Here at Marston Green Model Flying Club we have a group of members who are always happy to assist, whether that is :-

Choosing which Flying MODE to start learning with
Product Advice
Troubleshooting Equipment
Basic Flying Instruction
or general good humoured encouragement.

STEP 1

The first place to start is understanding the controls for a model airplane, primarily split into TWO “Modes” which shows how the sticks will move in reference to the model and which you feel would be most comfortable to fly with:-

STEP 2

Once you have decided on a MODE choice we recommend watching several YouTube videos to see how the plane reacts and flys. R/C Helicopter videos are also available.

STEP 3

A Trial Flight on a member’s own model is often possible and can be booked in with the club secretary (subject to model availability and weather conditions) to enable an interested party to have a go on the sticks for themselves……once you try it…you will be hooked !

We actively encourage flyers to purchase their own equipment as early in their flying journey as possible so that they become comfortable with handling their own transmitter. Depending upon the transmitter chosen, this can be connected to a multitude of free PC based flight simulators to hone skills quicker without resorting to rebuilding a model that had an unexpected arrival on the strip !

Learning to fly on a PC simulator using your own TX makes the transition to actual model flying easier and you are not having to purchase a dedicated simulator TX at extra cost.
 
Multi-Flight for PC – R/C Flight Simulator

Pica Sim for PC – R/C Flight Simulator

We are currently recommending as a club, the FlySky FS-i6 transmitter as an entry level TX that can be used on many different types of models and has the added benefit of being able to connect to the club’s own FlySky MODE 2 TX and buddy lead system where the student has their own TX and flys their own model but the Instructor has control and can intervene at any point to safely recover the model. Other transmitter brands may well be chosen depending upon weekday or weekend flying days and instructor availability.

Helicopter training aids are available online, as buddying is not normally possible with a helicopter, but the club has many experienced members who can offer moral support and advice for learning to fly an R/C helicopter or multi rotor.

Many internet sites offer the FlySky FS-i6 radio :-

http://aliexpress.com
http://banggood.com
Some UK sites also stock this depending upon budget

Don’t forget to also purchase the FlySky Simulator Cable, and select the option of a FS-IA 6B or 10B receiver combo

STEP 4

Select your own model. This is very personal choice and constrained by your own personal budget.
We have many flyers who choose electric battery powered models such as the Max Thrust RIOT as their first model, the FMS Ranger or Kingfisher or the Chris Foss WOT 4. Foam models are very simple to repair and bounce quite well when learning, but also a traditional balsa wood model can be bought or constructed and the club has many experienced balsa builders who can assist a new member in this area, including glow fuel powered engines.

The club also promotes the use of a supermarket foam glider conversion that also works really well – Foam Glider Conversions

STEP 5

We also have our own training pack that we supply to students which tracks progress along their flying journey.
Subject to instructor availability, each student will complete ranges of manoeuvres and will fly with lots of experienced pilots along the way – each time getting “checked off” on their training pack. This is an easy, visible progress tracker for any of the experienced flyers who may be assisting the student on any particular flying day.
 
Download the Training Pack