A long time coming

[waveydavey]

Oh you don't have to name and shame the club, I'll name it for you. Tyrone is a new member of MK Heli and was given the same advice as all new/fledgling pilots. Our site is very open with a prevailing Westerly, a 450 in the hands of a newcomer is just too much hard work for the pilot and the guy teaching, whether that's buddy box or accompanied. Granted you can learn to fly with one and a lot do, but coupled with our approach to tuition and the near constant wind a 450 just isn't suitable, not in the beginning anyway.

We take around 6 new members or so every year through the same routine : BMFA safety pre flight checks, landing gear, accompanied flights, competency certificate and then solo un-assisted flight. This has worked for our main tutor, and more importantly the new members/pilots for a number of years. Standing next to someone with a 600,wind blowing in your face telling them to add forward elevator because the heli is on a backward slide is not for the faint hearted, so a 450 being blown about in the same instance is an accident waiting to happen.

Hope you understand a little better now, and welcome to the club Tyrone be nice to take you for your safety cert with your 600

[tyjudd]

Guys this does seem to have gone off in a direction that was not intended, my original post was to explain the time scale that its taken to get in the air, the club has been supporting and and members helpful and i had the reasons explained for not being allowed to fly the 450 straight off, and agreed with them. I have no gripe with this process.

[scuba steve]

tyjudd had to comply with his chosen clubs policy for new flyers....it does seem strict (ok maybe snobbish and a little elitist) to us but he obviously had no choice. i had all that when i joined my club, they just laughed at my 450 Pro and called it a toy....apparently a 600 nitro or Raptor 50 was the only option and it had to be nitro. i ignored the nitro but eventually saw sense and got myself a 550....the seasoned club members had it right on the size front. welcome to the hobby tyjudd.....there's no turning back now

[Cuppa]

Koolio nice one i started on a TT mini titon e325 (now a Cobra)like this
cheers cuppa.

[tyjudd]

I can only say it again, the club has not come across as elitist or snobbish I have been very well looked after, and the advice and help spot on. Many members have a number of machines, most seem to have 450s and 600 and I've seen 250s there amougst others, but due to the windy conditions I've seen a couple of 450s go in hard so unstandably sometimes people opt for their larger machine.