Be sure to read all the stuff from everybody here about learning to fly, like simulator practice, joining club, instructor, start with a trainer, wind etc, because it really works . But there's one lesson we don't hear much about because its embarrasing .

DON'T GET TOO COCKY!

Sooner or later everybody does it because in the learning curve with whatever plane, your confidence level may get ahead of your skill level.

With 9.6v batt and control rods on innermost holes in control horns, my HZSC has much quicker response to thumb movement than stock, and its a buncha flying fun. This morning (perfect, no wind) this old duffer was showing off to some young ladies how to grease it on doing touch and goes. On a typical initial climbout at higher throttle (I didn't stall it), in an instant of not paying attention and still close to ground, a dinky thumb movement transformed the SC fuse into several pieces in a fraction of a second.

I'm sure glad I had not opted for a 2-3mo build of a balsa trainer, cause it would have been really depressing. Everything else in the SC came through okay (if you nose into grass vertically, prop may make it). New SC fuse from LHS with firewall and batt box already glued in and control rods with clevises was $20 and cowl $3. Just a couple hours of work ahead. Maybe its time to convert to the big radio system for the addict duration, that is if I don't get ... again.

The old full scale flying tradition is instructor cuts off the shirt tail of the student after the first solo flight as a reminder, DON'T GET TOO COCKY.

So whatever your flying skill, remember, DON'T GET TOO COCKY, cause you'll get some feathers plucked. Of course, you'll probably do it anyway .

Icky

Originally Posted by Ickarusmelt

Be sure to read all the stuff from everybody here about learning to fly, like simulator practice, joining club, instructor, start with a trainer, wind etc, because it really works . But there's one lesson we don't hear much about because its embarrasing .

DON'T GET TOO COCKY!

Sooner or later everybody does it because in the learning curve with whatever plane, your confidence level may get ahead of your skill level.

With 9.6v batt and control rods on innermost holes in control horns, my HZSC has much quicker response to thumb movement than stock, and its a buncha flying fun. This morning this old duffer was showing off to some young ladies how to grease it on doing touch and goes. On a typical initial climbout at higher throttle (I didn't stall it), in an instant of not paying attention and still close to ground, a dinky thumb movement transformed the SC fuse into several pieces in a fraction of a second.

I'm sure glad I had not opted for a 2-3mo build of a balsa trainer, cause it would have been really depressing. Everything else in the SC came through okay (if you nose into grass vertically, prop may make it). New SC fuse with firewall and batt box already glued in and control rods with clevises was $20 and cowl $3. Just a couple hours of work. Maybe its time to convert to the big radio system, that is if I don't ... again.

The old full scale flying tradition is instructor cuts off the shirt tail of the student after the first solo flight as a reminder, DON'T GET TOO COCKY.

So whatever your flying skill, remember, DON'T GET TOO COCKY. Of course, you'll probably do it anyway .

Icky

Hi Icky
AH-HA watching the young ladies instead of the plane What will the Wife Say ha ha .Kidding aside is your bird all better with new body , old one in two many pieces for glue and packing tape ?
Happy Flights & Softer Landings ( Rembember watch the plane not the girls ha ha )

Sayers 1 ( Jerry )

Yeah, Jerry, women. Even if you wouldn't or couldn't and just looking, they're still risky .

After careful inspection of SC fuse pieces, I thought maybe I could go the glue and tape route, but the number and odd shapes of the pieces looked too complicated. (BTW to newbies always gather up everything carefully at the crash site cause you may need it.) I figured glued and taped it would probably be heavier and maybe still tweaked, so I just bought the cheap parts to start fresh.

Go for it with your SC, Jerry, crashing ain't so bad

Icky

so that's why they cut the back off my shirt! and here i thought it was cause i was coool!

Hi Icky,

Ya know, you can say it, you can offer evidence of it, you can bet all the money in the world on it, and the outcome will never, ever change.

Us men will never learn that lesson. Not in a million years. All we can do is know that each time we go to the field with our planes, we are doomed to destroy them in an uncontrolled reaction at the sight of a female. It's in our genes (or is that jeans?).

I suffered my first episode of testosterone stupidity during my first few weeks of flying when I decided it was imperative to make my Slo-V do a loop to impress a couple of young lasses walking by.

Up.... and over.... and back to level flight... straight into the side of the school gymnasium wall.

The sad part is... I KNOW for a fact I will do something equally stupid AGAIN... at the first sight of a pretty young thing...

Chuck

happens to everyone I think. I know I'm guilty except i wasn't trying to impress the ladies, it was my nieces and nephews that were saying "do a loop, do a loop".
Lesson learnt.

Great advise Icky but I'm afraid Chuck is right, we will never change.