The First Time Airplane Buyer

For most people buying their first airplane can be ranked in conjunction with buying your dream home, getting married or name any other significant event in your life. Buying your first airplane means the completion of a dream. One of the greatest highlights of my career is seeing a first time buyer act like a 6 year old on Christmas morning when I hand him or her keys to their new airplane.

The thought of purchasing an airplane can seem daunting. After all, only 1 in 100 people in the U.S. have a pilots license, much less own an airplane. For those looking for an adventure to a far off land, a 100 dollar hamburger or a business tool to be more productive, rest assured that purchasing an airplane isn't rocket science, it's "plane science" which is a whole lot easier so lets begin.

This article will present a step by step process to make your dream come true. Step number 1; make sure your spouse or significant other is on board. I firmly believe that this is the biggest dream killer. If you pass step one (lucky you), then step two is to take inventory of what you are looking to accomplish. What is your mission? Is it to take your wife and kids on a 100 mile trip to the coast on a sunny day or do you often find yourself needing to be in a business meeting three states away and the weather is usually marginal? Here is the key, purchase the airplane that meets your mission at least 80% of the time. Don't by a six place airplane if 90% of the time it is just you and your wife flying. The extra gas, aircraft cost, insurance, and maintenance of purchasing the extra seats you won't be using will more than pay for the rentals of the times when you do need the extra seat. The same can be said for buying an airplane to fly you from New York to Florida twice a year. If you are a low time or student pilot, call an aircraft insurance agent to help determine what airplanes you can safely fly. If you are just learning to fly, don't expect to be flying a King Air any time soon.

Along with determining your mission, determine how much a year you are willing to set aside for an airplane. The purchase price is just one piece of the pie. You will have to do research and find out how much a hangar or tie-down costs at your local airport as well as fuel and shop rates for oil changes and annuals. If you plan on buying a used airplane, set aside money for unscheduled repair bills, and a pre-buy inspection. A good rule of thumb that I have heard from mechanics is budget the price of the annual to cover the unscheduled repair bills. Also, the monthly cost to keep all available subscriptions on a glass cockpit is often overlooked and can run over 100 dollars month. Don't forget that if you keep your airplane for a long time, you will have to eventually pay for an engine overhaul.

Now that you have determined your mission and know how many premium Starbucks coffees you must forgo to afford your next love (I mean airplane), it is time to begin the search process. A great place to gather information is by attending large aircraft expos such as Oshkosh or Sun N Fun. It never hurts to ask around the local FBO or spend some quality time on the internet searching airplanes. Asking an aircraft broker or sales representative would result in several airplanes to meet your mission and price. 

With several different airplanes in mind, the next step is to determine the most important features you want in an airplane? The honest truth is that there is no ideal airplane for everyone that has everything. Each airplane has its strengths and weakness. I recommend rank ordering what strengths you think your ideal airplane should have. A few ideas include: safety record, speed, avionics, payload, cabin comfort, visibility, range, efficiency, cost of maintenance, etc. I would like to expound on these a bit. First, safety record. Airplanes are safe, just some have a better safety record than others. The best way to research a specific airplane is to visit the NTSB website at http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/query.asp and do a search on the airplanes you are interested in. Comparing the avionics panel is like comparing a house with a pool to a house without one, it makes a big difference. Airplanes with glass panels are in demand and offer a higher resale value than non-glass equipped airplanes; they also command a higher price. Airplanes with a Garmin 430 or 530 GPS are more desirable than Loran equipped airplanes or no GPS at all. I hate to admit this but it is true, almost any GPS other than a 430 or 530 is almost undesirable in today's market. If you are a recreational flyer going to the beach, a Garmin G1000 might be overkill, whereas flying with a Garmin G1000 cross county on an IFR plan might be quite useful. The cost of maintenance could be found by contacting a sales representative or asking another owner of the airplane that interests you. Speed, payload and range can be found on the manufacturers' website or a write up in an aviation magazine. For cabin comfort and visibility, you will most likely have to wait until the demo flight.

By now, you should be down to just two or three models that fit your mission, piloting skill level, price, and features. Before you start dialing for demo flights, you may want to make sure your bank is OK with you buying an airplane. Companies such as Dorr Aviation, Airfleet Capital or AOPA can help you secure financing. Even during this economic downturn, there is plenty of money that banks are willing to lend to someone who qualifies. Plan on putting 15-20% down. Banks are usually willing to lend upwards of 20 years and aircraft financing rates are very favorable at the time of this writing. Once you are preapproved, you won't have any more doubt and you will be in a much stronger position to make an offer on your next airplane. On a side note, if you don't qualify for the airplane you are considering, getting into a partnership may be an alternative; (however, I will save partnerships for another topic on another day.)

One additional question that I often hear is should I buy new or pre-owned? Books can be written about new verses used so for the purpose of this article and as a general rule of thumb, if you can go new as a first time buyer, then do it. It will save you headaches when it comes to repairs and having an airplane warranty is nice to have. Buying new can also help with your taxes. The downside of buying new is being prepared to take a depreciation hit when it comes time to sell or trade in.

Finally, if you are looking for a new airplane, give your local sales representative a call and schedule a demo flight. If you go used, you may have to do some dialing and schedule several different visits to find your next Christmas present.

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Beginning To Fly RC Planes

Remote control flying can be great fun for the entire family, who can spend an afternoon in the park watching your plane take off and land, while you control it from the ground. There is plenty of option available in the market, if you are planning to buy your own RC plane. You need to study a little about remote control flying, before you decide to choose a plane. Depending on whether you want to build your model plane from scratch or if you want to buy a ready to fly kit, you need to go through the guidelines and choose one that would meet your requirements. Learning to fly a RC plane needs a lot of practice and perseverance and it is best to choose a model that is easy to fly and has the stability for a smooth flight. The nitro model super trainer, which is made of balsa wood, gives a wider wingspan. Its flight characteristics make it easier to fly and controls are easy to handle.

As a beginner, you need to first paint your model with a bright color to keep track of it in the sky. There are plenty of models available, which are inexpensive and give you the same excitement as other more complicated models. The ready to fly model kits can be easy to assemble for someone who has little time on hand. You would also need a radio control and servos to control your plane, when flying. You need to get familiar with the basics of flight controls. Initially, you need to learn how an airplane flies.

The wings of the plane play an important part in its flight. It helps it to take off and maneuver, when in the air. So, the position of the wings is important for flying your airplane. Depending on the direction, you tilt the wings of the airplane, which will turn in the same direction, while you hold the control stick in the neutral position. Low wing aerobatic planes are for the more experienced fliers, as it needs proper control and handling. Park gliders and slow fliers with electric motors are easier for a beginner.

You need to ensure your preflight check is in order, before you take off. The balance of the plane must be taken care of and use required weights, if needed. Make sure that the wing is not warped to ensure a steady flight, but an intended warp near the tips of each wing is necessary to make the plane stall straight without tilting. When flying for the first time, it is better to have a lot of open space and make sure you take off and land with the help of the wind. Try maneuvering only, when the plane has gained considerable height. Turning when the plane is low is to be avoided. Just let the plane glide to a halt.

You can begin to soar high with your RC plane once you have mastered the technique with the first flight. It will also be your first step to greater and faster flying experiences.

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Checkpoints Before Each RC Plane Flying Experience

As much as we'd all like to fly our model RC planes wherever and whenever we like, in practice, and for a number of reasons, it's not a good idea. The main reason is, of course, for the safety of people and animals in the area, but we also need to be watchful for ourselves and the aiRCraft, so be aware of roads and overhead cables, especially power ones.

Pre-flight Checks

Prior to the actual takeoff, it's wise to double check the plane itself, starting by making sure there are no lose parts - you certainly don't want things to fall off.

                                                   If the plane has any visible screws, ensure these are tightened;
                                                if the body is a snap together, make sure its fully clicked into place;
                                        if the motor has a propeller, be sure it's correctly attached and not broken.
                                                  And the most obvious step, make sure your RC plane is fueled up.

For nitro planes this means filling up with gas, while for electric it's simply a matter of being sure you have fully charged batteries.

Finally, check the balance point of the model is where it's supposed to be, as indicated on the instructions.

Initial Preparation

Having selected the area, perhaps a field or park, that you want to fly your RC plane from, you then need to ensure the take off is done safely and correctly. For starters, the ideal is face the plane into a head wind, rather than taking off with the wind. Flying directly into an oncoming wind increases the wind pressure around the wings, resulting in increased uplift, making it easier to get the plane up to a good height. Taking off with the wind has the opposite effect, making it harder to climb, while taking off across the wind makes the aiRCraft hard to control as the gusts push it in directions other than your intention.

The RC Plane Take Off

Having cleared the prior checks, you are now ready for flight. It's wise to turn your transmitter on before you power up the plane or start its engine. Done the other way, there's a risk that little twitches in the transmitter when you turn it on will cause movement in the plane. If your plane starts on the ground, it's time to push the throttle and get it moving. For air starting craft, hold the plane at shoulder level in one hand just behind the landing gear and the transmitter in your other hand. Push the throttle, then propel your model RC plane directly into the wind.

When You're Done - The Landing

Hopefully, whether it lasts 2 minutes or 20 minutes, your plane's flight runs smoothly and ends with a great approach followed by a smooth landing at the same place it took off from. The landing process lends itself to a separate article, but in essence your task is to guide the plane back towards its starting point and to lower it to no more than 200 feet. At this point you should be left with a straight path to the landing point and, as with take off, you should aim to land into the wind. If you have good control of your RC plane, you just need to reduce the speed using the throttle to bring it into a nice controlled landing, cutting the throttle to zero to bring it to its final halt.

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Beginner RC Planes - How Many Channels Do I Need?

When starting in the world of rc planes the first thing you need to do is purchase a plane. Choosing the right plane can be a difficult task. There are many features that a beginner rc plane should have. One of the things you are going to need to consider is how many channels you need.

Channels are what control the planes movement and speed. The channels are controlled by the transmitter. 2 channels are necessary for all planes in order to fly. Most all beginner rc planes use either 2 or 3 channels. Let's look at what the channels do.

In a 2 channel plane one channel is used to control the elevator while the other channel is used to control the rudder. The elevator is used to control the up and down movement of the plane. The rudder is used to control the side to side movement which makes the plane turn.

A 3 channel plane uses the 2 channels as mentioned above, but adds a 3rd channel. This third channel is used to control the pitch of the plane. This is done by controlling the speed of the motor. This can be very useful in helping control the descent of the plane without having to actually move the plane. This will help you have more controlled landings.

Once you are more experienced you can move on to a plane that has 4 channels. This fourth channel is used to control the ailerons. The ailerons make the plane roll and are used in more advanced flying.

For a beginner pilot I recommend a 3 channel plane. All more advanced planes use 4 channels so knowing how to fly with 3 channels is a must if you want to keep moving on. Starting out using a 3 channel plane will help make the adjustment to a 4 channel plane much easier. You will also have more control over the plane which is always a good thing.

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Flying RC Helicopter & Planes ''Tips"

As compared to flying planes, helicopters require a higher skill level. So, it is better to learn to fly RC planes first, so that you at least get an idea, of how to handle it in the air. If you are a fresher, then join a good flying club or get an experienced model plane 'pilot' to help you out. Once you have mastered the basics of flying planes, then you can try some stunts, such as inverted flying, rolls or loops. Your first plane should ideally be a 'trainer'. These are planes with big fuselage and wide wings. These planes are slower, steadier and therefore more suited for learners.

Once you have gained complete control over your Remote Control and your plane, then you can think about moving on to faster planes, such as fighter or jet planes. These planes are extremely fast and require very fast reflexes, to keep them in control. Do not forget to take out insurance on any model plane or helicopter you fly, or be ready to be sued, in case of any accident, where there is damage to someone's 'limb' or 'property'. An electric motor or a gasoline engine can be used, to power your model airplane or helicopter. Use electric power, if you are a fresher. It's clean, efficient and easy to maintain. However, keep extra battery packs ready, because you will need them, while flying.

Since the dynamics of a model helicopter are totally different than that of a plane, get expert help, before trying to fly them. You can also practice on a simulator, before attempting an actual flight. Helicopters can take off from a small pad, but model planes require a longer area, to take off and touch down. The chances of a helicopter suffering more damage than a plane, in case of a crash are more, since the blades of the helicopter are quite large.

The stunts, which can be performed by your helicopter, are also different as compared to your plane. One thing your helicopter can do is to 'hover' over the ground and that is what your plane cannot do. You can buy your plane or helicopter from various hobby shops or over the Internet as a RTF kit, i.e. a Ready to Fly Kit, which means that it is fully assembled, or you could buy it in ARF form, i.e. Almost Ready To Fly kit. This kit just has to be assembled and then it is ready to fly. You can think about making your own plane or helicopter from scratch, once you have some experience under your belt. Your models can be made of wood or plastic and you can hand paint them, once you have made them.

These above tips can be helpful, if you are just starting off in the flying arena. Use them to make your flying 'career' safer and easier.

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Tips For Choosing A Beginner RC Plane

   You've decided to get into the world of rc planes, but now you're stuck with the hardest decision to make. What kind of plane do I buy? Here are a few tips someone should follow and look for when buying a beginner rc plane.

1. Go cheap! You are most likely going to crash you very first plane. The cheaper the plane is the less bad you'll fell if you need to buy a new one or spare parts to replace it.

2. Look for a plane that says Slowflyer of Parkflyer. They are called this for a reason. They fly slow so they won't be too fast for you to handle and will give you more time to react if you need it. These planes can also be flown almost anywhere.

3. Look for a plane with a Top Wing design. This means that the wing is on top of the plane. This type of design gives the plane more lift and will help keep it floating if you run into trouble giving you more time to react. A plane with a large wingspan will also help produce lift. So, in summary, look for a plane with a large wing on top.

4. Go with a 2-channel or a 3-channel plane. A 2-channel plane allows you to control the up/down and side to side movement (turning). This is done with the elevator and rudder. A 3-channel plane will allow you to do the same, but also allows you to control the planes speed. Stay away from 4-channel planes for now. This 4th channel is used to control the ailerons and is used in more advanced flying that you won't be ready for just quite yet. A 3-channel will help prepare you for moving on to a 4th channel.

5. Some beginner planes even come with what is called Anti Crash Technology (ACT for short). The plane uses sensors to detect the planes orientation. If they sense that the plane is going into a dive, they will automatically correct the position of the plane giving you more time to react and avoid a crash.

  Flying rc planes is a fun hobby, and with several types of planes geared especially towards beginners anyone can learn to fly. Good luck and happy flying.

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What About RC Airplanes For The Hobbyist ?!

   So what if you could not become a fighter pilot. You can still fly a model fighter plane and do all the exciting crazy stunts that fighter pilots get to do even as your feet stay firmly on the ground. Remote Control planes or RC planes enable your mind to literally be in the pilot's seat and enable you to have the same adrenaline rush that they experience during a flight.

   If you are a novice flyer, then a battery-powered plane is simpler, easier and cleaner to operate. You could start by buying an ARF or an Almost Ready to Fly kit, which would be an almost fully assembled plane. That could save you precious time and money. Try to buy a slower plane with a simple remote control, which could teach you about flying without too many crashes. A cheaper plane would also enable you to afford a replacement in case of a major goof up. Your plane should be constructed of hardened foam and should have plastic on the underbody to prevent damage during crashes. If possible, join up with an experienced model 'frequent flyer' that can offer you tips and teach you how to fly your plane.

   You can take your assembled plane to an open field of grass so that your plane is not damaged in case of a crash. The thrill of your first flight will be one that you will cherish for years to come. Alternatively, you could join a model airplane club and they would have trainers that could teach you the basics of flying. Once you have learnt the basics of flying, then you can become a bit adventurous and try some stunts like Rolls, Loops and Inverted flights. These stunts give one the feeling of literally being in the 'hot' seat and this could thrust your interest in this exciting hobby even further. There is no danger in flying model planes, but proper care should be taken so that your plane does not crash into any body.

   Your remote control [RC] transmitter will be equipped with different knobs and levers, which are to be used to control your plane's various functions like the speed, rudder, flaps, etc and higher end transmitters also have adjustable frequency and additional software to match the transmitter to your plane. It is not difficult to master and once you get the hang of it, you can make your plane perform all types of difficult maneuvers. Both electric and gasoline powered planes can be controlled by remote control and once you are comfortable with electric planes, you can try out a 2-stroke or 4-stroke gasoline engine for your plane. 2-strokes are cheap but noisy as compared to 4-stroke engines, but many people prefer 2-stroke because the sound reminds them of getting a feeling of actually flying a plane.

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