Orientation

[Bunter]

Hi folks

The training gear is off the Mini Titan (landing is so much easier without it - no bouncing & I even I did an auto from about 1 ft high!). I'm trying to fly lazy 8s with a view to taking the BMFA "A" certificate in due course.

I've noticed several times, even at close range, a tendency to become confused as to the heli's orientation. Are there any tips on how to avoid getting, for want of a better word, disorientated. I used to fly a plank years ago and I put some dayglo spots on the wings to help. But it is happening at quite close ranges so I'm wondering whether it's because I'm focussing on part of the heli that isn't conducive to getting the orientation information I need? Like the rotor disk? I dunno, any ideas are welcome here.

Also if anyone has good canopy paint schemes that could help with this I'd greatly appreciate some pictures or descriptions.

Cheers and safe flying.

Bill

[jimbob]

I find it useful to look at different parts of the heli at different times.
When I'm doing fast turns Up high I'm looking at the disk.
When i'm doing stuff under the horizon thats harder and I tend to look at the body, the skids and the tailboom at different moments.
Try not to keep you eyes glued to one part of the model, and look at the whole thing.

[LipolyGone]

Sorry Bunter there are no quick fixes for orientation problems.
The eye needs to be trained & the only way this can happen is to get out there as often as you can & fly.
You need to put the heli in all the different orientations & just fly through your doubts. If your doing a left to right turn & you think that looks like it's going the wrong way think back to what way you just exited the turn & then just let the heli fly through it. Whats happening is your questioning something you already know is incorrect.
Try flying a little higher & try not to concentrate on any single part of the helicopter some do watch the skids others watch the blades but as certain people have told me you will confuse yourself if you look too closely at anyone part because as the view changes it will look like its going away when actualy its coming towards you.
Just need to get lots of stick time in & this annoying orrientation thing does quickly go away.
Best of luck.
Martin

[AndersUK]

Unfortunately this is likely to be more of a confidence thing than orientation. When I was learning I tried all kinds of bright colours etc until I realised it was really down to my confidence and ability. Only in poor light conditions and/or flying far away from myself does the bright colours come in to play.

Make sure you do not focus on any one part of the heli! Focus on the heli and as a whole and the relationship (orientation) with its surroundings, particularly the ground.

It also appears to me that you now need to learn side on hover. This will progress your lazy eights MUCH faster.

Hi folks

The training gear is off the Mini Titan (landing is so much easier without it - no bouncing & I even I did an auto from about 1 ft high!). I'm trying to fly lazy 8s with a view to taking the BMFA "A" certificate in due course.

I've noticed several times, even at close range, a tendency to become confused as to the heli's orientation. Are there any tips on how to avoid getting, for want of a better word, disorientated. I used to fly a plank years ago and I put some dayglo spots on the wings to help. But it is happening at quite close ranges so I'm wondering whether it's because I'm focussing on part of the heli that isn't conducive to getting the orientation information I need? Like the rotor disk? I dunno, any ideas are welcome here.

Also if anyone has good canopy paint schemes that could help with this I'd greatly appreciate some pictures or descriptions.

Cheers and safe flying.

Bill

[moyesboy]

There oyu are flying a nice turn round at one end of the lazy 8 and WTF it looks like the heli is gongthe wrong way, but hey! no it isn't its OK - phew that was close

your eyes will fool you becuase you are not yet confident about whaich way the heli is going and you are stressed thatyou might get it wrong. As said above, have some confidence that the heli is not suddenly changing direction on you without you moving the sticks (its not got a walkera gyro has it!) and just fly the heli with the expectation that its going the way you are sending it - and your eyes will stop fooling you.
Sim time helps too, as you get used to the shape of the model from different angles and how it looks as it does the manoevre, this stops your eyes from being fooled into thinking something strange is happening.

[Rotorhead]

Heres the way I teach it.

When tail in, look at the nose, rudder turns the nose, not the tail, and counter drift by pushing the opposite way on the cyclic, eg if its drifting to the left, push right cyclic.

When nose in, look at the tail, rudder turns the tail, not the nose, and counter drift by pushing the same way on the cyclic, eg if its drifting to left, push left cyclic.

Simple and it works.

The side orientations are harder because there is no easy way to think of it like the above in your head, the easiest way to learn it is to hover sideways with the heli actually off to your side, so it saligned with your shoulders, with your head turned towards it.

That makes the controls the same as if just tail in, but gets you used to looking at the model in a side on orientation, gradually as you get used to it, you will have the model more out in front of you, still side on, and your head turned less to either side.

[jamiem]

there is no substitute for stick time! just practice practice practice. eventually you will find that you are constantly using different points of the heli for reference, and this combined with your confidence for knowing where the heli "should" be pointing will leave you pretty much sorted

[Bunter]

Consider yourselves all thanked!! It's nice to know that most people go through the same problems.

Like most things I've tried doing (on and off road motorcycling and skiing spring to mind) being relaxed = being confident and it makes everything so much easier, and I'm not relaxed or confident with it in forward flight yet. When you aren't relaxed on a bike or skiing you automatically tend to focus on a very small area in front of you, making you reactive rather than proactive and making everything feel much faster than it actually is. It's the same with the heli, I'm too focussed on it and can't see its forward speed it in the context of the whole sky or ground, so it appears worryingly quick.

Side on hovering is coming together although I'm alot better with its nose pointing left compared to pointing right.

When practising lazy 8s should I practice with turns at the ends that are towards me as well as turns away from me?

Thanks again all

Bill

[jamiem]

for now id just practice the lazy 8's one way, get them nailed then you can start to learn them the other way. it worked for me!

[moyesboy]

lazy 8s with the turns going away from you at each end.
going the other way the heli is much more likely to get out of position behind you if you hesitate or put the stick the wrong way.

With this lazy 8 you turn the heli round toward you and all you have to do is wait for the heli to fly past to become tail in again. So it is a gradual introduction to flying toward you. Then you make the turns go further until the heli really does pass through full nose in at the crossing point, and its a correct 8 rather than a lazy 8.