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email me at | R/C Newbie Start Site (click on photos to enlarge them) Where to Start
You probably seen R/C planes on display at the shopping mall, a hobby show, or on TV, and thought, gee, that looks like fun, I'd like to try. R/C aero modeling is tons of fun, if you like airplanes and aviation like some folks like motorcycles, boats or cars, then R/C aero modeling may be the hobby for you. Flying R/C is just not running out and buying a plane. Mastering the techniques to fly R/C will take the average person 2 to 4 months, some cash, one or two crashed planes and lots of perseverance. Still interested in trying, then read on! When I was ten years old, I wanted to be a Mustang pilot, I got close to many, but no stick time. I was fortunate to get started in R/C aero modeling in 1977 and continue to fuel my passion in aviation. Years, and dozens of models later, I still love Mustangs and R/C modeling. The R/C airplane hobby is great. Once you have mastered the flying part, there is no limit to what you can fly or build.
Many newbies think that they must fly a jet or warbird or a high powered aerobatic job to have fun or be part of the gang at the field. The truth is that the newbie with his trainer is having more fun and excitement as the more experience flyer is having with his all decked out warbird model. The experienced flyer seeks to fly more challenging aircraft to give him that level of satisfaction, but the fun levels are the same. Don't think because my plane is bigger I am having more fun, or that getting a bigger more sophisticated plane will provide more fun, may not always happen. The point is that you should stay within your comfort zone and advance with stick time. You should continue to advance but do so at your own pace, at the flying field, every modeler is your peer, the only person you should be impressing is yourself. The information on this page was learned at the school of hard knocks, it is only my opinion, cheers - Ken Kalynuk aka kenair. What this web site focuses on: The fun is in the flying, whether a trainer, warbird, racer, sport plane or glider. Being out at the field, meeting your buddies and flying is #1, I also like building, designing, modifying, and helping. Others find more joy in building, or modifying engines or enhancing r/c radio systems, or hanging their planes from the ceiling for all to see, I say, each to his own. Note: Rule One: You cannot learn to fly R/C by yourself, much the same as one cannot learn to fly a real aircraft by themselves. There are exceptions to this rule but for 99.9% of the people out there, some one will have to teach you, this applies to full size pilots as well. Why will you crash your model on the first flight if you try by yourself? Because you will not use the proper amount of finger movement on the transmitter sticks to correspond with what your eyes are seeing and your brain is interpreting what the model is doing. If your try to fly by yourself, you will suffer from brain overload, this is what will happen, guaranteed. You will take off, give full up, the plane will jump off the group and climb at a very steep angle and stall, this is followed by you giving full down, then full up then full down and your plane starts doing the Funky Chicken and then splat. The flight will last only 30 seconds or so and the model that you paid a fair buck for will be smashed and you will feel like a bag of sh__. Rule Two: What It Takes In This Hobby In full scale you have the aircraft company that builds the plane, the pilot who flies the plane, guys on the line that service the plane and the maintenance shop that maintains or repairs the plane. In R/C modeling, you do all of the above. You can buy ready to fly planes, but there is some assembly required, you do the flying, fixing and repairing. R/C airplanes require a fair amount of maintenance and repair. To enjoy the R/C hobby you must be prepared to learn some in all four areas, flying, motor tuning, building, repairing, lots of repairing during the initial years. Still interested and would like to get into the hobby, continue to the "getting started page", we want you to succeed. Last updated Dec. 24, 2001
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