beginner nerves hindering progression - any advice?

[Chrisrw]

Just looking for a little advice about progress - sorry if this is a little long winded...

i started back in late October last year (msrx FP and then CP with a 130x in middle of December). Also lots of sim practice (slow Piros, and general circuits etc). I joined a club (Eynsford) at the beginning of January and started with the 130x but with the wind etc decided to get a 450x.
First few visits went well (flew 4 to 6 packs each time) and was fairly confident doing circuits and hover practice (even managed a couple of planed nose-in landings and TH tail in landings).
Then I had my first 450 crash (silly banking error probably not helped by lack of light - disc was getting hard to see clearly!). Fortunately only real damage was stripped main gear (and obliterated canopy now fixed with lots of tape).
in between the crash and the next flight I was away for 5 days (so no sim practice etc). I was aware that I felt the few days of 'no flying' had left me a little rusty but thought I'd get straight back on the horse and give it a go. Didn't get through the first battery before 'putting it in' again (this time was due to being very nervous and basically panicking). Also fair bit more damage this time (2 servos to rebuild and bent feathering shaft, stripped gear again).
So I guess my questions are does a few days away from flying really affect people's skills (maybe just because I made some progress quite quickly at the start I neeeded to keep on top of the practice?)
Also I am really nervous to get back up with the 450 again now (when I've fixed it) and I'm worried my nerves will cause me to loose it again?

On a more positive note, I flew the 130x and my mcpx lots tonight at the indoor club in Ashford and was happy doing circuits and some FF with a mixture of banked and stall turns (was getting up a fair bit of speed with the mcpx) and had a really good time (no damage either!)

Maybe I just need to try the same method I did when I fist flew the 450x (I was very nervous at first and told myself - just pretend you are flying the 130x and suddenly it didn't seem so scary!)

Anyway, would appreciate any advice or comments - I realise that I am very much at the beginner stages at this point but maybe some of you have had similar experiences?

[tomatwalden]

I'm always a little more edgy after a crash. My first "big" crash was my Blade 450-3D back in 2012 - it set me back confidence wise quite a bit. I found that mixing my flying with micros really helped. I starting a regime then that I stick to even now. I only push my boundaries on micros or small helis (300cfx these days) and the simulator. My larger helis I take it fairly easy with - only really doing new moves on them when they are second nature after nailing them on the small machines.

Just fly the micros for a bit again. Settle into it and when you fly the 450X, just do stuff that you can do blindfolded with the micros. Don't put yourself under unnecessary pressure - it's meant to be fun after all!

The confidence comes back quite quickly!

[uiron]

Few days won't put you off too far once you've got the mechanics down, but quite important at the start. I would suggest a "calm first battery" tactic. To this day, after a bigger pause of flying, I would really hold myself back on first battery of the day. Just get used to the feel of the heli, pitch pump it a bit, couple of piros, a careful flip up higher in the air. After a crash a careful flight is even more important - check that there no strange new sounds, has the heli developed any unusual behavior, etc.

My first few crashes were also pretty rough, like, soon after a repair. It'll be a good feeling when you'll realize "hey, another day I'm going back home having flown all batteries and the heli is in one piece".

[loz]

U could also try and make yr 450 as easy and cheap to rebuild as poss i.e. If u have align, futaba or hitec servos u can buy breakable servo horns that save the gears, I use them all the time and are very good, also just some hk 450 blades are fine to learn with and don't cost much to replace

[maddog7]

It's an expensive thing to do but you could change the FBL in your 450x out for something like the Spirit or Demon (Spirit is much cheaper and every bit as good) which have a rescue feature. If you can get to the switch in time, this feature sends your heli skyward to give you time to compose yourself.
Cheers
D

[myxiplx]

Yeah, when you first start a few days break, especially after a crash will make your first flights a lot harder. As you get more experienced you'll just be able to pick it up and fly anytime.

After a crash, keep yourself flying on the sim and micros, it'll keep your reflexes up to speed and will help calm your nerves. Then take it easy for the first flight, it lets you settle down, and also lets you ensure the helicopter is flying properly, always keep an eye and ear out for anything that sounds different on that first flight, just in case.

If you're really feeling nervous, don't feel you have to fly it. Land and go for a few circuits on the 130X. The more stick time you get, and the more in control you feel, the more the nerves will fade.

[Leigh Beaumont]

I always found getting straight back in the Air after a crash was better if left to long next time I flew nerves didn't help at all, it does get easier and soon you will just brush a crash off and be straight back on track.

Remember it's still early days in your flying career so crashes will affect you lots and it's part of the learning process you can have spates where you crash every flight it's not nice and can cost a small fortune but it will get better, my advice is hammer the sim loads and if after a crash you can't get back in air straight away get on the sim and nail that move that made you crash in the first place

[gazmk2]

If I haven't flown for a while, or had a bad crash, I tend to just spend the day flying my 30 size.nitros about. For the benefit of newbies a 30 size flybarred nitro is without doubt the most stable and sedate model helicopter you'll likely fly!!

I find doing this sort of "resets the system" and then the next time I'm out I'll carry on flying the 700e.

[Grumpy]

I'm lucky enough to have never (yet) had a bad crash on a heli but in years gone by I've smacked up a fair few fixed wing planes. Best option if you have another model at the field is fly again right away, failing that just as soon as possible.

It is all in the head so just try to tell yourself that it's just a toy helicopter, crashing is part of the hobby and nothing to get worked up about, easier said than done I know.

[pgkevet]

Crash phobia is a function of wallet depth and how pigged off you are rebuilding the darned thing again. Crashing is inevitable if you wish to push youself and also a function of heli fatigue. My last crash (a few days ago) was simply due to a loss of power while running a series of low aileron flips. Cause? Believe it or not one of the motor mount screws sheared and the motor moved away fom the main gear enough to strip it. Whether that could have been found on my pre-flight is moot.

Soe of us ae slow to learn. In my first year I used to fly at the field until i crashed - and if the fix was simple then rebuild and fly again. I rekon I stuffed my 450 at last 100 times that first year. Ah, I was younger and foolish and full of hope. Now I think I;d just hang the helis up and forget it if that was happeing.

[Grumpy]

Crashing is inevitable if you wish to push youself ...

Strange how there is a train of thought that if you aren't crashing you are doing something wrong, or maybe not trying hard enough. Personally I think this is a theory spread by people who crash a lot

Imagine if the world of full size aviation had the same mentality

[Leigh Beaumont]

Strange how there is a train of thought that if you aren't crashing you are doing something wrong, or maybe not trying hard enough. Personally I think this is a theory spread by people who crash a lot

Imagine if the world of full size aviation had the same mentality

What a bit like the theory all the best drivers pass 2nd time lol

[trillian]

Imagine if the world of full size aviation had the same mentality

Yeah, my guess would be many pilots would never acheive their multi-engine or instrument ratings.

I have always hated crashing and have always seen it as a sign of failure on my part (unless it's a legit malfunction that would not have been seen in a proper pre-flight). So I always work really hard to not crash.

The nerves issue is a real biatch because the anxiety and nerves can make your flying worse...and thus you end up crashing again and it's a vicious circle.

I don't have a brilliant and easy solution, for me it was just lots of stick time until I got some confidence and slowly I began to nice I had less and less moments of brief panic. The other thing that in a strange way helped me is having some helis that are really expensive where you REALLY don't want to crash. So I used to take something big and scary and bring my Trex 500 as well. After flying the big scary one the 500 was a piece of cake. I'd be so much more relaxed I could get very daring with it and surprisingly even though I took way more chances with the 500 because I used it to try new stuff, I still didn't crash, I would be relaxed and able to just fly my way out of a tough spot and not panic.

If you can get comfortable in all orientations then you should be able to get yourself out of trouble so long as you have enough height AND you can see exactly where the heli is pointing. The two biggest threats are loss of orientation from getting too far away and getting in a squirelly situation whilst being too low to recover (so for example you do a move and get in knife-edge position and then correct the wrong way and if the ground is right under you, you go in whereas if you had another 30 feet you'd have time to realise you have to move the stick the other way!).

[Planehazza]

I've been flying 6 years or so and I only really got rid of the "day's first flight nerves" about 2 years ago. Tomorrow will be my first flight in 6 months so I'll be shitting myself tomorrow morning ha.

[snowy]

Nice one Harry lets know how it goes !