. I think you'll find most of us on here that have a few air miles under our wings can still find new and inventive ways to break our toys after all this time. If it was as easy as a computer game, and with the same lack of consequence, our strips would be full of 16 year olds! Oh, and do another bike anyway. A gentleman can't have too many toys... Graham 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
911hillclimber Posted June 8, 2021 Author Share Posted June 8, 2021 I think my wife wanted me to do this flying thing to stop me doing another old Honda (££££££)! Secretary of today's club has asked me to call him, hopefully to arrange another day and a Guide Dog for me.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyGnome Posted June 9, 2021 Share Posted June 9, 2021 Stick at it. You'll forget all the hassle soon....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
911hillclimber Posted June 9, 2021 Author Share Posted June 9, 2021 Arranged for all the planets and witches to be fully aligned for next Tuesday. Also armed with instructions to find the field, I was 1/4 mile away down the gravel track yesterday. Tuesday's breeze should be low. Ground hardness is 'soft' so the undercarriage might survive the session. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Walby Posted June 9, 2021 Share Posted June 9, 2021 IMHO does not really matter how soft the ground is, you shouldn't be hitting it. I was buddy leading a chap just a few days ago and getting on really well with three flights doing circuits (of no particular shape, but in control). The next lipo we tried circuit to land and without the buddy lead he would have stuffed it in the ground or hedge four times. My point is you will learn little by crashing/damaging your Kingfisher apart from it flying worse than before. The instructors or anyone at the club should be there to help in whatever capacity they can so that you progress with learning to control the model. Think back to say November and how many opportunities you would have to fly, very few so look on the positive at least its light and warm so just need the wind needs to be ok and you are sorted. Again only my opinion but 4 to 6 (6 min) flights is normally more than enough for one session, after that the trainee's performance drops off with little gain. Have a look on the BMFA website at BMFA Flying Start, handy progress chart (appendix A1) that can help. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
911hillclimber Posted June 9, 2021 Author Share Posted June 9, 2021 Sorry, it was just a little 'joke' as I've tested ground hardness several time recently.. The Instructor I guess will have the Stabilisation mode switched off, but when getting more 'solo' should I switch it on or just carry on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denis Watkins Posted June 9, 2021 Share Posted June 9, 2021 (edited) 22 minutes ago, 911hillclimber said: Sorry, it was just a little 'joke' as I've tested ground hardness several time recently.. The Instructor I guess will have the Stabilisation mode switched off, but when getting more 'solo' should I switch it on or just carry on? Your model does not need stabilisation at all, as these fly well When trimmed Do all your learning with stab off Edited June 9, 2021 by Denis Watkins 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Griff Posted June 9, 2021 Share Posted June 9, 2021 (edited) Hillclimber, hunt down a local slope for you, if you can see birds soaring there they may be RC planes ! Slope soaring using a basic 2 channel will teach you so much, have long flights getting stick time in, and, you can practise landings many many times before you actually need to land. Believe me it works, just a basic 2channel glider to start with, r +e, then r+a, then more if you like... Dare I say this, but an isolated slope could give you "independence" .... If birds soar on a slope then so can a model...suggest an above 8mph breeze square onto the slope or ridge.... Find your local club. Ps, not another cb250n superslug.... Edited June 9, 2021 by Rich Griff 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Davis Posted June 9, 2021 Share Posted June 9, 2021 31 minutes ago, Denis Watkins said: Your model does not need stabilisation at all, as these fly well When trimmed Do all your learning with stab off I agree. Switch off the stabilisation entirely and learn to fly rather than rely on the technology. Stabilisation is just a sales gimmic in my view. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.