After 30 years, I'm back...thanks to Flite Test

[RCScottsdale]

Today is my first day on the Flite Test forum. I'm pretty excited to be back into the hobby. Thirty years ago, I built my first balsa wood plane, and I experienced an awful crash within minutes of its maiden flight. I had forgotten to fiberglass the center section of the wing...I had no one to show me, and I simply didn't understand that part of the build. If crashing wasn't bad enough, I was even more devastated by the laughter of the RC Flying Club members who apparently thought my awful experience was pretty hilarious. It took me thirty years AND the Flite Test videos to muster the courage to try again. The guys at Flite Test are so encouraging and fun, they almost seem to make crashing appear enjoyable. I still don't have anyone to share the hobby with, but I refuse to jump back into a flying club environment. I'm starting a new build and smiling once again. I'm plan to stay with now no matter what.

 

[Hai-Lee]

It appears that we share a little history though for me the start was 40+ years ago. Clubs back then were full of the "Elite" who put down others and were less than helpful. I restarted 3 1/2 years ago and taught myself to fly and build! Found FliteTest and now am trying ot get a business going building designing and repairing RC Model Aircraft.

As for the lack of club membership I joined a local club and quickly earned their admiration both for my flying and for my ability to design and buils. Needless to say teaching yourself will be a difficult route but a lesson learned hard is a permanent lesson!

So go build and crash and build again until gravity no longer bothers your creations and you find that you can really enjoy averything you build and fly!

The forum and its vast experience is yours to call upon!

Always - Have fun!

 

[rockyboy]

Welcome to the forums!

Glad you're getting back into it after that rough experience. Life is too short to let grumpy old farts (or young farts) keep you down. Keep flying, keep crashing, and keep learning!

There have been a couple great threads recently about overcoming a fear of crashing if that's still bugging you too - in particular the idea of building a plane with the specific intention of crashing it can help reduce nerves. That's sort of how I approached my first Tiny Trainer build and it surprised me by lasting months (with plenty of repairs of course )

 

[RCScottsdale]

It appears that we share a little history though for me the start was 40+ years ago. Clubs back then were full of the "Elite" who put down others and were less than helpful. I restarted 3 1/2 years ago and taught myself to fly and build! Found FliteTest and now am trying ot get a business going building designing and repairing RC Model Aircraft.

As for the lack of club membership I joined a local club and quickly earned their admiration both for my flying and for my ability to design and buils. Needless to say teaching yourself will be a difficult route but a lesson learned hard is a permanent lesson!

So go build and crash and build again until gravity no longer bothers your creations and you find that you can really enjoy averything you build and fly!

The forum and its vast experience is yours to call upon!

Always - Have fun!

Thanks for the encouragement. Your story inspires me. I'm building the FT22 now, and it is looking good. I'm having so much fun building it from the printed plans off of the Flite Test website. I also have an Apprentice that I've flown a bit...though I had a harsh crash and repair with it. I just need a clevis for the rudder, and I will be back up with it. I'd love to make a business out of RC flying, but I'm a long way from that dream. Good luck with your endeavor!

 

[RCScottsdale]

Welcome to the forums!

Glad you're getting back into it after that rough experience. Life is too short to let grumpy old farts (or young farts) keep you down. Keep flying, keep crashing, and keep learning!

There have been a couple great threads recently about overcoming a fear of crashing if that's still bugging you too - in particular the idea of building a plane with the specific intention of crashing it can help reduce nerves. That's sort of how I approached my first Tiny Trainer build and it surprised me by lasting months (with plenty of repairs of course )

At the moment, I don't think I fear crashing anymore, but I definitely have a desire to avoid the judgmental eyes of people who think they are better than everyone else and aren't willing to encourage a relative newbie. I really need to find some dudes that just want to have fun. I'd practically kill to have some buddies like Josh and Josh (and their crew) from Flite Test. They have so much fun. As Josh Bixler says, I really want to make some memories.

I love your idea of building a plane with the specific intention of crashing it. That sounds crazy enough to be fun!

 

[rockyboy]

I'm assuming you're in Arizona based on the forum name, right? There are several active forum members in that corner of the world that might be able to point you in the direction of local flying buddies

 

[RCScottsdale]

I'm assuming you're in Arizona based on the forum name, right? There are several active forum members in that corner of the world that might be able to point you in the direction of local flying buddies

Yes, I'm in Scottsdale, AZ. I found one thread about people trying to connect out here, but it's about four years old and was pretty under-participated in. Any specific people you could point me toward would be much appreciated.

 

[cranialrectosis]

Nice flying weather down Scottsdale way. I have ridden my bike (Yamaha 1700cc RoadStar) from Colorado Springs to Dewey a few times. Fortunately, I ride better than I fly.

Welcome back to the hobby.

 

[DharanFlyer]

Welcome to the forum and to Flite Test. Glad to have you.

 

[sprzout]

Well, I can tell you from looking that there's quite a few parks out in the Phoenix region that allow RC flight. I've been looking since some of my in laws live in Chandler, and are literally across the freeway from a flying field at Thude Park.

As for crashing, dude, don't worry about it. I built a flying pig a few weeks back, and we put it up into the air at my field just to see if it would fly. It did - for about 10 seconds, before spiraling down and crashing. It was a literal laugh fest; everyone at the field couldn't help but giggle over jokes of "pork chops" and "bacon remnants" from the pig that bit the dust. I knew the pig would probably crash; that was ok. I did it for fun.

Did it take a lot of work to put the pig together? Maybe. I spent 3 weeks designing it and gluing it together. Was i upset over it crashing? Not in the least. I was out probably $8 when it was all said and done, from the foam and glue that I used putting it together, and the busted prop. Everything else was still good - ESC, servos, battery, etc.

That's the great thing about Flite Test - they build stuff that flies, they film their successes (like the flying IKEA chair) and they film and display their failures (like the flying Lil Tykes kiddie car and the gigantic Imperial Star Destroyer that Peter built). Even if it comes down like the Hindenburg, it's still fun to watch.

 

[cranialrectosis]

One of the best crash reels ever:

The last few minutes include FIRE!

 

[sprzout]

Geez, Steele! LOL at least I know I'm not the only one who crashes like that...And most of those crashes are why I'm reluctant to fly around trees. Ghost branches just LOVE to come out of nowhere and grab your drones...

 

[basslord1124]

Hey man, Sorry that a club gave you such a bad experience. I have heard some bad experiences from other clubs but I can assure you not all clubs are like that. I'm glad that Flitetest has gotten you back in the hobby...I think that's become a common story from other folks, myself included. The most important things are to learn and have fun. Crashes happen. We are sort of fortunate now too that foamboard has become a common building material...balsa is nice and all, but foamboard can at least look a little better in a crash.

So what builds do you got planned? The FT22 looks pretty cool and I may build one sometime.

 

[French]

Welcome to FT and good luck on the FT-22. Its a fun little plane. Make sure you give yourself plenty of space.

 

[JakeyTheHakey]

Today is my first day on the Flite Test forum. I'm pretty excited to be back into the hobby. Thirty years ago, I built my first balsa wood plane, and I experienced an awful crash within minutes of its maiden flight. I had forgotten to fiberglass the center section of the wing...I had no one to show me, and I simply didn't understand that part of the build. If crashing wasn't bad enough, I was even more devastated by the laughter of the RC Flying Club members who apparently thought my awful experience was pretty hilarious. It took me thirty years AND the Flite Test videos to muster the courage to try again. The guys at Flite Test are so encouraging and fun, they almost seem to make crashing appear enjoyable. I still don't have anyone to share the hobby with, but I refuse to jump back into a flying club environment. I'm starting a new build and smiling once again. I'm plan to stay with now no matter what.

Hi there !!!
I'm sorry you had that bad experience. It sucks balls yeah.
Oh I agree with you that Flite Test are so awesome. I'm from south africa and also quit flying RC for years and years and started again recently. I had so many life challenges and stuff and slowly getting back on my feet. How much better to kick off life again with a hobby. It feels so good to be excited about stuff again for once.
I am joining one of our local flying clubs and I am not that keen on the crowd, so I am going to go fly on quiet days and then slowly grow into crowds.
Here in South Africa it is fairly strict flying rules, so I can't just fly in a local park, so it is kinda crap to always drive to an airfield for RC flying.
Well all the best, HAVE FUN and don't let others get you down.

Cheers!
Jakey

 

[RCScottsdale]

Hi there !!!
I'm sorry you had that bad experience. It sucks balls yeah.
Oh I agree with you that Flite Test are so awesome. I'm from south africa and also quit flying RC for years and years and started again recently. I had so many life challenges and stuff and slowly getting back on my feet. How much better to kick off life again with a hobby. It feels so good to be excited about stuff again for once.
I am joining one of our local flying clubs and I am not that keen on the crowd, so I am going to go fly on quiet days and then slowly grow into crowds.
Here in South Africa it is fairly strict flying rules, so I can't just fly in a local park, so it is kinda crap to always drive to an airfield for RC flying.
Well all the best, HAVE FUN and don't let others get you down.

Cheers!
Jakey

Thanks, Jakey! Greetings from the USA.
I’m hearing a lot of horror stories about people’s first experiences with RC flying. Glad we are both back at it. I just finished building an F-22 and I’m ready to take it on its maiden flight. It’s a little scary, but I know that since I built it I can absolutely fix it if it crashes. I’ve learned crashing is part of this hobby. All the best, Mike

 

[sprzout]

Thanks, Jakey! Greetings from the USA.
I’m hearing a lot of horror stories about people’s first experiences with RC flying. Glad we are both back at it. I just finished building an F-22 and I’m ready to take it on its maiden flight. It’s a little scary, but I know that since I built it I can absolutely fix it if it crashes. I’ve learned crashing is part of this hobby. All the best, Mike

As I keep telling my dad, "Your mantra is: Build - Fly - Crash - Repeat." LOL I've been doing that for a while, mostly because it's fun to keep rotating out some of the foam models, and seeing which ones I like. The Bushwacker's been a blast to fly, since it sets up and glides, and its flaps make it easy to take off and land in a very short distance; the MiG-3 was fun to have scream around (and I learned that it had to be flown faster than I thought, because it doesn't like to fly high alpha), and the Sea Duck is my favorite so far, partly because of the old cartoon show Talespin.

Build these planes, and if you crash, first rule of thumb is, "Make sure you can laugh about it." Second rule is, "What caused it? Was it something in the plane that failed, like an ESC that burned out, or a prop broke, or was it that you stalled it and weren't able to recover in enough time?" Don't overanalyze it and let it bug you; you do that, and it'll eat you alive. Just know that it's always a learning experience if you crash. And, remember that EVERY landing is either a controlled crash, or, as Buzz Lightyear put it, "Falling...with style."

 

[RCScottsdale]

As I keep telling my dad, "Your mantra is: Build - Fly - Crash - Repeat." LOL I've been doing that for a while, mostly because it's fun to keep rotating out some of the foam models, and seeing which ones I like. The Bushwacker's been a blast to fly, since it sets up and glides, and its flaps make it easy to take off and land in a very short distance; the MiG-3 was fun to have scream around (and I learned that it had to be flown faster than I thought, because it doesn't like to fly high alpha), and the Sea Duck is my favorite so far, partly because of the old cartoon show Talespin.

Build these planes, and if you crash, first rule of thumb is, "Make sure you can laugh about it." Second rule is, "What caused it? Was it something in the plane that failed, like an ESC that burned out, or a prop broke, or was it that you stalled it and weren't able to recover in enough time?" Don't overanalyze it and let it bug you; you do that, and it'll eat you alive. Just know that it's always a learning experience if you crash. And, remember that EVERY landing is either a controlled crash, or, as Buzz Lightyear put it, "Falling...with style."

Thank you so much for your post! I absolutely love your attitude and your outlook on the way that you approach this hobby! I wish I could sign up to be one of your best friends. Seriously though thanks a ton for your words. I love aviation and I really want to enjoy this hobby. I spent 20 years in the military working on airplanes as a mechanic, and then I became a private pilot because I love the whole idea of airplanes so much! Radio Control flying is just one other means by which I can enjoy my love for airplanes. Again, I really appreciate posts like yours. I have received a lot of encouragement from people on this forum, I know there are so many good people out there who are just like me and want to have a ton of fun in this hobby. I just can’t wait to meet some of them in my neighborhood! So far no luck.

 

[sprzout]

Thank you so much for your post! I absolutely love your attitude and your outlook on the way that you approach this hobby! I wish I could sign up to be one of your best friends. Seriously though thanks a ton for your words. I love aviation and I really want to enjoy this hobby. I spent 20 years in the military working on airplanes as a mechanic, and then I became a private pilot because I love the whole idea of airplanes so much! Radio Control flying is just one other means by which I can enjoy my love for airplanes. Again, I really appreciate posts like yours. I have received a lot of encouragement from people on this forum, I know there are so many good people out there who are just like me and want to have a ton of fun in this hobby. I just can’t wait to meet some of them in my neighborhood! So far no luck.

You'll meet them, I'm sure. I know there's a bunch of parks out in the Scottsdale and Chandler areas that allow flying; my brother in law lives across the freeway from Thude Park, where there's supposed to be a nice field to fly at. My wife wants to go out to visit them, and if I get dragged along, I'll let you know - I've already been told I have to take my niece and my brother in law on a "ride along" with my quad, and possibly my Nano Goblin if I ever get FPV set up in it. (Gotta get a VTX and camera; I've got spare antennas already)

Funny thing is that I grew up around flight - my dad used to work for Convair division of General Dynamics, then later was working on the Space Magnetics division; later on, he worked for Lockheed Martin/United Launch Alliance building Atlas/Centaur rockets before he retired.

I've always been interested in flight, myself, but weirdly enough, I don't think I could ever be an actual pilot; I have a mild case of acrophobia that prevents me from ever being in the pilot's seat - yet I can fly FPV quads and do loops, rolls, and dives without issue. Go figure.

 

[RCScottsdale]

You'll meet them, I'm sure. I know there's a bunch of parks out in the Scottsdale and Chandler areas that allow flying; my brother in law lives across the freeway from Thude Park, where there's supposed to be a nice field to fly at. My wife wants to go out to visit them, and if I get dragged along, I'll let you know - I've already been told I have to take my niece and my brother in law on a "ride along" with my quad, and possibly my Nano Goblin if I ever get FPV set up in it. (Gotta get a VTX and camera; I've got spare antennas already)

Funny thing is that I grew up around flight - my dad used to work for Convair division of General Dynamics, then later was working on the Space Magnetics division; later on, he worked for Lockheed Martin/United Launch Alliance building Atlas/Centaur rockets before he retired.

I've always been interested in flight, myself, but weirdly enough, I don't think I could ever be an actual pilot; I have a mild case of acrophobia that prevents me from ever being in the pilot's seat - yet I can fly FPV quads and do loops, rolls, and dives without issue. Go figure.

I will check out Thude park...never heard of it...but that’s not sayin’ much. lol

That sucks that you can’t pilot for real. Talk about a thrill! It’s scary and amazing all at once.

If you head this way, give me a shout.