Frequent Questions
- What do I need to do to join the club?
First, you must be a member of the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA). Once you have your AMA membership, you can join the club.
- What is the AMA and why do I need to join that, too?
The AMA is the national organization in the U.S. that supports aeromodeling activities. Part of its activities include working with US Government agencies, including the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), to make sure that our hobby is protected and not adversely affected by any rule changes or other legislation.
The AMA was the entity that worked with the FCC to obtain exclusive use of the 72 and 75MHz R/C radio frequencies (channels) we now enjoy. At the club level, the AMA provides flying-site insurance to the landowners of flying sites.
Part of your membership in the AMA includes a subscription to "Model Aviation", a nice magazine that covers all aspects of aeromodeling. For more information about the AMA and to obtain a copy of the membership application, visit the AMA's website at www.modelaircraft.org.
- What are the dues used for (or...Why are they so high)?
As in any organization of this type, dues are used to cover expenses that the club may incur over the year. Those expenses include, but are not limited to:
- Rent. This, as you might expect, is the largest yearly expense.
- AMA Charter. This establishes the insurance for the landlords.
- Mowing (including gas, oil, and equipment repair or replacement when necessary)
- General facilities upkeep
- Operating expenses
- How (high/far/fast) can planes fly?
The radios we use have an effective range of around to a mile. Therefore, technically you should be able to fly up to that far away. However, in actual practice this is not the case. You can control the aircraft only as long as you can visually see it and determine its orientation (or in other words, tell what it is doing). The farther away it gets, the smaller it appears. Thus, at the point it you can no longer clearly see it, you are no longer in control of it even if it's still in range of the transmitter. Obviously, the larger the model, the farther away it can be before you lose sight of it. In general practice, flights are typically less than 400 feet up and less than 300 feet away.
The top speed of a jet or high-performance racing plane can be as much as 200MPH (that's ACTUAL miles per hour NOT to scale MPH). The average sport plane probably averages in the 90MPH range, while a typical trainer plane may fly no more than 50MPH.
- How hard are they to fly? (Alternatively. How hard is it to learn?)
As with any new skill, all it usually takes is practice. You should be prepared to dedicate a fair amount of time in order to learn this new skill, depending on how quickly you can pick it up. Younger students seem to progress much faster than adults...possibly because of the influence of video games. In any event, a fast learner might take as little as 4-5 weeks, while for others it could take as long as 4-5 months. One thing to remember is that you are usually going to be taking instruction only on the weekends. Therefore, you need to be willing to come out just about EVERY weekend in order to learn as fast as possible. When several weeks pass between lessons, you tend to "lose" what you have learned and will end up spending more time relearning what you have lost. Use of a PC-based flight simulator can greatly enhance the speed at which you learn, and can be a great help overcoming of the common problems encountered by new students.
It's also a good way to keep your skills current when the weather isn't being cooperative...
You can find LOTS of other good information on the Training section.
- What is a good first airplane?
As much as you may want to start with a model of a P-51 or some other favorite Warbird, Scale or aerobatic airplane, this is NOT the way you want to start.
In our experience, the best and most effective training experience is obtained when you start with a stable, predictable and relatively slow airplane. Typically referred to as "trainer planes" (for obvious reasons), these aircraft have the wings mounted above the "cabin" (referred to as a 'high-wing' configuration, similar to a Cessna), have a fair amount of "dihedral" (the "vee" shape of the wing), and where the wheels are arranged in a tricycle format (two main wheels with the third placed at the front). (This as opposed to a "tail-dragger", where the third wheel is a small one at the back of the plane). A plane with tricycle-style landing gear is much easier for the novice to steer (taxi). The high-wing configuration means that the airplane's overall center of gravity (CG) is below the center of lift. This creates a sort of "pendulum" effect, whereby the airplane will have a tendency to return to straight-and-level flight by itself. The greater the amount of dihedral, the more this tendency is increased. The net effect of this is that if you get in trouble, you can release the sticks and the plane will try to correct itself.
- What radio should I buy?
There are several popular brands available...in alphabetical order, the four most commonly seen are: Airtronics, Futaba, Hitec and JR.
Whatever brand you choose, make sure the transmitter is "buddy box" capable, also sometimes referred to as having "trainer capability". What this means is that the transmitter can be physically connected to another similar transmitter via a "trainer cord". The instructor holds the main transmitter, and has primary control of the plane. Once it is in the air, the instructor can electronically transfer control to the "student" transmitter. If the student gets in trouble, the instructor can instantly regain control and save the airplane.
For your first trainer plane, the minimum requirement is 4 "channels". In the case of a trainer, those controls are the ailerons (roll), elevator (pitch), rudder (yaw) and throttle (engine speed). Advanced airplanes can have additional functions (e.g., flaps, retractable landing gear, etc.), and therefore require a radio with more channels.
- How much does it cost to get started?
The initial cost can vary depending on what path you take. Several years ago, a beginning modeler had to buy everything separately (meaning the airplane kit, engine and radio). Then you had to assemble the airplane (which also required buying glue, covering, wheels, fuel tank, etc.), and finally install the radio and engine. This required investing a lot of time up front and only THEN could you start learning to fly.
Most newcomers today get started by purchasing a trainer package. This includes an ARF (almost ready to fly) airplane, the engine and radio, and typically costs $400 or less. One of the more high-end packages includes an upgraded engine, a flight simulator for your computer and has onboard sensors that automatically return the airplane to straight and level flight. This package is at the upper end of the cost range, where packages with fewer bells and whistles cost a bit less.
Adding the support equipment into the mix puts the final cost at around $500. One thing to remember is that the biggest part of this cost is in the radio, engine and field equipment, NOT the airplane itself. Once you have successfully learned to fly, you can use the radio (and possibly the engine) from your trainer in your second plane.
- Can I buy used equipment to save money?
Used equipment can be a good way to get started. However, as with any other second-hand purchase you need to be sure that what you are getting is worth what you are paying. If you are thinking of purchasing a used radio (engine, airplane or anything else, for that matter), you should make ABSOLUTELY sure that the equipment is in good shape and reasonably priced based on its condition. Have an experienced person look it over for you if you are uncertain. CAVEAT EMPTOR.
- Should I go with gas power or electric?
Most people start with gas. (Actually, the term "gas" is a bit misleading...while many of the larger, more advanced airplanes have engines that DO use gasoline; the engines on typical trainer planes actually use an alcohol-based fuel. However, hobbyists still tend to refer to these as being "gas-powered", with electric-power enthusiasts occasionally using the term "wet power".) With a gas plane, when you run out of fuel all you need to do is refill the tank, restart the engine and keep on flying. With an electric plane, you must recharge the battery when it runs down. To maximize flying time, most electric fliers have several battery packs on hand and recharge one while flying with the other. Initial start-up costs for electric are typically higher, since in addition to multiple battery packs you will need a have a "field-charger" for the batteries. It will typically connect to your car battery unless the flying field has AC power available. While gas planes are somewhat noisy and messy (due to oil and other residue from the engine), electric planes are quiet and generate no mess. Electric power performance is comparable to gas power.
- Helicopters look interesting. Are they hard to fly, and can I start out with one?
Helicopters can definitely be a lot of fun. However, compared to an airplane they are quite a bit more difficult to learn to fly. They are also significantly more expensive.
- I still have questions. Who should I contact?
Have a look at the Contact page. Your question will get routed to the appropriate person for a response.
