Flight Training Program

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Radio Controlled aircraft are a challenge to fly!  Controlling a moving object in 3-dimensional space from a fixed location is an acquired skill. Like any skill, it takes practice and focus.

Prop Masters RC Aero Club is dedicated to teaching that skill with a structured training methodology.  Instruction is always free and typically uses club aircraft specially designed for training. Instructors donate their time with the goal of making you a lifelong RC enthusiast.

It cannot be overstated how important effective training is to success.  TV shows and movies showing RC aircraft are notorious for trivializing the hobby.  We lose too many potential RC pilots to first crash dissolution.  These are what we call the “seven second flights.”  The plane takes off and the pilot starts a turn which causes the plane to roll almost upside down.  As the nose pitches down and the orientation of the plane changes, all is lost followed by a RUD (rapid unscheduled disassembly).

The objective of training is to familiarize the student with the basic requirements necessary to operate and control an RC aircraft in a safe, responsible, and compliant manner resulting in the ability to fly unassisted.

During the flying season and weather permitting, flight training is conducted on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, from 4:00 PM to dusk.  Each training session is dependent on good flying conditions and lasts about 45 minutes.  For first time students, the initial session begins with pre-flight training consisting of learning safety protocols, basic rules and regulations, familiarization with the airfield, aircraft and transmitter, and familiarization with the auxiliary equipment needed to support the flight.  Then an actual flight occurs, and the student directly participates in flying the aircraft utilizing a buddy box system.

The buddy box system links together two transmitters, both capable of controlling the aircraft.  The instructor keeps the master transmitter, and the student has the slave transmitter.  The master transmitter can always take control over the slave transmitter at the discretion of the instructor.  During flight, the instructor gives full control to the student, and makes verbal requests to make appropriate movements, such as left, right, up, or down.

In this manner, the student gains hands-on experience in flying from the first day onward.  Future sessions are mainly flight sessions.  After about 4 sessions, the student usually has basic ability to control the aircraft.  The next sessions become takeoff and landing sessions.  After takeoffs, landings, and in-flight control is mastered, the student is presented with a certificate of achievement.

Once the student has mastered basic flight with a training aircraft, a whole new world opens to them.  Many people love to build and fly scale aircraft.  “Scale” means a plane built to resemble an actual full-size airplane.  Other people are interested in learning to do stunts which we call aerobatics.  Loops, rolls and spins are all part of that fun.  There are many other categories of flight such as helicopters, gliders, etc.

Prop Masters RC Aero Club has members with every imaginable interest.  Whether you are looking to learn aerobatics, wanting to build a specific scale plane you have always admired, or just trying to figure out what to try first or next, there is someone in the club that can help you.