New to RC Flying...

Christmas last year I bought me a starter kit with controller, plane, and sim software. I joined AMA, but never got the plane going until a few weeks ago. I did fly the sim the past 9 months, so I've been doing pretty good learning the new plane. We have a really nice field and club only a mile from my house. Everyone in the club is VERY nice and I was just a stranger to them.

About 3 weeks ago I stopped by on their Thursday training night just to introduce myself (I didn't know anyone in the club). They begged me to fly their club trainer and I begged them not to let me. They won and I ended up flying about 10 minutes with a trainer for my first flight ever. He didn't have to take over at all and I even finished up with a loop before he landed.

I was hooked now and was out there again on the weekend to fly another trainer they had. One of the following Thursday training nights I brought my plane out for the first time and we broke in the engine and did its maiden flight.

This last Thursday I did my first takeoff with this plane and also my first landing. Tomorrow I'm meeting the trainer again and will hopefully get more takeoff and landing experience. Shouldn't be too long before I solo.

I'm really having fun with this hobby right now and it is MUCH cheaper than car racing!
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I bought my second plane. A used, but very good condition and never wrecked Sig 4-Star. I'll post a picture soon. I haven't flown yet, but watched it fly. Be a nice step up from my trainer, very fast and aerobatic capable, but also smooth and slow if you want. Engine is a 0.7 something.

 

I've had about a dozen solo flights now with no incidents! My takeoffs are now straight and my landings are improving each day. I'm able to taxi back with engine about 60% of my landings. My trainer flys so well, it is actually hard to get on the ground as it just wants to soar. Good news is no stalling problems. I'm also working on my skills with aerobatics, high speed passes, smooth pattern flights, and using the rudder.

 

Actually, my winter hobby of duck hunting, early darkness, and winds have kept me from flying for 4-5 months. I'm also moving my engine and servos into a new body. I didn't have a major wreck, but too many rough landings has broken the wood around the landing gear. No license needed, just an insurance with the American Modeling Association and then I had to join the local club to use the field.

 

My complete Nexstar kit had plane, radio, and simulator for $550. Only thing else I needed was engine starter and gas for < $50. It is a great hobby and really nice people involved in it too.

 

You can see my Nexstar plane below. It isn't a small plane. 80" wingspan or so. You can fly it very slow or very fast. With a 10-15 mph headwind I can fly it with zero groundspeed and not stall it. Coming in hot and low with full throttle it hauls too. Problem with these trainers that fly so easy is they don't land so easy. They don't want to come down.