The Double D
Member
I am looking for a formal flight school that will teach me how fly foamboard electric airplanes. I will pay.
Any suggestions?
Any suggestions?
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Foamboard-electric plane flight school.
- Thread starter The Double D
- Start date
JasonK
Participation Award Recipient
if your in the US, look up the nearest AMA airfield, there is likely someone who would teach you to fly just, you would just need to get an AMA membership and pay the club dues. if your not in the US, see if your country has a similar organization.
Either way - someone would need to know where your at/willing to travel to.
Either way - someone would need to know where your at/willing to travel to.
Matthewdupreez
Legendary member
honestly the best one would have to be a local rc club, foamboard and balsa planes, and shop bought planes don't "really" fly differently,
my advice find an rc plane club nearby.. if you're determined to pay, pay the member fee
The Double D
Member
Thanks for the AMA tip. There is a field 11 miles away. I'll contact them.
Phin G
Elite member
Buddy boxing is how I started to fly drones but I learned to fly planes by watching videos on flite test and then buying the wltoys f949 which is indistrictable ( aka i flew it full pelt into a rugby post and gutted it and stuck it together and it still flys just right.) i would start on something small then build or buddy box
The Double D
Member
AMA contact never responded. A commercial flight school I contacted also never responded.
I contacted Flite Test Customer Service. While they said they didn't have a school, they thought the idea was good one. Stay tuned. Very positive and encouraging response.
I was able to follow the Youtube video to assemble the planes, no problems. But because of upgrades in the electronics I ran into problems. My Electronics were either older than Youtube electronics or the Youtube electronics were older than mine. I don't know the theory so I couldn't figure it out.
I have tried for help here , and the help offered was wonderfully overwhelming, to the point of information overload. As a complete novice not understanding the help being offered, frustration set in and I boxed everything up and put it in the closet.
Couple of months later still with the electric airplane bug I got another airplane and built it. Everything was fine right up to the electrics...same thing. Can't bind the controller to the plane or flight simulator soft ware.
So I boxed every thing up again and put everything up in the attic this time.
The airplane construction is pretty much a no brainer. The electrics, baffle me. I could use a good class on electric airplane motor, battery and control theory.
Ha, if I get the electrics figured out, then I can learned how to fly. That should be a snap--or not. I see little kids do, so this OF should be able to.
I do my best learning in the classroom where I can ask questions. But I can't find a classroom.
When Flite test starts a Flight School, I will sign right up. I will go up in the attic and get the box down and drive the 1,000 miles to Minerva and spend a week with them-learning.
I am retired and want to learn how to do this so I can share with my grandkids. I have the time and I have the bank book to buy the kids planes. And of course one for me also.
I would like to learn the following things:
I am not looking for a free class. I am willing to pay for a complete course, as long as I came away being able build and fly my plane.
Sorry, I got carried away a bit. I am really fascinated by this and I sure was encouraged by the Flite Test Customer Service Response. So positive. The seemed genuinely interest. Hope they follow through.
I contacted Flite Test Customer Service. While they said they didn't have a school, they thought the idea was good one. Stay tuned. Very positive and encouraging response.
I was able to follow the Youtube video to assemble the planes, no problems. But because of upgrades in the electronics I ran into problems. My Electronics were either older than Youtube electronics or the Youtube electronics were older than mine. I don't know the theory so I couldn't figure it out.
I have tried for help here , and the help offered was wonderfully overwhelming, to the point of information overload. As a complete novice not understanding the help being offered, frustration set in and I boxed everything up and put it in the closet.
Couple of months later still with the electric airplane bug I got another airplane and built it. Everything was fine right up to the electrics...same thing. Can't bind the controller to the plane or flight simulator soft ware.
So I boxed every thing up again and put everything up in the attic this time.
The airplane construction is pretty much a no brainer. The electrics, baffle me. I could use a good class on electric airplane motor, battery and control theory.
Ha, if I get the electrics figured out, then I can learned how to fly. That should be a snap--or not. I see little kids do, so this OF should be able to.
I do my best learning in the classroom where I can ask questions. But I can't find a classroom.
When Flite test starts a Flight School, I will sign right up. I will go up in the attic and get the box down and drive the 1,000 miles to Minerva and spend a week with them-learning.
I am retired and want to learn how to do this so I can share with my grandkids. I have the time and I have the bank book to buy the kids planes. And of course one for me also.
I would like to learn the following things:
- Construction. airplane theory, how to work and manipulate foamboard, how build kits and scratch build.
- Electronics. Basic theory. Batteries, motor operation, design and selection, controllers and servo operation, design and selection
- Flight School. Theory of flight, how foam board airplanes operate. Flight control operation, how to trim or tune the airplane. How to land and take off, level flight and turns, go up go down. Basic aerobatics, roll, loop etc.
- What ever else I need to know to get started
I am not looking for a free class. I am willing to pay for a complete course, as long as I came away being able build and fly my plane.
Sorry, I got carried away a bit. I am really fascinated by this and I sure was encouraged by the Flite Test Customer Service Response. So positive. The seemed genuinely interest. Hope they follow through.
JasonK
Participation Award Recipient
most of what your asking can be learned from Flite Test's videos, learning to fly is something you can learn in a simulator or with a person IRL. I am surprised that the AMA contact ghosted you like that, that is unfortunate.
here is a good spot to start:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6IuSFWz4ktvupu_gxw1vn-sjBGOkJFHV
For building, the build videos cover all the build techniques (I don't have time to watch/dig through them to give a 'here are the best options')
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6IuSFWz4kttcs02D4mJOsjFPy1NYHVuZ
The Flite Test Tech channel appears to have some videos covering the basics of electronics (I have an EE so I didn't watch them)
https://www.youtube.com/c/FliteTestTech/videos
Depending on how far you want to go down the various topics there, you could be talking a high level thing or multiple college degrees worth of education (IE electronics and airplane theory both themselves could both easily be a full degree worth of education).
here is a good spot to start:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6IuSFWz4ktvupu_gxw1vn-sjBGOkJFHV
For building, the build videos cover all the build techniques (I don't have time to watch/dig through them to give a 'here are the best options')
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6IuSFWz4kttcs02D4mJOsjFPy1NYHVuZ
The Flite Test Tech channel appears to have some videos covering the basics of electronics (I have an EE so I didn't watch them)
https://www.youtube.com/c/FliteTestTech/videos
Depending on how far you want to go down the various topics there, you could be talking a high level thing or multiple college degrees worth of education (IE electronics and airplane theory both themselves could both easily be a full degree worth of education).
Bricks
Master member
Do you have a club in your area, all this is really not that complicated it can feel over whelming but in reality it is not. Too bad we do not know where you live as there may be some FlightTest members that could help you out, I no I would have no problems helping a newbie get into the addiction.
whackflyer
Master member
You said you have a field 11 miles away correct? If I was you I'd wait till a nice calm evening and take a trip over there. It's almost gauranteed there will be someone there that will be willing to help explain things to you and possibly buddy box you on a trainer plane. Give it a shot!
That's similar to what flitefest is. If you're able to make it to flitefest this summer, there are hundreds of people (including Josh and team) that would be happy to help you out!
JasonK
Participation Award Recipient
that is a good point... if you showed up at flitefest, you could very likely find people who would help you learn.
The Double D
Member
Sorry for not getting back to you guys sooner. I appreciate all your suggestions. If you read my post you will see I already tried some of them.
One other place I check was a the hobby shops. It use be back in olden days the guy behind counter was a hobbyist and knew everything. Now they are just a clerk and not into the game. The local hobby shop gave me a name a phone number, but Verizon wireless says the number is no good.
I am in Edmond OK. about 1000 miles from Minerva.
AMA list Oklahoma Sooner Squadron as close by. But Google Earth shows the location in the middle of the street by a bar.
Doing some research this evening it appears Google has the wrong address for the field. I found a the Oklahoma Sooner Squadron website this evening and found out the airfield is 3 or 4 miles east of where I was looking.
So I am back in the hunt. Un fortunately the next step will have to wait until after Mothers Day, Wife says we are going to the lake this week end so I better go get the fishing pole out.
One other place I check was a the hobby shops. It use be back in olden days the guy behind counter was a hobbyist and knew everything. Now they are just a clerk and not into the game. The local hobby shop gave me a name a phone number, but Verizon wireless says the number is no good.
I am in Edmond OK. about 1000 miles from Minerva.
AMA list Oklahoma Sooner Squadron as close by. But Google Earth shows the location in the middle of the street by a bar.
Doing some research this evening it appears Google has the wrong address for the field. I found a the Oklahoma Sooner Squadron website this evening and found out the airfield is 3 or 4 miles east of where I was looking.
So I am back in the hunt. Un fortunately the next step will have to wait until after Mothers Day, Wife says we are going to the lake this week end so I better go get the fishing pole out.
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If you want to PAY for a class, there's one school out there, in Wisconsin, that does this:
https://www.rcflightschool.com/PilotTrainingCourses/Solo
Our club does free flight instruction based on the lessons taught by this school (granted, we're out in California, and we only do it for a couple of hours a week on Monday nights, as opposed to the 5 day flight school in Wisconsin). The guy who runs the school, a guy by the name of Dave Scott, they do a great job of TEACHING how to fly, but I don't agree with everything they tell a beginner to do. One of the things they recommend that I have found to be completely detrimental to flying is that they teach the students to "bump" the sticks in an up or down manner, or to bump it left or right. The students do so, and they tend to overcorrect because they'll bump the sticks to the far left or far right, or pull/push back to the limits when they're trying to correct.
I have to tell them that small movements are better, easing it in and out, and as soon as I do, they smooth out and have responded with, "Wow, that was SO much easier!" because they feel (rightfully) that they have control over the plane.
At any rate, if you want to learn to fly, there are ways to do easier than paying. Many clubs will offer flight training as a way of getting you to come out and learn to fly so you'll join up. I'd honestly recommend heading out to the flying field near you and seeing if someone there can help you to learn to fly. Most clubs are amicable to new pilots, and if they're not, I wouldn't fly there.
https://www.rcflightschool.com/PilotTrainingCourses/Solo
Our club does free flight instruction based on the lessons taught by this school (granted, we're out in California, and we only do it for a couple of hours a week on Monday nights, as opposed to the 5 day flight school in Wisconsin). The guy who runs the school, a guy by the name of Dave Scott, they do a great job of TEACHING how to fly, but I don't agree with everything they tell a beginner to do. One of the things they recommend that I have found to be completely detrimental to flying is that they teach the students to "bump" the sticks in an up or down manner, or to bump it left or right. The students do so, and they tend to overcorrect because they'll bump the sticks to the far left or far right, or pull/push back to the limits when they're trying to correct.
I have to tell them that small movements are better, easing it in and out, and as soon as I do, they smooth out and have responded with, "Wow, that was SO much easier!" because they feel (rightfully) that they have control over the plane.
At any rate, if you want to learn to fly, there are ways to do easier than paying. Many clubs will offer flight training as a way of getting you to come out and learn to fly so you'll join up. I'd honestly recommend heading out to the flying field near you and seeing if someone there can help you to learn to fly. Most clubs are amicable to new pilots, and if they're not, I wouldn't fly there.
I know, right? I wonder how many students he gets each year. Not that I'm going to go and try to do the same thing; I do instruction for a free club membership and it's only about 3 hours a week of my time doing something I enjoy doing anyway, flying.
It wouldn't feel right to take payment for what our club offers for free to the community as an outreach...The Double D
Member
I looked into the Wisconsin school. They had one opening and when I said foam board and electric they didn't respond to my email.
I am at the point with this, that I would have paid the $700.
I am at the point with this, that I would have paid the $700.
quorneng
Master member
The Double D
It could be argued that with foam board & electric built exactly into the appropriate Flight Test plane it will be cheap enough for you to simply learn to fly RC "by experience". Many of us 'oldies' had to do it this way as it was all that was available.
Things are rather better now as a flight test plane will fly so all that is required is for you to learn from what happens. Yes, you will crash but provided you can describe what happened, or even take a video, a forum like this will be able to help to diagnose what might be wrong.
It could be argued that with foam board & electric built exactly into the appropriate Flight Test plane it will be cheap enough for you to simply learn to fly RC "by experience". Many of us 'oldies' had to do it this way as it was all that was available.
Things are rather better now as a flight test plane will fly so all that is required is for you to learn from what happens. Yes, you will crash but provided you can describe what happened, or even take a video, a forum like this will be able to help to diagnose what might be wrong.
Monte.C
...
Yup. We learn from Youtube videos, from this forum and then by trying it ourselves. It's just a toy plane you made from craft supplies.
