Training

Instructors

How do I learn to fly?

Aspiring RC pilots are welcome even if they don't have a plane. If arranged in advance, a North Texas Aromodelers (NTA) Instructor can have a club trainer airplane available for you to take an introductory flight. Once you've purchased your plane, we can provide help setting it up and help you make sure it's safe to fly. We have primary instructors, all of whom are very experienced at getting new fliers in the air. Contact an instructor today (listed on the right) to schedule flight time, or feel free to just come to the field.

Instructors generally fly every weekend - weather permitting, although you will find members flying at the field during the week as well. Club member skill levels range from beginner to advanced with flying styles that include scale, aerobatics and 3D. We also have helicopter pilots; we even have a special area set aside for them if they choose to avoid the airplanes.

It important to remember when learning to fly Remote Control (RC) is that it will take time to build confidence and improve your flying skills. Anyone who wants to learn something new has to start on the bottom and RC airplane training is no different. The beauty is that there many RC airplanes and helicopters that are very user-friendly. There is a huge choice of RTF (Ready To Fly) trainers available as entry-level models. The chances are that whichever RC airplane training method you decide with, your learning has been made easier by the 'flyer-friendliness' of your plane.

There are several effective RC airplane training methods when it comes to learning to fly. This page will give you a brief insight into a couple of methods. Methods given here also apply to RC helicopters, but for the main part we'll stick with airplanes.



The 2 main RC airplane training methods described on this page are:

• Club Instruction (preferred method)
• RC Flight Simulators

Club Instruction
NTA uses the traditional method of side-by-side instruction, either by sharing a single transmitter or using a Buddy Box system. For single tx, or 'pass-the-box', instruction your instructor will show and tell you what to do, and if you get into difficulty he will take the transmitter from you and regain control of the airplane. When your heart has stopped racing and your hands have stopped shaking, he'll hand back the transmitter and you can have another go.

The Buddy Box ( BB)system is a better way of learning, and you and your instructor each hold a separate transmitter. In conventional BB systems the transmitters are joined together by cable (or wireless); the instructor holds the master transmitter while you, the student, hold the slave. With the flick of a switch, the instructor can hand over or take away complete control from you, without having to take the transmitter from your hands. 

RC Flight Simulator
The simulator is very realistic and powerful software that runs on your home computer, and replicates flying model aircraft down to the finest detail. Real Flight includes a realistic multi-channel transmitter interface that connects to your computer via a USB port, but many RC Flight Simulators don't include such an interface but instead rely on your own transmitter to control the aircraft.  Top of the range simulators are outstandingly realistic and let you practice your radio control flying in perfect safety, without the worry of wrecking your beloved model!

RC Flight Simulators are an excellent training aid if your budget will stretch and should be seriously considered if you're even just half-serious about RC flying.