Red Rocket Hobby Shop Flight School and Radio Control Airplane Flying Tips

Flight School and Flight Tips:

Here are a few tips to keep you flying safely. If these tips are followed, your flight is sure to be a success the first time!

1. Don't fly in high winds. Most radio control airplanes (and other light r/c airplanes) cannot handle high winds. This is because the majority of the aircraft line like the Scout, Firebird II, Commander, and Sky Surfer do not have up and down (pitch) control. In high winds if you add power the aircraft can climb quickly and you usually don't have any way to make the aircraft point the nose down. The Aerobird Challenger does have pitch (up and down) control but it still cannot fly safely for beginning pilots in winds over 10-15mph max. Try to fly in winds less than 10 mph unless you are flying the Aerobird Extreme. The Aerobird Extreme can fly in winds of 10-15 mph without any problem at all. This tip is especially useful if you are a beginning pilot.

2. Keep the airplane upwind and close enough to see. If you fly an R/C airplane too far away, it becomes difficult to see which way it is headed and it is easy to crash when this happens. Keep it close enough to see it and try to keep it upwind on your first few flights.

3. Fly where you have enough room. Don't fly in small areas until you have enough r/c flight experience. If a sudden gust of wind comes up you may find yourself on a collision course with the neighbor's house, car or even worse. Pick a flying field that has plenty of room and few obstacles for your first few flights.

4. Don't fly to high! Keep your airplane low enough so that if high winds or other trouble develops, you can descend and land quickly. If you fly to high you could go out of range and lose your airplane, or lose visual contact with the aircraft.

5. Maintain your airplane. If you crash your radio control airplane, it is time to check everything over before taking to the skies again.  Radio Control airplanes can handle a great deal of abuse, but they often cannot survive a high impact crash into the ground or an object. If you crash at high speeds and the airplane stops suddenly it usually bends the tail boom which will cause your airplane to not fly correct. If this happens, inspect your airplane closely and check to ensure that the tail boom and tail is straight. Make sure the control surfaces on the tail move free and correct. If you are in doubt, contact your hobby shop for help or call the number in your owner's manual for tips on repairing the tail boom. You will know you have a damaged tail boom because when you launch your aircraft it will not climb and usually flies straight into the ground.

6. Select the right plane for your experience level. For beginning pilots consider an electric ready to fly airplane such as the HobbyZone Firebird Commander 2.

7. Don't spiral! Keep your turns gentle and shallow during your first few flights. A spiral is probably one of the top causes of r/c airplane crashes. In a steep turn/spiral an r/c airplane will descend rapidly and quickly. If you find yourself entering a spiral take these corrective actions IMMEDIATELY: 1. Remove all throttle so the engine will idle or stop. 2. Apply rudder briskly in the opposite direction the airplane is turning and level the wings. 3. With wings level add power and resume normal flight. DO NOT: "pull up" or add up elevator if you are flying an airplane with elevator pitch (up and down) control. For some pilots it is a natural reaction to pull up to gain control. Just as in a real airplane, this will accelerate the turn/spin and make the plane descend even faster and possibly stall the wings if they are not stalled already.

8. Do a range test. Before your first flight of the day, have a flying partner hold your plane or radio and walk at least 100 feet away and make sure there are no problems with radio reception aboard your aircraft. Also check to make sure there are no debris trapped between the tail, and the moving control surfaces. Check to make sure your propeller is securely fastened.

9. Don't duplicate channels! Each Hobby Zone airplane is assigned a radio channel (1 to 6). The channel number is on a sticker on the airplane, and on the back of the radio controller. Make sure you are not flying on the same channel as another pilot in the area, or a crash will be guaranteed.

Zig Zag Racer Tips:

Zig Zag racers are easy to run and a great way to enter the world of R/C boating for all ages. Here are a few tips to enhance your enjoyment. 1. Remember that the Zig Zag racer does not have a reverse. You will need to plan your approach to shore so that you don't get stuck in a bad spot. 2. Keep your Zig Zag racer out of the weeds and debris in the water, or your propeller will get bogged down and the boat may not function. 3. Operate your boat in a safe manner and don't cause it to cap size. Cap sizing almost always means that you will have to figure out how to retrieve your boat because the prop will be out of the water and the boat will be immobilized. 4. When the boat begins to slow down as the charge is depleted, bring it in close to shore so that you can change the batteries.