New Member - So. Maine

YardMan

New member
Hi there friendly flyers. I've been itching to get in to this hobby for years and have to credit the F.T. crew videos for inspiring me to take a first step.

For me, winter in Maine isn't exactly appropriate for learning to fly outside so to get my feet wet I ordered a Night Vapor BNF. I think my open-concept home will be adequate and also have a school gym close that I can frequent.

I am hoping that the DX6e will take me through more advanced planes in the future. I'm excited to build something. I'm a builder / maker at heart and love hobbies and projects. I am particularly fond of the A-10 and Viggen kits and aspire to advance my skills enough to fly these someday.

Thank you F.T. !
 

Paracodespoder

Elite member
Hello and welcome! Sounds like you picked a great way to get into the hobby, that’s a great beginner plane (y), also a good transmitter. Let us know how your pilot skills are ;).
 

Merv

Site Moderator
Staff member
Well to the forums.
I agree with @Paracodespoder, the Vapor & DX6e are good choices. I view winter as building season. I will build 3-4 of the same plane so WHEN I crash, I have another sitting on the bench ready to go. The Tiny Trainer, Scorch, Simple Cub would all be great first planes. Use the winter to build them.
 

YardMan

New member
Well to the forums.
I agree with @Paracodespoder, the Vapor & DX6e are good choices. I view winter as building season. I will build 3-4 of the same plane so WHEN I crash, I have another sitting on the bench ready to go. The Tiny Trainer, Scorch, Simple Cub would all be great first planes. Use the winter to build them.

Thanks all.
Winter is my project season as well. Last year was resto of a '78 Fiat 124 Spider that took me around 400 hrs. and this year is a hotrod riding mower - I'm around 120 hrs. into and just took a test drive on yesterday.
So many choices of planes / kits... yes, I see a Cub or Scout in my future.
 

Headbang

Master member
I don't build in the summer, but I do fly in the winter (There are a few days every month above -15C between October and May). One advantage is snow has some give, so crashes are not as hard on planes.

Welcome to the forums!
 

YardMan

New member
snow has some give, so crashes are not as hard on planes.

I was thinking about that. + frozen-over ponds are nice wide open spaces. Do hobbyists whip up a pair of skis on occasion?
 

HilldaFlyer

Well-known member
Welcome to the FT. I'm in central MA and my first field was the frozen lake. Winter is my build season, although I have flown in the cold. It's a hobby so I tend to do what I like and not kill myself in the process. I'm the Pres. of Wachusett RC Flyers - so if you're ever in the neighborhood, we have a good active club.
 

Headbang

Master member
I was thinking about that. + frozen-over ponds are nice wide open spaces. Do hobbyists whip up a pair of skis on occasion?

We do! Tho I prefer sea planes in the winter. Skis can get stuck or sink, causing you to have to walk a bit, or worst case break a prop. The FT Explorer works great on snow as a belly slider, just put packing tape on the bottom for a skid plate.
 

buzzbomb

I know nothing!
I am soooo glad I live in South Carolina! :p:cool::LOL::ROFLMAO: I may not get to fly because it's raining or too windy, but at least I'm not putting on a Parka and snow shoes and trudging out onto a frozen lake so that I could try. Because I would. I understand it, and I would.

Anyway, welcome to the forum YardMan! I am happy you are here. Stay warm, ya'll! :)
 

YardMan

New member
T.Y. for the warm welcome. Warm being relative I suppose. 1'F here right now, w/ around 5" fresh snow. Predicting 50'F Thurs and an inch of rain. Crazy...
I did see the F.T. video with t.o. / landing on snow. Seemed to work very well.
 

buzzbomb

I know nothing!
T.Y. for the warm welcome. Warm being relative I suppose. 1'F here right now, w/ around 5" fresh snow. Predicting 50'F Thurs and an inch of rain. Crazy...
I did see the F.T. video with t.o. / landing on snow. Seemed to work very well.
You'd be amazed at how many snow worthy FT builds there are. The only trick seems to be to keep warm and seal the foamboard either by glue or tape or other means. Then you account for the snow by building a plane that can land on water. Awesome, right??!!!

If you are feeling hardcore there are even special mits that surround the transmitter and protect your hands from the cold. Personally I'm not going to go there. If it's that darn cold to me, I'm not going outside unless I have to. I may have problems getting to fly because of wind and rain, but frostbite is seldom a problem for me.

On this forum however you'll find members who fly in cold that would keep me huddled beneath my blankets. If you want to do it, it can be done. Enjoy the Journey.
 

Headbang

Master member
You'd be amazed at how many snow worthy FT builds there are. The only trick seems to be to keep warm and seal the foamboard either by glue or tape or other means. Then you account for the snow by building a plane that can land on water. Awesome, right??!!!

If you are feeling hardcore there are even special mits that surround the transmitter and protect your hands from the cold. Personally I'm not going to go there. If it's that darn cold to me, I'm not going outside unless I have to. I may have problems getting to fly because of wind and rain, but frostbite is seldom a problem for me.

On this forum however you'll find members who fly in cold that would keep me huddled beneath my blankets. If you want to do it, it can be done. Enjoy the Journey.
Frost bite is just a right of passage. Bit like chicken pox, get it once, not so much a worry after that. Lol

If your fingers are freezing you are not flying hard enough!
20180217_153001.jpg
 

jross

Well-known member
For me, winter in Maine isn't exactly appropriate for learning to fly outside
Says you! If we didn't fly in winter in Canada, we'd only get 2 months of flying a year!

I think it was @Headbang that suggested a rig pig suit. A big insulated onesy with a hood. Works great. When your body is cooking, your hands stay warm too. Add a set of nice felt pack boots with wool socks, a nice warm toque and you're good to go! If your plane is a buttoned up belly lander, landing in snow is great. You can even take off from snow like you would on water. Think @Headbang turned me onto that too. I'm going to add a thin set of cotton gloves for recovering the plane from the snow and dusting it off. That seems to be what gets my hands most. They get wet and then cold.

So I guess it's all about how committed you are. At this point, all my flying as been done in snow. A whole months worth! The rig pig suit made it all possible for me. Only problem is, when you have to do a long walk of shame, you end up sweating like a pig!
 
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buzzbomb

I know nothing!
Frost bite is just a right of passage. Bit like chicken pox, get it once, not so much a worry after that. Lol

If your fingers are freezing you are not flying hard enough!
View attachment 122470
Yea, that's a Big-A whatever! :p You look like an eskimo with glasses! :) My experience today has educated me to the fact that I need the Transmitter Mittens or whatever it is called. If my world looked like your world? Another layer of clothing or two, seems to be called for! :D
 

Headbang

Master member
Yea, that's a Big-A whatever! :p You look like an eskimo with glasses! :) My experience today has educated me to the fact that I need the Transmitter Mittens or whatever it is called. If my world looked like your world? Another layer of clothing or two, seems to be called for! :D
Lol! When -40 is a common thing, you are born with a cold resistance! I think it was about -16C that day, that pic was about 2hrs into it. Transmitter glove is a good thing, lots of guys have them, they have built in pockets for chemical heating pads. I have even seen a heated lipo powered one.