DAS (Dave A. Scott) system of instruction
In order for 1st RC Flight School to successfully train people of all ages, abilities, and walks of life how to fly significantly better in less than a week, it had to develop a kind of training far more efficient than traditional methods.
The DAS System of (accelerated) flight training was born out of the familiar old adage that if you want to be highly successful at something, study and pattern yourself after those who are already highly successful in that area. To determine what makes highly successful pilots tick, we chose as the subjects of our study the elite class of flyers who make everything they do look easy and continue getting better year after year.
Our study revealed distinct reasons why certain people fly far better than their counterparts with similar abilities and stick-time: The best flyers in our sport are able to compartmentalize their flights early on, remembering the things they did that produced favorable results, and forgetting everything that was unfavorable. In time, they developed proficiency, or efficiency. That is, by repeating the favorable actions often enough, significant segments of their flying started becoming routine, i.e., requiring little or no conscious thought. At that point they started detecting ways to improve their flying further and adding new maneuvers, with each new success motivating them to do even better. Flying is, after all, more fun when doing well and making progress.
(In contrast to the best flyers, most flyers fly abstractly, that is, not making or utilizing the connection between their actions and the responses of the plane. Instead, most of their actions are a response to what the plane is doing. Getting better at making corrections is considered to be the main requirement for better flying, so little or no thought is given to how they fly, or whether they are flying correctly. Their flying skills tend to plateau after a few years while continuing to struggle in certain areas because they remain too busy responding to deviations to learn how they might be prevented in the first place. The hope that practice-will-make-perfect lasts for awhile, but eventually the lack of advancement erodes their desire to improve, and other aspects of the sport become their main interest. These days it's tinkering with plane/radio setups. Of course, none are aware that this has happened to them.)
Our study can be summed up in two statements: Proficient pilots don't merely get better at their corrections. Proficient pilots know how to fly so altogether fewer corrections are needed (therefore freeing up more time to think ahead to other things). And, it is not how many hours one flies that determines success, but how he or she spends their time. A.K.A., practice doesn't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.
The DAS System can be summed up then as: (Teach proficiency) Identify the techniques attributable to the best pilots who fly and learn with the greatest ease. (Compartmentalize) Assemble those techniques into a logical-progression syllabus, or system. (Effective practice) Present the appropriate techniques to the student pilot in a crawl-walk-run format.
About the Instructor
Dave Scott grew up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, home of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and the world’s largest sport aviation convention and airshow. His infatuation with aviation started when his father began taking him to the EAA airshow when he was 1 year old. By the age of 10 he was riding his bike out to the airport twice a day and volunteering during the EAA convention to earn admittance to the flight line and a front row seat to watch the daily airshow. It was throughout this period that Dave vowed to one day become an elite aerobatic pilot.
Dave began actively flying radio control models with his father at the age of 8. Ever mindful of one day flying full-scale aerobatics, he always tried to fly his models in a manner that mirrored the crisp precise style of his favorite full-scale performers. It wasn’t long before his determination and attention to detail also made him one of the most sought after flight instructors in his RC flying club.
As his skills and reputation grew as a model flyer and instructor, people began offering to pay him to instruct on a scheduled basis, thus inspiring him to develop even more effective methods of RC flight instruction…
First-of-its-kind RC Flight School Encouraged by the increasing effectiveness of his teaching methods and the growing demand for structured training, Dave was convinced by his father and others to provide professional RC flight training full-time and opened 1st U.S. RC Flight School. Over the next two decades Dave consolidated his unique system of accelerated flight training and expanded his business to cover all model airplane and helicopter skill levels. His school has produced several National aerobatic champions and routinely draws pilots from all over North America. He has authored a comprehensive series of unique RC flight training manuals and regularly writes training articles for radio control airplane and helicopter magazines. When he isn't writing his latest book or article, or thrilling airshow crowds, Dave profesionally instructs RC pilots of all skill levels at his Wisconsin flight school location and throughout the US.
First-of-its-kind RC Flight School Encouraged by the increasing effectiveness of his teaching methods and the growing demand for structured training, Dave was convinced by his father and others to provide professional RC flight training full-time and opened 1st U.S. RC Flight School. Over the next two decades Dave consolidated his unique system of accelerated flight training and expanded his business to cover all model airplane and helicopter skill levels. His school has produced several National aerobatic champions and routinely draws pilots from all over North America. He has authored a comprehensive series of unique RC flight training manuals and regularly writes training articles for radio control airplane and helicopter magazines. When he isn't writing his latest book or article, or thrilling airshow crowds, Dave profesionally instructs RC pilots of all skill levels at his Wisconsin flight school location and throughout the US.
1st RC Flight School MISSION STATEMENT
PHASE 1: The objective of 1st RC Flight School is to provide an environment in which to develop, codify, and deliver new standards of systematic radio control flight training programs at all skill levels.
And to be recognized for our flight training accomplishments as the Leader, the Best; and providing a positive opportunity for those committed to learning in the sport.
PHASE 2: Develop unprecedented results-based instructional resources for every pilot, student, and instructor to utilize.
1st RC Flight School VISION STATEMENT
We will continue to take responsibility for how well each student performs.
The Flight School will be designed around what works best for the student, combined with an enthusiasm and life-long study of aviation and teaching.
We will accomplish our goals while offering innovative services and resources beneficial to fostering the growth of radio control model aviation, the greatest sport/hobby on earth!