some advice needed

[Rookie-G]

Hey, I've been flying for a few months now, can hover easily and move about quite well but just can't get a simple circuit going, I get half way round the circle then my heli starts going backwards, can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong?, I don't have a sim as I want to learn to do it with the helicopter rather than a simulator, more expensive I know but parts are relatively inexpensive for the heli's that I currently own.

Thanks guys.

G

[tiddler]

Ok if your heli is moving backwards it just simply means that the nose is to high. you need to put a bit more forward cyclic control in to tip the nose down a little.
I suspect you already know this but just cant get past the nerves of making the necessary control inputs when flying your actual heli
You say you don't want to use a simulator, well that's your choice BUT I would strongly recommend you do. They alow you to get the feel of how the controls work, especially through all the various orientations, side on, nose in etc. but without the fear or risk of loosing control. A good simulator is a must in my opinion.

[Brian Gifford]

Ok if your heli is moving backwards it just simply means that the nose is to high. you need to put a bit more forward cyclic control in to tip the nose down a little.
I suspect you already know this but just cant get past the nerves of making the necessary control inputs when flying your actual heli
You say you don't want to use a simulator, well that's your choice BUT I would strongly recommend you do. They alow you to get the feel of how the controls work, especially through all the various orientations, side on, nose in etc. but without the fear or risk of loosing control. A good simulator is a must in my opinion.

It'll cost you a fortune otherwise - trust me, I know!

[waveydavey]

Don't try to get a circuit going, there are pilots with plenty of experience who struggle with a circuit. Start with moving the heli to each side left and right turning the nose to the right if your going right to the left if your going left. This will start to develop a sense of the heli being in a different orientation. Once your comfortable start moving into lazy 8's. A figure of 8 in front of you with the rudder lazily following the fig 8. So still tail in but moving the tail in the general direction of travel. This will help you position and get a feel for the cyclic movements needed. It's natural to allow the heli to pitch up, you get it moving and then you back off with the cyclic. remember nice and easy. One last point it's not macho to go it alone without a simulator, the best pilots in the world use them to hone their skills. They give good perspective and reasonably realistic flights but the best thing in my opinion is it helps you develop escape moves.

[tiddler]

Another really good reason for getting a simulator, is when you crash (and you will repeatedly) One second later you have a brand new heli sitting there so you can go straight back at it and try again. Do that in the real world and it'll be days or even longer before you can have another go and then almost certainly crash it again
Plus you can fly the sim no matter what the weather is doing outside.

Putting aside the inevitable cost of repairs, the time span spent in learning the non sim way is going to take far far longer and you run the risk of loosing momentum and even worse, interest and that would never do, now would it
I too resisted buying a sim initially, thinking I could spend the money on heli parts and upgrades etc. But eventually forked out for Phoenix. I have defiantly not regretted doing so as it was probably one of the best heli investments I have ever made. Plus its great fun
I am now enjoying flying my recently purchased Thunder Tiger heli and I'm loving every minute of it. doing circuits, lazy 8's and even half decent fig 8's occasionally. Apart from one small mishap I have always brought it home in one piece.

Am I getting my point across ???

[tourerjim]

Another really good reason for getting a simulator, is when you crash (and you will repeatedly) One second later you have a brand new heli sitting there so you can go straight back at it and try again. Do that in the real world and it'll be days or even longer before you can have another go and then almost certainly crash it again
Plus you can fly the sim no matter what the weather is doing outside.

Putting aside the inevitable cost of repairs, the time span spent in learning the non sim way is going to take far far longer and you run the risk of loosing momentum and even worse, interest and that would never do, now would it
I too resisted buying a sim initially, thinking I could spend the money on heli parts and upgrades etc. But eventually forked out for Phoenix. I have defiantly not regretted doing so as it was probably one of the best heli investments I have ever made. Plus its great fun
I am now enjoying flying my recently purchased Thunder Tiger heli and I'm loving every minute of it. doing circuits, lazy 8's and even half decent fig 8's occasionally. Apart from one small mishap I have always brought it home in one piece.

Am I getting my point across ???

Looking at your collection of heli's Graham has answered it all.
Phoenix Sims is the best one to get.

[Rookie-G]

cheers guys, so is a sim really that close to flying the real thing?, the only reason I've steered clear of them is the fact that most computer simulators aren't too much like doing the activity they simulate what with latency issues, I also didn't know about the nose needing to be down so that will help a lot.

[tiddler]

cheers guys, so is a sim really that close to flying the real thing?, the only reason I've steered clear of them is the fact that most computer simulators aren't too much like doing the activity they simulate what with latency issues, I also didn't know about the nose needing to be down so that will help a lot.

Being unrealistic may be true about many of the cheaper sims (FMS for instance) but Phoenix really is extremely good and really does have the same feel of flying in the real world.
I used it to learn on, and when I came to putting my heli in the air for the first time, all the sim practice translated over to the real world and I was flying a simple circuit first time out. Albeit with a level of nervousness that you don't get in the sim.

Putting your helis nose down a little will send it forward but be aware, a single rotor heli is not like a coaxial where you hold forward input to keep your heli moving. If you do this with a single rotor it will just keep rolling forward and stuff itself into the ground. So small inputs returning the stick to centre each time.

[cyberman]

As a newbie myself I can recommend Phoenix, it's a good simulator.
I have found it useful and I'm only flying an mCX and mSR at the moment.