Day 8: Fly your remote control plane

If the weather report shows winds of less than 3 mph, pack up your plane and go to your flying field. If you have a charger for your car, bring that along just in case your plane is still flyable by the time you burn through the first battery. Eh, that’s being too optimistic. Just bring some spare propellers and some packing tape so you can fix some simple repairs at the field. Don’t connect the battery to the plane yet.

Once you arrive, look at the treetops. If they’re moving from the wind, put your plane back and go home. Sure, you can fly today, but the wind is going to control your plane, not you. Better to go home disappointed then to leave your plane 50 feet up in a tree.

If the wind is calm, plan a flight path. Stand in one corner of the field, facing the wind. You’re going to fly straight forward, keeping the plane in front of you at all times. Gradually gain altitude until you are about 2-3 times higher than the nearest tree or building. Usually, you want to be about 100-150 feet up (about 10-15 stories). That’ll seem RIDICULOUSLY high, but altitude is actually your friend. These beginner planes won’t fall any faster from 100 feet than they will from 20 feet, and if you have some altitude, you can make a mistake and still recover from it. After you reach altitude, plan to make a left turn, fly a ways, and then make another left turn so the plane is facing you. Then, you’ll land.

Now, you’re finally ready to fly. Connect the battery to the plane. Face into the wind. Hold the plane in your right hand, and the transmitter in your left hand. Using your left thumb, move the throttle (the left stick) all the way up so that the prop is spinning fast. Now, with your right hand, throw the plane forward gently and level.

Quickly move your right hand back to the right stick so that you can control your plane. Pull the stick gently; you shouldn’t move it all the way in any direction. If the plane didn’t take off straight, press and release the right stick to straighten the plane. Pull back GENTLY on the right stick so that the plane gains altitude. Take a breath; you’ve made your first takeoff.

Continue to gain altitude until you’re well above the trees. Follow your flight path, and take a gentle turn to the left (BUT DON’T HOLD THE STICK–just pulse it). The plane will probably straighten itself out, thanks to the dihedral in the wing–a slight V-shape. If it doesn’t, pulse the stick to the right to straighten it out.

Repeat your previous left turn so that the plane is facing you. Now, your left and right controls will be reversed. Your time with the simulator should make this second nature. If the plane is turning, straighten the plane out by pushing the controller in the direction of the lower wing.

Decrease the throttle to 50%, and push the nose down gently. The plane shouldn’t lose too much speed, since it’s dropping now. When the plane is about 10 feet above the ground, shut the throttle off completely, and let the plane continue to glide. When you’re one foot off the ground, pull back on the stick so that the nose points towards the air, and let the plane land.

You probably didn’t get to the gentle landing I described–in fact, you probably crashed the plane like I did. If (well, when) something goes wrong, don’t panic–just try to gently correct the flight path. If you can’t correct it, turn the throttle off to minimize the damage during the crash. Pick up your plane, disconnect the battery, and assess the damage. If you can fix it with tape, do that. If not, you can fix it at home.