RC Helicopters

Without a doubt, mastering the proper control of your RC helicopter is one of the most difficult challenges you will face when you first get your hands on your new flying bird. The radio control set used to control an RC helicopter is actually almost identical to that of the real thing, and so it takes considerable practice to get to grips with it. No one said it was going to be easy, but with a little practice you will be on your way.

The very first thing that a novice pilot needs to learn is how to balance the RC helicopters when hovering just off the ground. Keeping your RC chopper in the 'hover' position is the most essential basic skill you need to learn. It is very foolish to attempt any other maneuver until you know how to keep the helicopter balanced, and so today's lesson will instruct you on how to do just that.

Familiarize yourself with the controls

This might seem obvious, but it really does need repeating. Read up in the instruction manual and play with the controls a little, so you know exactly what each lever and button does before you attempt to fly your RC helicopter. If you don't know the controls it's all too easy for your chopper to go flying off and smashing into the nearest tree or angry dog walker the moment your crank the power up for the first time.

Lift off

Once you understand how the controls work, you are ready to begin flying your chopper. Note that it's wise to proceed very slowly:

• Firstly, place the RC helicopter at a safe distance away from you, around 6 or 7 feet away, and make sure that the tail of the helicopter points to you and the nose points away from you.
• Slowly bring the RC helicopter up to speed. What this means is you need to maintain ground stability while slowly increasing the speed of the rotors, till the chopper is just about ready for takeoff - But don't lift off right now, just try to maintain this balance (this can be quite difficult, so take your time).
• Once you are confident enough, it's time to begin the takeoff procedure and get yourself airborne - Slowly! Using the throttle control (or collective), give the RC helicopter a very slight boost in power and slowly ease it into the air. When you get to a height of approximately one foot, ease off the throttle a touch. The idea is to keep the chopper hovering in the air in the same place - If it keeps rising then you are applying too much throttle; if it starts to descend then you are not applying enough. It takes time to get it right, but keep concentrating and you will soon be able to maintain your RC helicopter in exactly the same spot.
• The second important thing is landing safely. To do so, release the throttle VERY slowly, so that the bird gradually drifts back down towards the ground. Don't release too quickly, or your chopper will smash into the floor, leaving you with a very expensive pile of wreckage!