How to Fly RC Model Airplanes without an Instructor
Some tips on learning how to fly RC with the ParkZone Ember
Regular size RC trainer aircraft
Flying a radio control model airplane is quite easy and a lot of fun - once you know how to do it. Learning how to fly RC has always been a challenge. Recently, a few schools for formal RC model flight training have been established, and are a great way to learn how to fly RC if you have the time and money. Typically, however, the aspiring RC pilot would locate a local model airplane flying field, link up with a club flight instructor, and take his or her course of how to fly RC instruction from there. Many variables entered into the process of learning how to fly RC aircraft, ranging from how well you built your aircraft, avoiding damage from crashes, and being able to obtain flight training only when your instructor was available.
Learn how to fly by yourself, to include RC flight simulator information
But what if you wanted to learn to fly how to fly RC by yourself? What if no instructor is readily available to work with you on how to fly RC models, or meets your schedule requirements to fly together? With the larger, gas or electric powered RC model airplanes, it was and remains just about impossible to learn how to fly RC without an instructor next to you. These larger, heavier airplanes fly faster than the smaller ready to fly electric planes, and common student pilot errors can quickly lead to a crash if an instructor is not there to quickly take over the flight controls.
With the advent of computer based RC flight simulators and ready to fly electric powered indoor RC model aircraft, such as the ParkZone Ember, learning how to fly RC on your own is now quite possible. While it is always best to seek out a flight instructor when you wish to learn how to fly RC, the following course of action can successfully be followed to learn how to fly RC planes on your own.
The first step in learning how to fly RC by yourself is getting a quality RC airplane flight simulation program for your computer, such as RealFlight. An RC flight simulation program offers a variety of aircraft with which you can practice flight maneuvers. The RealFlight computer flight simulator has a wide variety of light weight, electric powered model planes on which you can learn how to fly RC, that closely mimic the ParkZone Ember airplane’s flight profile and handling characteristics.
Indoor electric model airplane flight offers several advantages to the student pilot over learning to fly outdoors. There is no wind to worry about with learning how to fly RC indoors, thus no need to practice crosswind techniques. In addition, lightweight models such as the Ember are easily hand launched, thus avoiding potential take off crashes when learning how to fly RC.
Left rudder causes model flying away to turn left
The key aspect of a computer flight simulator that will shorten your training time with learning how to fly RC is an easy way to practice with the new challenge of aircraft orientation. When an RC model is flying away from you, turning the rudder control to the right causes the airplane to turn right, and of course left rudder will cause a left turn when learning how to fly RC.
Left rudder to model flying towards you causes a turn opposite to stick input
However, when the RC model airplane is coming towards you, a right rudder input (transmitter rudder control stick to the right) will cause the model to turn left from your ground vantage point. The model airplane turns the same way in relation to the transmitter’s rudder control as viewed “from the model’s cockpit.” However, from your ground vantage point, the airplane turns in the opposite direction from the transmitter rudder stick position when coming towards you. It takes a while to get comfortable with this. The idea is to think about the orientation and understand what is happening, then practice using the computer simulator and finally in the air. Learning how to turn an RC model airplane with the correct rudder control input will soon become instinctive to the beginning model airplane pilot.
Outdoor RC model airplane club airfield
Landings are always a huge challenge when learning how to fly RC with the larger models. There is simply no avoiding the need to land an airplane once in flight. With the typical gas powered model airplane, cross winds need to be compensated for, and precise approach airspeeds and alignment to the runway must be observed. This precise flying is coming due right at the time the student pilot is at the very early stages of learning how to fly RC, and can easily lead to a crash.
How to Fly RC