Page 5 Canandaigua C.H.I.E.F.S. RC Flying Club, Canandaigua, N.Y. return to Hawk's Nest

The Hawks' Nest

Prop Wash

Armchair Flight Practice

What is “Armchair Flight Practice”? Well, for the “newbie” first time RC flyer, if you don’t own a computer or can’t invest in a computer RC flight simulator software package then “Armchair Flight Practice” is the next best thing.
In your armchair hold your transmitter and practice getting use to manipulating both gambal sticks. While looking up as if you were watching your flying model practice moving the individual trim tabs on the transmitter.
Be sure you can carefully move the tabs in either direction without looking down at your transmitter.

Next, with a helper holding your trainer airplane model, practice gradually moving the left gambal from the low position towards the bottom of the transmitter to the high position towards the top of the transmitter.
You should have your helper move the model on the ground away from you to get the feel for “throttling up” on take off.
As you get use to throttling up on your transmitter have your helper move the model off track left or right as it goes away from you so you can practice gradual left and right inputs from the gambal center as you throttle the gambal stick up to maintain your trainer down the center on takeoff.
Now, with a helper moving your trainer airplane model away from you at eye level have he or she bank first one way and back to level and then the other way as you call out the direction, so you can practice inputting aileron control on the right gimbal stick.
Next, do the same only with your helper moving the model toward you at eye level. Remember the inputs to the right gambal stick are opposite when the model is coming toward you, as opposed to going away from you.

As you feel more comfortable manipulating both transmitter gambal stick controls practice the same takeoff run away from you as before. This time however you should practice the left stick for throttling up and maintaining your model on center while at the same time gradually inputting first some up elevator control on the right gambal stick for takeoff.

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