I started letting my son fly when he was about 6. I started him with an indoor coax heli (Scout). After I felt he understood the relationship between his thumbs and the model I let him fly the Champ and the Supercub. Set both to low rates and like others mentioned only flew in big fields with tall grass. I started out by having him put his thumbs on top of mine to try to show how little input is needed (no reason to bang the sticks around). Then buddy boxed him.

After a hiatus from the hobby we are both back in it. He's 10 now. Flys our coax helis on his own with few crashes, and is doing great with the 3ch planes outside. I still buddy box him on everything except the Night Vapor. That one is so slow I just let him have at it.

I haven't let him fly 4ch yet only because I don't have a suitable plane for him to learn on (saving up now). But he gets lots of sim time and I think he's ready to transition.

Anyway, when he was as younger flying 6-8 minutes was a bit much. He'd fly a minute or two then ask me to take over. Be prepared for that.

The original champ is a great plane for the beginner, however the champ s+ is not. It has to many features and is a faster plane. If you want a good slow fling 4 channel with safe look at the Sports Cub s. It handles the wind really well and is very easy to fly.

Sport Cub S handles wind well?
I've had a couple of them and anything over about 5 MPH can make them hard to handle.
I've flown them in 10-15 MPH winds and you need to stay in advanced mode and do some aggressive flying to get them back and not lose them.
Fine little fair weather plane, but not for windy places.

It handles wind better than the original champ

Champ is only a 3 channel and weighs even less.

Originally Posted by BamaBasher

Anyway, when he was as younger flying 6-8 minutes was a bit much. He'd fly a minute or two then ask me to take over. Be prepared for that.

Had some more fun today with the Sport Cub S. Kiddo wasn't interested in flying today but she was having fun setting up obstacle courses for me. Lots of fun really. It went something like this..."OK Dad, now take off here, go around that tree, over the boat, thru the porch around that tree and land on the back deck." We had a blast.

I understand what you mean about handing the Tx back after a minute or two. Kinda frustrated me at first but now when she's done I ask "do you want to land first?" About half the time she lands then hands it back and does her own walk of shame, brings it back and sets me up for my flight. Fun!

Flying is turing into our regular routine if the wind isn't too much. I pick her up from school, we fly a battery or two, then head home. Can't wait for better weather so we get more opportunities to fly/hang out!

Originally Posted by JohnFM

Sport Cub S handles wind well?
I've had a couple of them and anything over about 5 MPH can make them hard to handle.

I have to agree. I see it as the only real downfall of the Sport Cub S. It is amazing how just the slightest breeze turns it into a different animal.

Got lucky last sunday when visiting grandma, there was zero wind so when the family walked down to the beach I grabbed my Sport Cub S. So fun to fly slow and scale up and down the beach with a setting sun.

I have figured out it is very entertaining to fly in my front yard when a northerly is blowing. Our house faces south and there are very tall poplar trees extending away from either side of our backyard. Funnels the wind over our house. I can stand in the front yard and put the plane into the wind above our house and ride the updraft from our roof slope. I call it red neck slope soaring!

What a fun hobby.

Kiddo flew Sport Cub S for a total of 2 minutes. She seems to keep interest for about that long and it's suiting her fine. All in beginner mode, she took off, circled around without "banging the sticks". I guided her by telling her where to adjust throttle and when to circle back to keep it in front of us. When she said she was done I asked if she wanted to land first. She said "yeah!". I told her to cut throttle and bring it back to us. Had her do a couple corkscrew to loose altitude and she lined it up nicely. Went over our heads and when we turned around a seagull was near the plane. Her eye followed the gull! Mom said"nice landing" and she replied "I landed with out even looking, I was watching the bird!" in a very excited 6yo voice. Too funny! Safe mode is awesome!

I have not gotten to the second page but I have a thought.

Get your Sport Cub s up 3 mistake shigh and hand her the transmitter in beginning mode then just easily talk her through the flight.
Beginner mode is easy and if you stay calm both of you should have a great time.
You might practice control befor the first flight because control is reversed coming back.
Hand her the transmitter then you hold out your arms and act like a plane.
She'll get it in a minute.
Have fun.

Originally Posted by Bradley Crandall

You might practice control before the first flight because control is reversed coming back..

the solution to flying towards yourself is to turn your back to the plane and fly looking over your shoulder

for reasons not easy to fathom, your brain will instantly reverse the directional controls you input, so that it is exactly like flying away from yourself; you even automagically know up and down are not changed

try it - you won't believe how effective it is for beginners

HH Sports Cub S! Someone just posted a five year old kid making his first flight with one. It's on the dedicated thread,

Between trips to the sledding hill today my girls and I came up with these.

Our first go at foam and hot glue. A few hand tossed gliders.

The Old Fogey looking thing flew slow and ok. More like controlled forward falling.

The jets fly awesome. Level and flat, slow or fast!

My foam and glue skills are like my welding skills, functional but not pretty!

Kids had a blast!

Nice !

+1.

My 6yo own design.

I helped cut it out and glue it together. Balanced perfect first flight!

Love the pilot and the passenger on the other side!