Sitting in the plane or not ?

[Alan Hewson]

It's time for my $0.02 Canadian worth. (That's about $0.01 USD)
I never felt I was a competent (or safe) pilot until I could put my mind in the cockpit of the plane I was flying. My friend who taught me to fly kept telling me just to create a mind link with the plane. I have vivid memories of the flight when I realized I had done that. It was the middle of my third season of flying......It was late in the evening.....flying a trainer.....and doing repetitive "touch and goes".
Many years later, Harry Ells will still tell me that I need to practice which direction to use the rudder so this is not the way I will become the perfect pilot. Maybe I need a little more practice.
The other thing that contributed to my flying ability was when Steve Miller told me the secret to his amazing slow rolls. He told me he just uses a little aileron to roll and then just gives the plane whatever input the plane needs to keep it on a straight line. This eliminates thinking about wind corrections. I found this works for most maneuvers.
I still keep my mind in the plane.
How???? I don't know. I think Bob P is right........lots of flights.
Have fun burning fuel.

Alan Hewson
Buried in snow too.


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Xavier Mouraux 
  To: discussion at nsrca.org 
  Sent: Saturday, February 07, 2004 8:49 PM
  Subject: Sitting in the plane or not ?


  Hello again,

  I was reading Don Lowe's column in RCM and was surprised at his recommandation to beginners RC pilots: "establish yourself as in the cockpit ... and then the control motions required never change".

  I havn't flown outside for a few month now so I can't try to verify what I do. I am asking you guys who may have notice it before. Do you fly like you are sitting in the airplane or you look at the plane and move the sticks automatically ?

  Another question related to flying: Were do you look when you pilot an RC plane ?
  a) The plane in general
  b) The nose of the plane
  c) The tail of the plane
  d) Some distance in front of the plane (were you want it to go) 

  Thanks 

  Xavier

  note: I have not been in this hobby for very long so I don't know everybody's history. If someone could give me a small resume of Don Lowe, I will appreciate.
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