FSA Flight Training Program

It's Free and It's on Tuesday Evenings

Learning to fly a radio controlled airplane is hard at first. Ask almost anyone who has tried to fly on his or her own and they will usually tell you how they crashed shortly after take off. Just as 'real' pilots need to be trained, so do radio control airplane & helicopter pilots.

That's where the good news begins, as FSA's Flight Training Program is designed for you to successfully learn to fly your radio controlled airplane. You first learn to fly straight and level, progress to making turns and banks, progress to take offs, then finally some landings. Perhaps you'll learn to loop or roll your airplane, too. Right after that you can be soloed. How long it takes varies from person to person, but count on at least a few months of Tuesdays to perhaps the whole flying season. There's no need to rush, however, enjoy the learning experience. Our instructor pilots tailor their training to match your skill level.

Along the way, you'll also learn about radio control safety procedures, about how an airplane flies, how to tune your engine, provided you are using a 'gas' motor and not an electric powered airplane, and about your radio. You'll also develop some good friendships with your instructor pilots and with other FSA club members.

We want you to succeed!

FSA's Airplane Flight Training Program is free and is offered to all FSA club members. Flight training is conducted every Tuesday afternoon or evening from the first Tuesday in April through the last Tuesday in October, as weather permits. Our flight instructors usually start showing up at the field, Konterra Model Air Park, around 5:00 pm; flight instruction usually continues until a little after sunset.

If you are a club member interested in training or a prospective member wanting to learn more about the training program, please stop by the field and see us.

We offer limited helicopter training on an appointment basis, contact Rob Clark at rotorheadbob AT mac DOT com to make your appointment. Helicopter training days are Saturdays & Sundays.

Note: You must be a current member of Freestate Aeromodelers and be a member of the Academy of Model Aeronautics in order to participate in the FSA Flight Training Program.

Getting Started

Remember, all of FSA's instructor pilots are volunteers. Please respect the fact they are giving their time to you so that you can learn to fly. In addition to teaching you to fly, they are also teaching you important safety procedures & guidelines of the hobby. These safety procedures and guidelines will stay with you long after you have forgotten about your trainer airplane. Please be patient with our instructor pilots and listen to their advice.

All airplane flight instruction is carried out using a "buddy box", that is a dummy transmitter box that connects to the instructor pilot's transmitter via a trainer cord. The buddy box allows the instructor pilot to take over and fly the airplane whenever the student pilot makes a mistake with a simple flick of a switch on the instructor's transmitter. Some instructor pilot's have a buddy box that may be used for flight instruction, however it is customary that the student pilot buy his own buddy box and cable. Having a buddy box and trainer cord means that you don't have to share a buddy box or rely on the instructor pilot to have one you can use.

Another advantage to owning your own buddy box is that it will always be set up correctly for your airplane. This means more time flying and less setup time at the field. Additionall, buddy box transmitters don't go out of style like high end electronics so they are easy to sell to new pilots once you are finished with it.

Flight instruction is to be carried out only by approved instructor pilots. Once you have completed your flight training program you will be considered a "soloed" pilot and will be allowed to fly without an instructor. Only a senior flight instructor can "solo" a student pilot.

Until you have become a "soloed" pilot you are not allowed to fly your plane at the FSA club without the aid of an approved flight instructor. In this case "fly your plane" includes driving the plane on the ground (taxiing the plane on the runway) anywhere on the FSA club grounds.

Safety is our number one goal so please abide by our rules so we all can enjoy the flight training experience.

Equipment Needed to Participate in FSA's Flight Training Program

To get started, a student pilot needs a basic trainer airplane, complete with engine, radio, and some basic support equipment and supplies such as fuel, spare propellers, etc.

There are a variety of options available for basic trainer aircraft. They include:

"Ready-To-Fly" (RTF) packages that include the airplane, engine, and radio already mounted and nearly ready to go, such as the Hanger 9 Alpha .60 and Alpha .40. A few hours of assembly and some time to charge the batteries, and fuel up the airplane is all that is required to be ready for flight training.

"Almost-Ready-to-Fly" (ARF) airplanes require more assembly work than RTF planes, and the engine and radio usually need to purchased separately, and installed in the airframe.

Kit airplanes require building the airplane from wood parts, covering the finished model, and finally, installing the engine & radio gear. Kits take longer to build, however, the owner will be well familiar with the internals working of the airplane, and repairs will be easier in the future.

Most trainers are classified as 40 size. That means that the engine powering the trainer is in the .40-.46 cubic inch range. This size is most common because it gives a good balance between airplane size, flying qualities, ease of transport, and cost.

There are larger and smaller trainers available. Larger trainers are usually a little more expensive, but they usually fly a little better and are easier to see in the air.

Some trainers that have proven to be good performers with the FSA flight instructors are listed below.

    Some trainer planes to avoid
  • Hanger 9 P51 Mustang PTS trainer; this would be a great second plane for people wanting to fly war birds.
  • Hanger 9 F-22 Raptor PTS trainer; again, this would be a great second plane.
What You Need to Bring on Training Days
  • Trainer airplane, see above
  • Radio, buddy box and training cord
  • Fuel
  • Fuel pump, manual or electric
  • Electric starter and starter battery, or chicken stick to start the engine
  • Remote glow plug igniter, or glow plug clip and battery
  • Spare propellers
  • Spare glow plugs
  • Basic hand tools, screw drivers, propeller wrench, etc.
  • Cheap count-down timer to time your flights

Thats about it. We know this is complex, so if you have questions or don't understand any of the terminology used above please stop by the field some spring or summer Tuesday evening and we will be glad to show you what to purchase and explain anything and everything to you in more detail. Have fun and fly safely!