Learning to fly a Helicopter

 “Beginning Forward Flight”

All flights begin and end in a hover –

This article presumes that you have your helicopter trimmed and checked out and that you have performed enough hovering in all attitudes to become proficient at lifting off and you feel that you have coordinated control in all positions.

 Have you had time to spend on a flight simulator and try some forward flight? 

 Left and Right / Back and Forth

• Pick up into a comfortable hover and then move the helicopter back and forth and from left to right tail in.  Try and maintain a constant controlled speed and altitude, predicting where you want the ship to stop.  When you feel comfortable moving left and right and forward and aft, you can then rotate the aircraft for different perspectives.

 M and M’s / Figure Eights

• Doing these are just a more controlled circuit to get used to putting the helicopter where you want it and gaining more finesse and smoothness on the sticks.  Figure eights will get you thinking about the aircraft coming at you from left and then right with the controls reversed as its nose-in.

 Take your time and learn these and other attitudes before placing the model higher and farther away.  When you are ready to climb out and make larger figure eights or simply a pattern around the field, a good grasp of these skills will allow you to save your helicopter when you start speeding up.

Be patient – have fun – ask for help :-) 

Next article will talk about preparing for your first 3D. 

Ron Keith