How long does it take you to get used to a new Heli?

[alex]

I'm loving my new Trex 500, still playing with set up and it's only my second CP heli, but still loving it- it feels big, it makes a good noise, it has presence and it's SHINY :P

At present, I am still at the crap myself, dumb thumb, mind freeze, I don;t want to crash yet, feel like I'm starting all over again. I cannot find the confidence I had on my Innovator yet and am having to revert to basics.

Not sure how long it will take me to get in the groove, but wondered if everyone else has the same thoughts or just dives straight in

edit- damm- tried putting a funny poll with this, but had too many characters :P

[xygax]

Dive in ... Use a SIM... it will click sooner or later... just one thing to note the older you get the harder it is....

STeve

[pgkevet]

I'm loving my new Trex 500, still playing with set up and it's only my second CP heli, but still loving it- it feels big, it makes a good noise, it has presence and it's SHINY :P

At present, I am still at the crap myself, dumb thumb, mind freeze, I don;t want to crash yet, feel like I'm starting all over again. I cannot find the confidence I had on my Innovator yet and am having to revert to basics.

Not sure how long it will take me to get in the groove, but wondered if everyone else has the same thoughts or just dives straight in

Don't feel pressured. I go through phases of pussy-flying..either after a couple of crashes or just those lower confidence days. The whole point is to enjoy and not stress..and get some fresh air. Sooner or laer the next phase grips ya and it's sim time followed by slowly working up the next move time..

[challis349]

I've been told by many also to get some height with the heli, that way if you get into trouble, you have longer to react, flick the tail round back to you so your back to a comfortable place that your happy with again, I suppose the down side is that if you can't get it back, the crash maybe worse, although being a newbie, what do I know really??

Just the advice I have been given

[alex]

I think it is also getting used to some new pitch settings and a lot more negative pitch, plus trying to fly on idle up which I love- it's coming, but reallytaking a lot of playing with settings on the Tx, and getting used to the sheer presence and response of this heli- it's my first proper grown up one :P

I'm also still playing with the trim and the battery positions. One thing I love is thinking "ooh- close to the ground" and giving it some more positive pitch- moves like is has been stung lol.

Stick time- that is the key

[chris jones2.4]

phoenix time alex

[mark_w]

Just fly it as you feel comfortable. With more stick time you will get more confedence.

Or like me, eventually you will get board hovering a new heli and just go for it!!

[moonmanflyer]

Something that gets easier in time, hard in the early years, to fly a new heli, but now after nearly 3 years of flying i can fly a heli for the first time and quite happly put it through my normal routeen straight off.

[squeaky pete]

How long does it take you to get used to a new Heli?

Its just sheer practice dude, eventually everything will click, but eventually ur just click and what seems so hard now just seems naturaul, try and stick to one model when ur learning as all helis hav different handling, so ur end up getting used to the 500, then changing and it will be like learning again, but as james said, once ur confident u can give it a large portion on any heli 1st flight once ur good enuff

[alex]

Nice point Pete- I tried flying the Innovator in between 500 batteries and it was very hard to switch- good reason to buy more batteries I feel )

[glen_j]

it's always better after the first crash you're not so worried about crashing it anymore

as said it'll become easier the more you fly it, some folks get used to a heli very quickly others take a while

[alioth]

I've been told by many also to get some height with the heli, that way if you get into trouble, you have longer to react, flick the tail round back to you so your back to a comfortable place that your happy with again

A friend of mine who flies planks says "stay two mistakes high" (at least, that's what he was anxiously repeating at me while I was flying one of his planks :-))

With a bigger heli it's easier, you can keep it higher and still see what it's doing.

[sacko]

it's always better after the first crash you're not so worried about crashing it anymore

Definitely.. I know my Pro far too well now

[stumpe]

Alex

Just do whatever you feel is right for you, i started off 16 months ago and told myself i would have my B certf within a year (yeah right).

16 months on and things have just started to finally click in the last month as i just did not like the sim for over a year, but as i dont get much real stick time lately i have found myself using the sim more.

I am buidling up the nu*s to go fly my 500 and actually do something apart from just hovering around, which on the sim i am great at as well as fff, loops, inverted, tic tocs, stall turns etc.

I am rebuilding my 450 to see if i can use this to gain a bit more confindence before i use the new 500, that way i am not bothered if i crash the 450.

Just take your time is the best advice i can give, and have a few spares handy just in case

Lee

[pgkevet]

A friend of mine who flies planks says "stay two mistakes high" (at least, that's what he was anxiously repeating at me while I was flying one of his planks :-))

With a bigger heli it's easier, you can keep it higher and still see what it's doing.

Even with the big heli's my reaction time means two mistakes high it's hard to see and more likely to go in

I like to fly at comfortable head/neck position, downwind so if I duff it it's likely going to go away rather than at me and with sky behind and not into the sun... the ideal we all want and can't always get..

I've got serious respect for these things after once fkying a 450 into myself as a newbie and the bent finger acts as a permenant reminder to be careful..and with a heavy gasser on big blades or my 700 I ain't taking chances.

I'm not even happy if ace fliers scream a take-off anywhere within 'mechanical-failure-and-it-might-just-make-it-towards-me' distance