So, I wanted to blog my entry into RC planes better than I have. Something for me to look back at and maybe offer up help to those just starting.

With that said, it's been a while since I posted to my blog. Currently my hanger includes: Sport Cub S, Apprentice, 1.2m Spitfire, 1.1m P-47D, and UMX P-51BL... I also added in a $50 quadcopter and a $70 indoor heli. The indoor heli was a Christmas gift from my wife and really isn't worth the money, but I still try to fly it to show she didn't strike out on that gift.

I lost my flying field, which was my "front yard". Living in the country with an empty country road and farm fields was great... and now I miss it. I live in town, on the edge of town actually. I have enough room around me for UMX stuff... and maybe even could try my bigger stuff except I don't have a good landing area, so I'd have to and launch and belly land. Not my thing... I like the scale of retracting gear and flaps and a nice greased landing and roll out. My new living arrangements is why I picked up the P-51BL... something fly in the smaller spaces available. I maidened it just the other day and it went "ok". I had one hard crash/landing when I got 'Dumb thumb" when it got far enough away to have issues with seeing it's exact orientation in the morning sun. It also needs some manual trimming as well for the rudder and elevators.

I pulled the Apprentice RX and put it in my P-47... which works well. I...Continue Reading

Need to catch my blog up in documenting my start in the hobby.

Got my Eflite Spitfire and had been flying it pretty much anytime I could. I have a good 25+ flights into it and am now greasing landings without SAFE most of the time. There are some instances where crosswinds or being a little "hot" on my approach have me going around and I'll use SAFE to help me out there if I'm low to the deck, but that's the point for me... to use it to help out when I'm in a spot that I'm still learning. I'd say SAFE gets used about once every 3 flights for any significant reason... I do use it sometimes to relax and check my surroundings since my kids like to be out with me while I'm flying.

BUT... The Spit is on the shelf for a little bit. I had my first good crash with it the other day and it rattled me a little bit. I took it out and on my first TOFF it rolled left and I cut power and it dove into the high grass along my landing strip. It wasn't too high but had some speed and it took some paint off the leading edge. I cleaned out the grass, checked my surfaces again, taxied it, rebound it and tried another TOFF. Another left roll, tried to get it back on the ground and it went into the grass on the right when I over corrected between rudder and aileron. Again, nothing serious, just yellow paint off the leading edge. I about quit, but tried one more time. This time the roll hit harder and ran me into a pole that took a 1" x 1" chunk out of the...Continue Reading

So, I mentioned in my last blog that I scored a DX8 and it's partner receiver for $200. I have rebound both my planes to it and I felt pretty good when neither binding when smooth but I trouble shot the problem out. The receiver will probably find it's way to eBay with my DX5e. I figure those two together could get me a UMX Micro and extra batteries for my next purchase.

Only problem getting my Tx finally dialed in was that it was 9pm here when I finished and had my Apprentice back up in the sky. About 10 minutes later and losing sight of it coming in on a non-SAFE landing made me realize it was time to quit for the night.

Oh- Posted on a few other forums and found myself sounding "whiney" in my opinion. I was mentioning how some of the experienced guys were not too high on gyro stabilization (SAFE type systems). I guess I was thinking that it shouldn't matter if someone wants SAFE as a safety valve... as long as they're learning how to fly and enjoying it. Ah well, no issues anyways, it was all good in the end.

Oh... last post for the blog today- Ordered the Spitfire XIV from Eflite today... anxiously awaiting it. Hope the weather gives me a day or two to give it a try.

Alright all... Just a quick run down of me and where I am. I thought I'd document what it's like to start in this hobby (Electric RC Airplanes) and my path as I grow in it. Maybe someone thinking about starting can read it and figure out from it what I did right and how to avoid the pitfalls I came into.

First- Details of me. I think this is important since everyone's experience will be different due to the life outside the hobby... a 60 year old retired person with a good income will have more money and time than a 30 something with an active family, so how they get into and stay in the hobby will be completely different........ I work a 8-430 job as a probation officer. That means a lot of call-outs and unaccountable time that work pulls me away. I have a family also, wife and kids... kids are all under 6 years old (3 kids). I am on a budget that's pretty tight (more on that later) so not alot of extra money for hobbies. We also have active extended family and that keeps us busy. I can probably give about 4 hours a week to this hobby if I'm lucky.

Second- Why this hobby... why electric RC planes? I started to get my private pilot license a year ago, but job changes and income said that was a no go anymore (About $300/month if I wanted to get through fairly timely). I enjoyed the flying and decided that I wanted to keep up with that... so I started looking at this as a possibility around Christmas this year. Hopefully I'll get back to the PPL...Continue Reading