Practice exercises or drills

[Col_M]

Hi folks, the time of my first flight is fast approaching I';m just wondering if there is anything you do to practice and build up muscle memory.
I purposely went for the KK2 flight controller due to the limited flying aids, though it';ll probably be a steeper learning curve, I think it has a good payoff eventually giving me more control and confidence. So I';m thinking of practice drills to help me, what I';ve got so far are...

Hover tail in.
Hover side on (both sides).
Hover nose in.
Fly back and forth then left and right from my start point with my tail in.
Fly back and forth then left and right from my start point side on.
Fly back and forth then left and right from my start point with my nose in.
Fly squares tail in, sideways and nose in.
Fly in circles clockwise and anticlockwise.
Fly figures of eight.

Any other suggestions or modifications to my plan? Is doing this at about waist height best, not too high for safety and not too low to get affected by my own down wash/ground effect?

edit: oops, maybe better in the Newbies forum?

[Gaza07]

Sounds like a good plan I think you have covered it all there   

[Biffa]

When I first started flying helicopters I found all the regimented drills of learning ';this orientation'; followed by ';this side and that side'; etc etc far far too boring.

I soon found that by moving from a tail in hover and sliding sideways soon turned into side on and circuits. The Holy Grail of helicopter flight (nose in) I didn';t even bother trying that at all and just found that happens all by it self as you fly around and fly more towards yourself a little each time from either side.

I have seen many would be helicopter pilots not actually enjoying flying because they feel they must have all orientations nailed.

Personally, I';d just fly as best you can and learn what comes naturally to you than setting it out in a list of must do';s, that way you don';t get frustrated stuck on one thing and slow your progression and spoil your enjoyment (which is what it';s all about).

[Col_M]

Good points there Steve.

I';ll see what I feel like doing I think, it can';t hurt to try half my time doing exercises and challenge myself then the other half just flying about.

I guess everyone has their own learning style, some people like to just fly around, some people like some structure, some like challenges and others like a bit of everything 

[Biffa]

Absolutely

What suits one is not always good for another. I remember years ago being pointed at Radds school of rotary flight here http://www.dream-models.com/eco/battery01.html and felt like this after a while which was the point I said sod this and just did my own thing.

It may have cost a little more with all the crashes and a lot of running before I could walk, but I think I would have given up after a few batteries doing Radds and taken up knitting or something.

One thing I did learn really early on was to always turn the model back to tail in after it sets down, less important with a multi though but still a good habit as there';s nothing worse than tipping over on take off because the model little side on.

[SimonS]

It will go something like this:

Flight 1.  "What the hell is it doing!"

Flight 2.  "Ooh look, it';s doing it again"

etc


(Seriously though, good plan)

[guest325]

I tried that when I first took up RC flying (with helis of all things!), got very quickly bored and did my own thing....mistake! Several broken models later gave up and had a go with Planes, still flying and enjoying them and now (a couple of months ago) quads have joined the ranks!
As long as you enjoy what you are doing it';s ok but if it becomes a chore try something different with what you are doing - variety is the spice of life!

[XH558]

Absolutely

What suits one is not always good for another. I remember years ago being pointed at Radds school of rotary flight here http://www.dream-models.com/eco/battery01.html and felt like this after a while which was the point I said sod this and just did my own thing.

It may have cost a little more with all the crashes and a lot of running before I could walk, but I think I would have given up after a few batteries doing Radds and taken up knitting or something.

One thing I did learn really early on was to always turn the model back to tail in after it sets down, less important with a multi though but still a good habit as there';s nothing worse than tipping over on take off because the model little side on.

Well blow me down ... Radd';s school .... I was a member of the Ikarus forum years ago and had many a discussion with Radd - and on my fixed pitch Ikarus Piccolo I did try his ';school'; and it got me in the air with what was a twitchy little devil to fly 

Those little Piccolos were ok when you got the knack but the devils own to learn to fly rotary wing on ....  after graduating to a Robbe Eolo I found things a lot easier - with a bit of weight and inertia which helped no end ...

I soon realised - like you - that it';s best just to stooge about and learn as you go ... yes you might make mistakes - but you invariably learn from them - and if you';re lucky you don';t make them again ... I found that narrow side on figure of eights helped  - as you say it sort of just comes to as you go along - and it';s only flying towards you some of the time with an eight :)

I have never had any inkling to try rotary wing aerobatics - to me helicopters are hovering masters and I fly pretty scale ..... don';t want to be a demented mosquito on speed doing things helicopters can';t do in real life :)

Funny though I can fly a plank in any orientation up/down/sideways in/out inverted - loops rolls - immelmans -  landing coming towards you dead stick anything and it all comes very naturally ... but put me in charge of a rotary wing and it all goes to sh*t    It all seems very ';urgent'; somehow ...

[guest325]

Well blow me down ... Radd';s school .... I was a member of the Ikarus forum years ago and had many a discussion with Radd - and on my fixed pitch Ikarus Piccolo I did try his ';school'; and it got me in the air with what was a twitchy little devil to fly 

Those little Piccolos were ok when you got the knack but the devils own to learn to fly rotary wing on ....  after graduating to a Robbe Eolo I found things a lot easier - with a bit of weight and inertia which helped no end ...

I soon realised - like you - that it';s best just to stooge about and learn as you go ... yes you might make mistakes - but you invariably learn from them - and if you';re lucky you don';t make them again ... I found that narrow side on figure of eights helped  - as you say it sort of just comes to as you go along - and it';s only flying towards you some of the time with an eight :)

I have never had any inkling to try rotary wing aerobatics - to me helicopters are hovering masters and I fly pretty scale ..... don';t want to be a demented mosquito on speed doing things helicopters can';t do in real life :)

Funny though I can fly a plank in any orientation up/down/sideways in/out inverted - loops rolls - immelmans -  landing coming towards you dead stick anything and it all comes very naturally ... but put me in charge of a rotary wing and it all goes to sh*t    It all seems very ';urgent'; somehow ...

Know what you mean, with Planes if you get dead stick you can usually land it, with rotary wing it';s not as easy - I';ve landed helis (on sim) autorotation but I don';t think you get that option with multis! So things do get that little bit more urgent, probably gets even more urgent as the cost of what';s up in the air gets more expensive - that';s part of my reason for setting a cost ceiling on all of my models.

[Biffa]

I';m far from a 3D pilot and soon realised I was never going to be but I can hover inverted for a while and do flips and rolls and that';s about it.

I much prefer to just fly around now days but you';re spot on, helicopters are much more urgent when it goes wrong and I still haven';t found a sound I like more than a helicopter going into the dirt in idle up.