| Of all the RC crafts available, radio controlled | | | | seconds, bring the throttle down just slightly and the |
| helicopter is arguably the hardest to master. However, | | | | helicopter will start to slowly descend back to the |
| with the advent and advances of today's RC flight | | | | ground. Don't throttle down too fast or your helicopter |
| simulators, the learning curve have decreased. Now, | | | | will come crashing down and be damaged. |
| new RC helicopter pilots can literally crash as often as | | | | Try hovering many times. Between each hover, reflect |
| they want until they can eventually keep their | | | | on what you did right and what you did wrong. You will |
| helicopter in the air. Nevertheless, conventional RC | | | | find that each hover will be more precise and more |
| helicopter training lessons has not lost their importance. | | | | controlled than the last. |
| For some, they provide a guide to practicing in the | | | | Another important point during this lesson is to always |
| simulator. For others who don't like simulators - or for | | | | point the tail of the helicopter towards you. Don't try to |
| some reasons can't get their hands on one, flying | | | | point the helicopter in any other direction at this point as |
| lessons are invaluable. For those that choose to go the | | | | you will very likely get disoriented. Orientation training |
| no-simulator route, it is generally recommended that | | | | will come later. |
| you hire a certified instructor. But, with the increasing | | | | Once you're comfortable with hovering at 1 foot, try |
| popularity of cheaper electric RC helicopters, the cost | | | | bringing the helicopter up to an altitude of 3 to 5 feet. It |
| involved with this hobby decreased exponentially. As a | | | | will seem scarier but in fact, hovering at 3 - 5 feet is |
| result, many new pilots are choosing to learn to fly with | | | | easier than hovering at 1 foot. Keep doing this exercise |
| neither a simulator nor an instructor. No matter how | | | | until you can hover for an entire flight of the battery |
| you choose to learn to pilot RC helicopters, this article | | | | pack or the fuel tank, which equals to around 7 to 10 |
| which provides classic helicopter lessons will definitely | | | | minutes if you're practicing on a simulator. |
| come in handy. | | | | Each pilot takes different amount of time to learn this |
| Lesson 1: First Feel of Helicopter / Ground Exercise | | | | crucial skill. Some get it extremely fast (within days) |
| First things first, have your helicopter properly trimmed | | | | while others take weeks or even months. Don't be |
| and set up before doing anything. Most electric models | | | | discouraged, take your time and learn at your own |
| are already set up right out of the box. If your model | | | | pace. As long as you have fun while practicing, who |
| requires any setting, make sure you follow the | | | | cares how long it takes. Don't rush through this lesson. |
| instruction in the manual or hire/ask someone | | | | It is very important that you learn to hover and can do |
| knowledgeable to do it for you. Trimming won't be | | | | it comfortably. |
| covered in this article because it is a whole topic in | | | | Lesson 3: Basic Flight |
| itself. | | | | Once you've mastered hovering, the next step is basic |
| Once your helicopter is trimmed, you'll need a simple | | | | directional flight. Get your helicopter to hover as you've |
| pair of training gear for bigger models. You can | | | | done in the last lesson, then pick a spot and pilot your |
| actually make one yourself using two four-inch rods | | | | helicopter there. Then pick another spot and do the |
| and four balls (ping-pong balls will do nicely). However, it | | | | same thing. At this point, you want to keep the |
| may be easier to buy one. If you are learning with a | | | | helicopter in a tail-in position. Keep doing this until you |
| co-axle ready-to-fly electric helicopter such as the | | | | feel comfortable that you can get your helicopter to |
| Lama or Walkera 54, then the training gear is | | | | go anywhere you want while it's in a tail-in orientation. |
| unnecessary. On the other hand, if you are learning | | | | Lesson 4: Nose-In Hover |
| with a bigger and more conventional model such as | | | | After having mastered hovering and basic flight while |
| the T-REX, then having a training gear is absolutely | | | | flying tail-in, the next step, the nose-in hover, will be |
| mandatory. | | | | relatively more challenging. The idea behind this |
| Now, you're going to pilot your helicopter for the first | | | | exercise is quite simple; simply hover like you did lesson |
| time. However, for this first lesson, the goal is to learn | | | | 2, but this time, hover with the nose of the helicopter |
| what it "feels" like to control one. Therefore, what you | | | | pointed towards you. While this may sound simple, |
| want to do is to bring up the throttle/collective to the | | | | many new pilots find this extremely difficult due to the |
| point where the helicopter is just about to lift off the | | | | fact that most of all the controls are now reversed. At |
| ground but not quite taking to the air yet. With the | | | | this point, you may already confident about flying and |
| helicopter in this half on the ground, half wanting to lift | | | | feel that you can easily perform this hovering exercise |
| off phase, move the cyclic control around and see as | | | | at a high altitude. Please refrain from doing that. |
| well as get a feel of how the helicopter will react to | | | | Instead, start this exercise by hovering at 1 foot, then |
| each control. Do this several time until you have | | | | slowly increasing the altitude to 5 feet as you are |
| adequately felt all of the controls and more importantly, | | | | more confident and comfortable with the |
| understand them. | | | | now-reversed controls. Keep doing this exercise until |
| Lesson 2: Hover (Tail In) | | | | you can master hovering with the nose pointed |
| Once you've mastered the ground exercise, the next | | | | towards you. Having accomplished this lesson will |
| step is to hover. Every helicopter pilot and instructor will | | | | greatly improve your orientation awareness. |
| tell you that one of the most (if not the most) important | | | | Lesson 5: Square and Figure 8 Flights |
| component of a helicopter flight is hovering. In fact, no | | | | This final lesson will combine the skills you've learnt |
| matter how fancy the flight, at its most fundamental | | | | from previous lessons, namely, hovering, orientation, |
| level, a helicopter flight starts and ends with a hover. | | | | and direction flight. The combination of these skills will |
| For this lesson, make sure the tail is pointing in towards | | | | produce a full flight. The first goal is to try to navigate |
| you. Bring up the throttle to the point that the helicopter | | | | your helicopter in a square pattern. If you've been |
| is just about to hover just as you did in the ground | | | | following the exercise without cheating, you'll find that |
| exercise. Then, get the helicopter as stable as you can | | | | the square flight can be accomplished quite easily. The |
| get it. After doing that, give it a little more throttle | | | | next goal would be to fly in a figure 8 pattern. This will |
| collective. Remember that you should make the | | | | prove to be more challenging but it is definitely not out |
| helicopter stable on the ground first before giving it the | | | | of reach. As you do more and more figure eights, |
| extra throttle to lift it off the ground. Doing this will | | | | concentrate on keeping the 8 a perfect shape. Try |
| make this lesson much easier. When the helicopter | | | | your best not to veer off course. Becoming more |
| starts to lift off the ground, it'll continue to ascend | | | | experienced, you should aim for more and more flight |
| slowly. Bring the throttle down slightly to stabilize it at | | | | control accuracy. Once you've mastered the figure 8, |
| around 1 foot. | | | | you should be able to pilot your helicopter anywhere |
| Next comes the hard part. Try to keep the helicopter | | | | you desire. Practice makes perfect, but also |
| hovering in one spot. This will prove to be very difficult | | | | remember to have fun; after all, that is the whole point |
| at first. Draw on what you've learnt on from the | | | | of a hobby. |
| ground exercise. Once you've hovered for around 30 | | | | |