Almost ten years ago for me (helicopters, maybe nineteen for fixed
wing). Boy! that does bring back memories. All good of course. Wait
'til you do a 180 auto from 100' AGL (well it seamed like only a
hundred feet to me, I'm sure it was much more). That's alot of fun
and exciting.

Bryan "The Monk" Craisone

"Steve R." wrote in message ...
"Beav" wrote in message
...


Kev, did your instructor put you in front of a "magnetic" tie down when
you
first stated hovering? Mine did (at least I convinced myself it was
magnetic:-)) No amount of back stick seemed to stop the (concrete) tie
down
from sliding under the belly. I was mesmerised by the thing and it wasn't
until Kurt told me to look WAY past it that it stayed where it was
supposed
to.

Beav


Man, does "that" bring back memories! My first attempts to hover a full
size went like this:

1. Instructor picks her up into a stable hover.

2. I take the controls and it's Steve over controls once, Steve over
controls twice, Steve over controls three times....... (picture the
helicopter 20 feet in the air with the tail boom at a 20 degree down
angle!!! :-o )

3. Instructors calls "MINE!" and we're back in a stable hover again!

4. I take the controls again and repeat step #2 with the exception that the
helicopter is now a some "other" oddball angle.

5. Instructor repeats step #3.

After the third rendition of this little dance, the instructor asks me
"where" I'm looking. I say, "Why, right outside that little window!" (or
something to that effect) He says, "Try looking out toward the horizon."

Damn, what a difference that makes. I was actually keeping it on top of
that 20 foot diameter helipad. What a rush! :-D The thing of it was,
because of my RC experience, I knew exactly what I was doing wrong. I just
couldn't seem to do anything about it. It "is" the definition of
"frustration." I actually thought that it wouldn't be that big a deal
because of my RC experience. WRONG! ;-) I just wish I could afford to go
through the full program. Maybe some day!

Fly Safe,
Steve R.