GETTING STARTED

By Paul Below

One of the good things about ORCA is that newcomers are made to feel welcome. This is true whether the person is a complete newbie, or comes with fuel or electric, fixed wing or copter.

That initial welcome is an important feature of any organization that wants to survive, and it is especially important with an activity like ours that has a steep learning curve. A support network of people to learn from is very important for the new (or intermediate!) flyer.

When a long time friend or a new acquaintance expresses an interest in learning to fly, what do you do? A buddy box, if you have one, can be used for that first time in the air. But what if the person asks for recommendations on a first plane? Or, unfortunately, is thinking about getting that fast little scale warbird with the nice details?

There are probably as many opinions on how to get started with R/C as there are experienced flyers. I recognize that there is no one path that is best for everyone, but I would like to offer for your consideration the thoughts that worked for me.

The basic purpose of the first model is to allow the new pilot to get the plane safely into the air, practice making turns and circuits of the field, and learn to land the plane on the runway right side up and in one piece.

Here is my list of nice features to have in a first plane in order to meet that basic purpose:

• Slow flyer with light wing loading. A plane that will resist stalling and can be flown very slowly to give the pilot time to think and react.
• High wing with dihedral, which will tend to make the plane self righting. For example, it should want to roll upright when coming out of a turn.
• Ability for either hand launch or ROG, to give flexibility depending on skill level and runway conditions.
• RTF model, so that it comes with everything needed to fly. This reduces confusing choices and defers the need to understand all the terminology, and it also makes it easier to get the plane in the air with almost no building. One of the most frustrating things is to spend a lot of time building a plane and then immediately crash it.
• Foam, because it is easier to repair than balsa and covering.
• Traditional tail feathers, with rudder and elevator. The v tail craft can be difficult to control, and I think are more difficult to adjust and trim properly. With the rudder and elevator, it is easy to see what is going on and understand how the control surfaces work.
• Three channels. This may be the most controversial of all. Some of you no doubt learned on four channels, and your argument would be that in so doing you avoided the second step, relearning when moving from three to four channels. My counter argument, though, is that the first few flights are the most difficult, and a three channel reduces that initial challenge.
• Electric power. Again, we are going for something that is easy to learn. Electric has the advantage of being quicker to get into the air. Less to learn. No need to break in the engine. Instant on and off. No additional equipment to buy, other than a charger. However, RTF models come with an inexpensive charger that can be used for the first flights. RTF electrics generally come with one battery, and a second can be purchased to extend the day at the field.

Remember, the above bullets are my opinions. You may not agree with all of them. However, please consider them when talking to the newcomer who wants to get a first plane.

So, what models would I recommend the meet most of the above criteria?

• Mulitplex Easy Star
• Hobbyzone Super Cub
• GWS Slow Stick (an ARF instead of a RTF, a good slow flyer but requires some building)
• An electric glider such as the Parkzone Radian.

Another possible direction is the small indoor flyers, which can be used outdoors when there is no wind. The Hobbyzone Champ and the Parkzone Vapor are good RTF examples. These planes are extremely small and light, can be flown in small areas, and generally cause no damage when they strike something.

I hope that above suggestions are helpful. Once again, they are things to consider and certainly not hard and fast rules.