10 Actions to be a Better RC Pilot

10 Actions to be a Better RC Pilot
In this video I will go over 10 actions any flyer can take to become a better RC pilot. No special equipment is needed. Just some ideas to make your time at the RC field more fun and enjoyable.
Idea is try and not go out to the RC field and simply bore holes in the sky for the afternoon, and not doing anything to improve your flight skills.
I include a good discussion on RealFlight RC computer simulator, showing the flight of the Horizon Hobby E-flite Timber, the Sig Spacewalker, Extra 300 and a Sopwith Pup WWI biplane, comparing and contrasting their flight characteristics.
Following are the chapters on 10 actions to be a better RC pilot!
1. Have a "junker" airplane
2. Find the right airplane to fly
3. Learn aerodynamics
4. Fly to crash
5. Remember to have fun
6. Embrace an RC simulator
7. Buy more batteries
8. Land, land and land again
9. Practice dead stick landings
10. Set goals for each flight
Highlighted videos:
Foam board Bronco:
• Super Simple Bronco Fo...
Bronco plans:
drive.google.com/drive/folder...
Touch and go landings
• Touch and Go Landings ...
Chapters
00:00 - Intro
00:47 - Find the right airplane
02:40 - Learn aerodynamics
04:15 - Fly to crash
05:05 - Remember to have fun
06:00 - Embrace an RC simulator
09:40 - Buy more batteries
10:10 - Landing practice
11:05 - Practice dead stick landings
12:20 - Set goals for each flight

[@spottyjack614]

Great vidd/tutorial Tim..everything you said and went over in this vidd is absolutely spot on👍👍..especially the part about setting goals for one's self every time you hit the airfield.... new locations are good to..although in my case I don't like to travel far from my home..that's just me..I have an RC airfield 5 minutes from my home and I can fly in my back yard to.. but flying in different weather conditions can be sketchy..I choose nice calm days personally....keep the viddz Coming Tim...I always look forward to seeing a new one....take care..Ray

[@TimMcKay56]

Ray: Very good and thanks again for checking in! Tim

[@roadstar499]

All great tips...here's a few more... keep plane close enough and high enough so you do not lose orientation... have a skilled pilot help you when you maiden a new plane... always make sure all electronics and batteries are secure and can not shift while flying.. always do a range test... always do a function test making sure servo's etc have no issues before take off... try to avoid flying where sun blinds you... where good sun glasses..there are others also... Its a nice hobby...

[@TimMcKay56]

RS: Great tips, many thanks! Tim

[@DronemanJoeRc]

Thank you very much for that Tim. I grew up in rc and got out of it for about 20 years and just recently in the past 3 years I got back into it. I still consider myself a amateur pilot even tho im flying edf's now. But when I go out for the first time and a few times after the season starts I take out my trainer plane and fly it around and do alot of touch and goes just go get myself back in the swing of things. I do use RF9 sim in the winter but like to take that trainer out a few times at the start. Great Job and Im new to your channel and thanks again!!

[@TimMcKay56]

DP: No worries, and thanks for checking in! Tim

[@marward]

Great video!! Likewise, I fly lots of different planes just to get "stick time." In contrast, my RC buddy restricts himself only to certain planes - big balsa, nitro powered and other old school stuff. No arfs, no foam, no electric. Because he narrows his range, his actual flying hours are restricted. Even though he's been in the hobby 20 years, even he admits that I'm a more skilled flyer even though I've only had two years. The lesson: fly, fly, fly -- especially different types of planes to widen your experience.

[@TimMcKay56]

Edward: No worries, sounds like you are having fun with your RC! Tim

[@markdaniel8740]

In the "old days", building was half the fun. But as mentioned, we tended to be less willing to crash. Balsa planes do fly better than foam too

[@hance1976]

One thing you said really struck home with me. Have fun. 10+ years ago I let flying stress me out, I was scared of crashing or someone seeing me crash. One day I decided I didn't care what happened I was there to have fun, it instantly improved my flying massively. The reasons I improved so much so fast are exactly the reasons you said. Now all those years later I'm club president, contest director, leader flight and leader educator. I primarily fly IMAC these days and when people ask me how to improve their skills I always point them to the IMAC basic. It can be flown with basically any plane, none of the ten maneuvers are hard to do. The challenge comes from doing all ten in a row with out messing up. That matches your set flight goals point. Great video.

[@TimMcKay56]

Hance: Great story, thanks for sharing! Tim

[@SmokeFlame1]

Good, constructive tips. I particularly like the dead stick approach. When I first started RC flying in the late 70's It was with a Cox 049. All landings were full throttle till the fuel ran out. All landings were dead stick. All my models were 049 powered and I learned to glide them right to my feet almost everytime. It was great fun.

[@TimMcKay56]

SF: Great feedback, thanks! Tim

[@williamhoenstine5057]

Very good advise. Thanks!

[@TimMcKay56]

Glad it was helpful! Tim

[@martr]

Solid advice. Thanks for the video.

[@TimMcKay56]

👍🏻 Tim

[@stevedessert5663]

Thank you! Appricate your efforts.

[@TimMcKay56]

😊👍🏻 Tim

[@edsherrod5216]

Great video - lots to think about!

[@TimMcKay56]

👍🏻 Tim

[@DadsRCHangar]

Great tips Tim, interesting about setting goals, normally my goal is to being the plane back home that’s reusable. I still learning, so maybe I should start setting goals. Have a great week 👍🏻

[@TimMcKay56]

Dad: Same to you! Tim

[@JimK0QJC]

Great as usual. I am looking forward to the series on aerodynamics. Thanks

[@TimMcKay56]

More to come! Tim

[@deanfairweather4748]

Thank you Tim good advice I have had a beater for years

[@TimMcKay56]

All good! Tim

[@andresfleischli8848]

Thank you Tim for these information. I'll to try a better rc pilot and these information will help me 🙂

[@TimMcKay56]

Andres: Many thanks! Tim

[@glenholiday577]

Everything everybody needs to know well done

[@TimMcKay56]

Glen: Many thanks! Tim

[@AerialRCFun]

Good points and thanks for the Bronco plans that's a sweet looking little build.

[@TimMcKay56]

Bronco flies great! Tim

[@meirdeaph]

That was awsome thanx

[@TimMcKay56]

👍🏻 Tim

[@vincestapleton703]

Excellent! All true! I’ve been flying RC for 30 + years.

[@TimMcKay56]

Vince: Thanks for your feed back! Tim

[@JeffinLowerAlabama]

Great advice, my buddy Rick used a lot of these tips when I was learning, Jeff in LA USA

[@TimMcKay56]

Jeff: Very good, and thanks for checking in! Tim

[@MrAndBog247]

thank you - very helpful for me and my son ...

[@TimMcKay56]

Happy to help! Tim

[@captainlandslide9874]

Great video, thanks! Its all good tips for new comers, and especially the new breed of ‘fly-straight-out-of-the-box types (nothing wrong with that- flying is flying!). One thing though, and this possibly ties in with the landings section, i say to people at my club to explore the full flight envelope of each of your models, and especially learning how SLOW it will fly whilst maintaining control. Everyone wants to see how fast theirs can go, but often little thought is given to the other end of the spectrum. I learn to fly mine pretty much on the stall (at a good height initially!), and that has really improved my landings no end, and you’d be surprised how slowly they will fly as long as you’re not hanging on the elevator too much. Anyhow, love the video. Kind regards from the UK 🇬🇧

[@TimMcKay56]

CL: Great comments, fully agree on the benefits of learning slow flight. 😁 Tim

[@calimlimfrancisnoah5352]

Hey Tim, thankyou for answering all mga question got my first build flew😁

[@TimMcKay56]

Great news!! Tim

[@markdaniel8740]

Good points. Especially land, land, land and dead stick. If you can land safely, you can get another flight.

[@TimMcKay56]

Mark: Very good, thanks for checking in. 😊 Tim

[@RussianThunderrr]

I always wanted to have a "Junker", namely Ju-87, but they are so hard to find! Great Planes Ju-87 is my favorite. On a serious note, its all good points, and yours OV-10 Bronco looks pretty good. Thank you for sharing.

[@TimMcKay56]

👍🏻😊 Tim

[@brianemery8945]

These are great tips. Especially #1. I've been flying for 20years and still use my fun cub to get the thumbs working after winter and before an expensive maiden. Not caring so much let's you try things you wouldn't with your $2k plus models.. Well unless your Rich I guess

[@TimMcKay56]

Brian: Thanks for this input! Tim

[@mikbacitube]

Great video I wish I could see this before 😊

[@TimMcKay56]

Many thanks! Tim

[@trondaustad3075]

Good video. So now l'll go and practis some of this things. Gretings from rc. And real ppl a pilot in norway

[@TimMcKay56]

Trond: Thanks so much for checking in, and we always treasure our trips to Norway! Tim

[@ronalddriskill7360]

I'm building my first 2 planes now. Thanks for the tips, I'm excited to fly.

[@TimMcKay56]

Ronald: Good luck! Tim

[@samiam619]

Save yourself some $ by spending as much as you can on your first radio. Buying a cheap one only means you’ll spend more the next time.

[@gordonmckay4523]

@@samiam619 Agree! Tim

[@rperry70]

This is a great video and plan to forward it to my club. I want to add a couple of my observations that I feel many newer pilots in particular need to work on. #1 Slow flight. Impress me with how slow you can fly your plane, not fast. Stall test new airplanes to understand exactly when it will stall, to truly get a sense of the slow characteristics of your planes. Now with this info, land your planes slow and stall properly. Most guys I see flying land too fast, bounce their touchdowns, and then blame the landing gear or something irrelevant to the problem. #2 Ensure that your planes are balanced properly. Particularly not nose heavy. Forward CG's, fast landings, and rich engines are all traps inexperience pilots fall into. Trying to play it safe. These tendencies just lead to bad landings and poor running engines. I personally just experience nose heavy issues with a new war bird. Once I got the CG back where it wants to be, I am able to flare the landing, and get the wing stalled properly for perfect touch downs. Your comments on left and right hand approach practice is spot on. Many clubs are full of "left hand charlies".

[@TimMcKay56]

Fully agree on slow flight. When I was a CFI, that really showed how well a pilot understood power, pitch, control, etc. Tim

[@scottiopizza7565]

Great advice! My "junker" was named Humpty-Dumpty, still flying the 2.0 version.

[@TimMcKay56]

Scottio: Good stuff, thanks! Tim

[@ronaldonogueira74]

Great tips, I'd just put "Embrace an RC Sim" first on the list, all the rest comes easy after that.

[@TimMcKay56]

Ronaldo: Cannot argue with that, the sims today are amazing. Tim

[@FlyingFun.]

Another thing, dont be afraid to just take a break for a few years if you get bored, Il leave the hobby and find other hobbies for a bit, when I come back to it I enjoy it again and usually find another aspect ie, I learned to fly at 16 and progressed to fast racing planes and basic acrobatics over a few years, got bored came back to again at age of 30 when electric eas getting good with lithium and brushless motors and learned 3d and flying from water and got into building scale models and some silly fun stuff from epp for local park flying. Bored again then discovered I liked powered gliders and learned some thermal flying, Bored and a break again then I saw dlg ( discus launch gliders ) and just knew I had to do that and that kept me entertained for a good few years. Another break followed by fpv racing drones both building flying and 3d and programming flight controllers sensors and transmitters ( lua on the frsky taranis and opentx etc ), Got roped into reviewing stuff for a while too and then tried out rc helicopters but wasnt my thing. Having a break again now whilst I build and ride ebikes.. Not sure what's next but there will be something lol.

[@TimMcKay56]

Nigel: Great input and approach, thanks! Tim

[@kengaydos9945]

Hi Tim, I love your work and thanks for sharing. I can't seem to find the link to download the bronco 2 plans, I've looked at the description but I just don't see it. I really want to build one..

[@TimMcKay56]

Ken: I added a link to the Bronco plans (Google Drive), see description. Tim

[@kengaydos9945]

@@TimMcKay56 That is awesome! Thank you so much Tim.

[@roscoepatternworks3471]

I started with gliders, every landing was dead stick. When I switched to fuel, I was all over the place on landing. But when it went dead stick, a 3 point landing every time. If possible get an instructor at your local field. The club i joined required you to be checked out, if you're a new member with flight experience. Or you needed to fly with the instructor until he was confident you could fly on your own.

[@TimMcKay56]

Great update, thanks! Tim

[@andypuempel2570]

Always enjoy your content, Tim. Technically sound content well presented. Thanks for sharing. Great tips.

[@TimMcKay56]

Andy: Appreciate your feedback, thanks for checking in! Tim

[@haydenbrown8421]

What is a good sim programme? The one in this video? Appreciate your advice as I am getting back to flying and want to help my friend fly RC. He was a B777 Capt but confesses his longest RC flight was four second. He needs help🙈

[@TimMcKay56]

Hayden: I am very happy with RealFlight RC flight simulator. Should be available at www.HorizonHobby.com I'd recommend getting the interlink controller (sim transmitter), and you need a Windows computer. Do not think RF works on a Mac. But the sims really are good, and great way to practice. Tim

[@Mountian-Zen]

👍

[@TimMcKay56]

👍🏻😊 Tim

[@BansheeFifteen]

I'm not having fun and doing everything wrong. Thanks

[@TimMcKay56]

BF: Best of luck! Tim

[@BansheeFifteen]

@@TimMcKay56 For example 23 years ago I built a SIG Senior Kadet. I still have it, it is in excellent condition and still very flyable. I'm understanding what I'm doing wrong.

[@gordonmckay4523]

@@BansheeFifteen All good! Tim

[@jhuff8596]

Great video Tim! I have another donation for you. Are you still at the same address? Cheers! Have a great day!

[@TimMcKay56]

J Huff: Thanks for checking in, still at same address. 😁 Tim

[@bb1040]

I stopped flying after the FAA started treating them like full-sized aircraft with all the same regulations and rules as real airplanes. My six aircraft are sitting on my shelf and started buying RC trucks until they start requiring driver's licenses and annual inspections for those also.

[@TimMcKay56]

👍🏻 Tim

[@rollinolson3562]

I've had no trouble meeting all the new FAA requirements and continue flying. It's just a matter of attitude.

[@bb1040]

@@rollinolson3562 You are probably right but I spent a lot of money on my drones, most likely more than I should have. Figured it would be something fun I could do in my back yard and field out back, it is a small plastic toy as far as I am concerned ,but then all of a sudden they are real airplanes with full FAA regulations and need the government's permission to fly in my own back yard. I used to have a commercial Helicopter license and flew a small Cessna 150 airplane back in the 70s and was never worried about the FAA, now I am scared to start the engines on my drone, because I am required to have remote ID running anytime the engines start. So the government can hunt me down and fine me for breaking some rule I never heard of. It is a little plastic toy, only runs about 15 minutes before the battery runs down, Yuneec Q 5004k, the safest drone I own. I am 76 years old and really not going to take a bunch of tests to play with my little plastic toy in my own back yard. I have been flying drones for at least 10 years started out with a small drone flying around in my house then got a little bigger drone, Total I bought 6 drones slowly stepping up and learning, until I got the Q500 4K .

[@dphotos007]

What makes me upset is when the field is crowded on a weekend and is everyone is flying in the same pattern due to the location of the wind and then you have some guy practicing 3D flying and has no respect for others at the field and his planes is flying all over the field. I have seen so many crashes when that happens. All the time it is the fault of the 3D flyer. When I was flying a lot I would avoid flying on the weekend. There is a time and a place for 3D flying. When I would practice that I would give some warning to others and I would fly when there was little activity at the field. I learned to fly on the Aerofly simulator when they were first sold in the United States. It was the only simulator that worked with a Mac and I could use my DX7 with the software.

[@TimMcKay56]

Great input, thanks! Tim

[@dphotos007]

@@TimMcKay56 I forgot to mention one thing. If you are flying electric planes and someone is flying a turbine jet at the same time I will land and let the jet have its space. I want no issues with a guy flying a $10,000 plane near me. I will be happy to wait until he is finished flying. I have seen a crash between a small electric and a jet and it was not a pretty site. They were each blaming each other.

[@gordonmckay4523]

@@dphotos007 Yes, that is a good point. I have done the same thing myself. Tim

[@FFE-js2zp]

Hi Tim, Great tips, but I have disagree with the junk airplane and fly to crash philosophy. I used to take that approach. But the fact is we get better at what we practice. Practicing crashing will only make you a better crasher. This a major problem with sim training, too, because they train you so effectively to crash, as if it’s routine. When I started flying up to 2 meter carbon blade disk helicopters, it became way too dangerous to crash. So I changed my self training philosophy to my full scale flying philosophy of zero mishaps. I never left my comfort zone. I never flew out of a hover for over a year. It took about two years to teach myself to fly fully aerobatic 3D heli routines, and to this day I have never crashed an outdoor model heli from my 200s to my 800s. Not once. I realized I became a much better heli pilot much faster due to the zero crash policy. So I made that my mindset for all my flying, including the sim. I treat crashing the same dying, and I think it’s me helped immensely. The basic idea is never ever leave your comfort zone, when you are so competent you get bored, that zone naturally expands. And so on. I have 4200 hours in full scale fighters and obviously that is the training and employment mindset. I don’t why I ever entertained “crashing is part of RC flying.” Looking back, its just a complete lack of flight discipline and a lazy approach to become a sloppy pilot. Just my two cents.

[@TimMcKay56]

F100: Good points! I flew backseat F-4s for ten years, as well as some Part 121 at the end. Slightly different approach with those birds vs. RC. 😁 Tim

[@FlyingFun.]

I took a hybrid of this approach, on the sim i would have sessions where i would just go silly trying all sorts of stupid stuff and other sessions where i would have zero tolerance to crashing. And flying for real I had similar approach but with different models , I built some epp models to learn 3d but the only time I would crash my other planes was if something went wrong with the electronics which was fairly rare as long as I checked things over properly .. I did lose a very nice fw190 due to retracts burning out and shorting out power to rx so total loss of control and of course o lost a few to good old spectrum dsm2 in its early days lol.

[@gordonmckay4523]

@@FlyingFun. Good stuff, thanks for sharing! Tim

[@deanfairweather4748]

OLD DAYS 1990,s LOLOLOLOL my old days were the late 60,s LOL

[@TimMcKay56]

👍🏻😊😁 Tim

[@randall4411]

Crashing is fun but a smooth landing feels much better . The simulator is worth the price for sure .

[@TimMcKay56]

👍🏻 Tim

[@jasonfrodoman1316]

In my opinion, move up to at least a 50cc plane asap. 27-30%. The bigger the plane, the easier it is to fly. And RUDDER. I see so many people crash and trash planes on landing because the don't use the rudder. And spend time setting up your transmitter. Lot's of folks don't spend the time to set up their throws properly or trim the plane out.

[@TimMcKay56]

Agree, bigger birds fly better, assuming you have the $$. Agree also the rudder is a useful control to get to know and use. 😊 Tim

[@jasonfrodoman1316]

@@TimMcKay56True its becoming costly. I have been away from it now for several years. I used the H9 Extra 260 and CAP as my learning planes. Then moved up to a 35% Extra. But revisiting the hobby now, I realize its run into big $$$. And many of the standard airframe suppliers are not in business anymore. Anyway, enjoyed your vid Tim. Thank you.

[@TimMcKay56]

@@jasonfrodoman1316 Jason, all good, enjoy! Tim

[@RobbySigman]

When i was an Instructor, I had a saying for beginners... Too Low, Too Slow, Too long, Too bad!

[@TimMcKay56]

Wise words! Tim