Is RC Heli Hobby That Fun ???????

[eddiemoth]

I hope this thread would help some of our new pilots who see and hear people crash their helis all the time to understand why people still continue flying RC helicopters if they know that one day they will crash again.

The question is what makes this hobby unique that you all think it is worth your time and money doing it.

So this thread is intended for us to debate and of course there is no wrong or right answer, just say what comes to mind - it is your opinion.

My opinion is RC heli hobby is unique in such a way that people get satisfied when they are advanced. Advancing can be just as little as from flying with the training gear on to flying without the training gear or from tail in hover to head in hover. Each time when you can do a new skill, you are happy and excited because it is hard to do!

I've never got into a hobby and got sucked in like this hobby. I personnally think that it is the physics, dynamics and challenges of the heli itself that make people addicted and continue on flying though you know that you will crash one day.

Let's hear what you have to say.

[The Broker]

We fly because we are special people, we have to be because Heli,s demand a great deal of our time, money and to be honest they take over our lives.

There is no other hobby where there are such highs (flown our first tank/battery out ).

The first time anyone lifts off and lands safely they are hooked :D

We love our models, we protect our models, we strive to improve our models and if anyone reads this and thinks "oh yeah", well all they need do is look through this forum and they will soon find out that most of the pilots eat,sleep and live for heli,s.
As a new pilot it may seem a bit daunting but trust me before long you will be a part of the heli community and posting and chatting about your prize possesions


For those who may be looking at this forum and are undecided about buying a heli just give it a go, you don't need to buy the most expensive or biggest, I started with a co-axial, and I know it will not be your last heli.

[Sleepstalker]

What is a Heli person? Well I would say it's someone who makes things happen. They are constantly intrigued by the mechanics and challanges of a machine such as a heli , there is also the deep sense of satisfaction that comes to you as you learn new skills and solve problems.
There are three kinds of people in this world.
People that make things happen...
People that watch things happen...
And People that wonder "what happened"?
Where do you fit in?...Laterz...Sleepster... 8)

[kyuuki]

I recently got into the hobby, around 5 weeks ago.

I actually left the house to buy something else but i passsed a shop with a shiny walkera 36 in the window...

before this i had always wanted to fly and own an rc helicopter but when i was little (20 now) there were only nitro and they were way to expensive. when i was 16 i had orderd an electric of the internet but it was so bad it was only in one peice for 5 mins and i dont think i had the patience then.

But this walkera 36 intrigued me as it wasnt llike an electric i had ever seen before. so i went into the shop and got talking to the guy and left his shop with a brand new 36.

After a few flights and a crash i was hooked. but this walkera 36 wasnt enough for me, so i sold it and then went and got myself a shiny t-rex 450xl ccpm. Which i enjoyed building and finding out how it all worked (which i culd not do with the walkera)

Since then (and with alot of help from reflex xtr) I can take off, land, hover for as long as needed, from most angles. Am ok at forward flight and am now working on turning while flying forward.

For me personally it is as much repairing and tuning the heli as it is flying it when it comes to enjoyment. The search for perfection in tuning to make it fly like a dream and the continious mission to get to that next level wither it be FF or loops.

Another great aspect for me is the canopy, As im a second year graphic design student i love sprayhing my own canopys, and making the heli my own by giving it my own colour pallet. (Currently sporting an airwolf typ look with all white / black parts and a two tone airwolf style canopy with flashing / landing lights to boot.

The difference for me between say driving an rc car and piloting a heli is the challange.. anyone can drive an rc car, but nowon can just pick up and fly an rc heli.

Chris

[wa0zog]

Hmmm...

This is a fun one to respond to. I'd wanted an RC heli for years, but hadn't been able to afford one. I'd seen one in a movie when I was a kid, and was hooked from that time onward, and felt a compelling need to try to get one for myself. I guess I figured that if the kid in the movie could fly one, then I could as well.

My lucky day came one summer day about five years ago. A good friend of mine had purchased a couple of Raptor 30's as well as a couple of radios, and had had an argument with his wife about them and had needed to get rid of them quickly, so I was the lucky recipient of the "goods." I received the helis and one radio in a large moving box, in pieces. The second radio was a brand new JR PCM10X, which needed some repair, since it had some damage that he'd caused (which I later fixed). I found that one Raptor had all of the necessary parts, so assembled it, and got it ready to fly. I also started ordering parts for the second Raptor so that I could have a backup in case I crashed, which I knew would happen...after all, I knew that I couldn't just pick up the remote and fly one of these things, nobody could.

I started the one up, and tried to fly it, but it wobbled too badly to fly, but I was hooked. I started even more research into what caused the shakes, and fixed it, then found that I couldn't even afford what I HAD to have to fly that bird. I've since sold that Raptor 30 (minus the PCM 10X - I kept it for the new bird), and bought myself a TRex 450SE and a Honey Bee CP2. The Honey Bee is to learn on, the TRex is to enjoy after I can fly to some extent. It's being built with nothing but the best I can afford, as a sort of treat for taking the time to learn how to "straighten up and fly right." I'm about finished rebuilding the second Raptor, and should be selling it soon.

This is a very addictive hobby, and anyone who's flown one, tried to fly one, or even splattered their bird all over the lawn, will tell you that there's not a much more fun feeling than knowing that you've got control of that mechanical marvel that's flying around in front of you. Try it....you'll like it!

[cmaxim]

Hmmm..
My lucky day came one summer day about five years ago. A good friend of mine had purchased a couple of Raptor 30's as well as a couple of radios, and had had an argument with his wife about them and had needed to get rid of them quickly, so I was the lucky recipient of the "goods."
waozog,
I agree with you that you were so lucky to be recipient of the heli. Good for you ! Your friend's wife was smart to get rid of the heli not the husband.lollollol Oh, by the way, welcome to HeliTown.
Chinda

[wa0zog]

Oh, by the way, welcome to HeliTown.

Thanks for the welcome! I was searching for a good place to find answers and possibly locate some additional information, and this seemed like another good resource. Plus, the people here seemed like they had not only good information, but good humor as well, which fits with my style as well. I think I'm going to like it here. 8)
--Mike

[The Broker]

Welcome wa0zog 8-) or can I call you mike :D
Glad to see you on the forum we are a nice bunch and don't bite .....well not normally anyway lol
Sue

[Racerx]

So I didn't lol so far it has been a challenge and it deserved great respect to the hobby and the guys that have been doing this a long time, I think you need to be Patience and have time to contribute or els you will give up on it, I alway like a good challenge, When I started a gaming clan for the PC Game Halo, I had no knowgle of web site building or anything, I can do where ever I need to do know with the gaming servers and web site I not good but I can get by,
It better to try nd fail then to never try at all is what I always say :D

[cmaxim]

So I didn't lol so far it has been a challenge and it deserved great respect to the hobby and the guys that have been doing this a long time.
It better to try nd fail then to never try at all is what I always say :D
Racerx,
It is so true that better to try and fail than to never try. I tried my Blade CX2 and fail to land safely. Look this what I got.

http://www.rchelicoptertown.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=428&d=1166381860

http://www.helitown.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10009/Chinda_013_714x535.jpg
After trying for awhile, look can fly without the training gear. Now I move on to TREX450 with the training gear on again. I will take it slow this time because I can't afford to fail my new TREX450.
Chinda

[Eagle513]

This has been a great hobby. I have had much time on my hands recently and thought that it would be great to try something new that would take up a little thought time. This has been great for it. I am a bit spontanious at times and after seeing a T Rex 450 SA frame at the hobby shop where I bought Nitro car parts I thought, gee that would be fun. So I went home watched some videos of the little rex doing ridiculous stuff in the air and decided yep, that will work. So with out know anything about what I was doing or what I needed I went back and bought the All most ready to fly lying box. I bought the DX6 also and went home to put it together.

For something so absolutley frustrating when you haven't a clue what you are doing, it felt so good to get it to spin up and not have the blades fly off.

That's what it is all about that feeling you get when you get it light on the skids or do something completley new for the first time.

That was enough for me, I had enough, I sold my nitro cars and all spares everything just so I could fly. It doesn't take much, then you are hooked.

Now that I actually know what I have got myself into I love to share it. I like the looks you get when you take it out and lift of. People stop what they are doing and have a sincere interest in what you are working with.

This is not your average hobby yet, everyone wants to know. So I am more than happy to share.

[wa0zog]

Welcome wa0zog 8-) or can I call you mike :D

Sue,
You can call me almost anything, as long as it's not late for dinner. lol I do think I'll like it around here, though. I'm enjoying the hobby, as I figured I would. I've always enjoyed everything else radio-controlled I've owned (still have a bunch of it...at least the good stuff), so didn't see why this should be any different. As long as I can keep the helis in the air, I'll be in good shape. Thanks again to everyone for the warm welcome!
--Mike

[cmaxim]

Sue,
You can call me almost anything, as long as it's not late for dinner. lol I do think I'll like it around here, though. I'm enjoying the hobby, as I figured I would. I've always enjoyed everything else radio-controlled I've owned (still have a bunch of it...at least the good stuff), so didn't see why this should be any different. As long as I can keep the helis in the air, I'll be in good shape. Thanks again to everyone for the warm welcome!
--Mike
Mike,
How did Sue come up with this name for waozog ? Sue you did a great job. Warm welcome is just the beginning Mike. Wait until you know us better, you will have fun.:):)
Chinda

[The Broker]

Sue,
You can call me almost anything, as long as it's not late for dinner

Mike I would never call you late for dinner cos if you lived with me you would be getting your OWN dinner ready, I don't pamper men its against my principles lol lol lol lol

[eddiemoth]

I don't pamper men its against my principles.

Hi Sue, come on admit it. I know you do to Martin in your heart. :)

[ranger306ci]

I do this, because I feel I am doing my part to help the Chinese economy out!
Really, my buddy got me into this.
We both bought nitro trucks acouple of years ago, and had a blast( still do)
Then, we started talking about planes. He descided a plane was not for him, because he did not have a good area to fly in. So, he started looking into helis, and we ended up buying some. I went with a fp2 and a cp2, and he went with a trex450se, and a falcon3d. He has yet to fly either one, btw.
That was in november.
Now, I have 2 fp2 moths, a compy300, and a king2. I spend ALL of my extra time and money on these little monsters. I can't get enough. When you have a good flight, it is so awesome. When you don't, it can be really vexing. I love to tinker, so this is a perfect hobby. It is also good, because I am obsessive/compulsive.( makes me a good nuclear operator) This hobby is not one for shortcuts.
We also got into electric trucks this summer, that is fun too, but not near as fun as helis.
Due to my mental condition, when I get into something, I go into the deep end for about 4 years, before dropping that for something else. I will eat, breath, and sleep my current obsession. My wife says that the helis are the worst I have been. Is there a cure for me? I hope not!;)

[atonydins]

mine started about 20 years ago when for queen and country I had to fly in real helicopters, Puma,lynx and chinook, and when flying tactical inside one it was better than a roller coaster and free. even now the sound of a rotary wing aircraft makes smile, so trying to emulate the highs with a model brings back memories and a willingness to learn just how good those guys in the Royal Air Force are. wish I could fly as well as I could shoot.

[atonydins]

My EX
partner even had trouble turning on the flight sim, let alone what it did !
this is not a dig at females we all learn what we want to learn. As lenny said "I want to fly away I want fly away"

[f18mech]

I havent flown yet but am looking forward to starting one up. i have 1st on order King v2. My interest is both mechanical as well as flying. The newest versions of the CCPM models are quite similar to the bell 206s that I work with now as far as the flight control systems. I will love the thrill of getting the machine to fly as well as sharing the experience with others. I have already gained alot of knowledge from this website and Heliotwn in general.

[Mysterious]

the challenge of mastering it is fun