CONFIDENCE

Technology has made learning to fly easier than ever before. However, just because a person can fly, it does not mean that they are flying correctly. This becomes evident when pilots regularly damage their planes, struggle with wind and inconsistent landings, etc.. Unless student and instructor follow a comprehensive training program, pilots resort to "reacting" to what the plane is doing and learning by trial-and-error. Reactive pilots wait to see deviations before it occurs to them that corrections are needed. Considering the compound effect that deviations have on everything that follows, reactive fliers typically make 3 to 4 times more control inputs than what the maneuvers require when flown optimally. Pilots who are continually making inputs have little opportunity to be thinking about or receiving instruction on how to become a better flyer. Their skills tend to plateau at the point where reacting to deviations after the fact is already too late to perform any maneuver really well. If persistent, those who do get better at reacting require great amounts of time and expense to do so. However, their struggles tend to reappear when winds blow above 10 mph, or when new planes and maneuvers are introduced.
1st RC Flight School courses feature the techniques utilized by the elite 1% of pilots who precisely "control" what the plane does, aka, "the ones who make it look easy". Controllers execute each maneuver using predictable commands with the airplane following along. When a deviation is encountered, they take that opportunity to determine why it occurred, and from that point forward they are able to anticipate the appropriate correction to prevent that deviation from happening, before it happens. In other words, they are "ahead of the airplane". Controllers fly with less effort, make fewer mistakes, enjoy greater consistency, and thus present fewer instances for the wind to exploit mistakes. 1st RC Flight School Solo Courses offer pilots the opportunity to establish a solid foundation built on good habits, ensuring a more enjoyable and successful hobby, especially in the wind!

SOLO COURSE DETAILS

Courses run May through September. Each class runs 5 days, Monday through Friday. Class sizes are held to 3-4 people so each person receives plenty of hands on experience and personal attention. The best part of training with other similarly motivated pilots is the feedback and experience that you can use to further benefit your own practice. It also eliminates the "rookie" or subordinate feeling felt in a club of experienced flyers or when dependent upon recreational club instructors and their schedules. Students train at the flight school's private flying site utilizing our One Week To Solo syllabus developed over decades of professional instruction. The planes and all equipment needed during the course are provided by 1st RC Flight School.
We utilize the "buddy" system: You control the airplane with a transmitter wirelessly connected to the instructor's transmitter. The instructor can instantly take back control (but only when absolutely necessary) so that you can focus on learning with less anxiety until your skills have increased. You'll also have much more time to think through and recover from your own mistakes, thus learn from them and build confidence in your control skills to return home with.
You will be flying larger trainer aircraft that make it easier to see how the airplane responds to correct and incorrect control inputs. Larger planes also tend to be more stable in windy conditions, making it possible to effectively train in the winds that ground most fliers, and thus build confidence to fly in wind when you get back home. FYI: The principle effect of wind is NOT that it causes a lot of deviations. Rather, it tends to exaggerate mistakes and weaknesses in peoples' flying that they can otherwise get away with in calmer conditions — further emphasizing the importance of proper training.

NO TRIAL-AND-ERROR HERE...

Training will begin Monday at 9:00 A.M. with Ground School located at the Shawano Municipal Airport conference room (Google map), where we will discuss:
1. Previous experience.2. Your goals in R/C.3. Uses of transmitter controls and effects.4. Overview of the 5-day sequence of instruction.5. The DAS System key elements to accelerated Solo.
After an approximate 2-hour Ground School we will relocate to our private flying site where we will spend the rest of the week flight training free of distractions.
Instruction will begin with Dave Scott demonstrating procedures designed to bypass common errors and enhance your practice effectiveness. (Consider that when a pilot applies his or her control inputs correctly to begin with, the need for additional corrections is less likely, leaving more time to focus on learning and thinking ahead to what you'll do next.) That's what the DAS System is all about: Taking the techniques attributable to the best pilots who fly with the greatest ease—traditionally learned over long periods of time—and systematically applying them to the student pilot from day one.

PREPARATION...PROFESSIONALISM...PROVEN RESULTS

Confidence hinges on advancement, but you can't gauge success without first defining it. So each flight lesson is explained in terms of what we're going to do, how we're going to do it, why it is done this way, i.e., where it will fit in the scheme of your solo and better flying in the future. The way the training is structured, achieving good landings and your first Solo won't seem like hurdles, but more the result of everything that you had been practicing leading up to them. Once Solo is achieved, we will then break down your flight in more detail in order to refine it.
With the experience of training thousands of pilots to draw from, Dave Scott will be able to quickly formulate strategies to overcome any trouble spots that you may experience along the way with minimal interruption in your overall progress and confidence. No other source can provide you this level of experience and personal attention. Students say that one of the most important features of retaining the services of the flight school's professional flight instructor is the absence of feeling bothersome or imposing when asking questions. Not only will questions be encouraged, each answer will be supported with a reason WHY.
Of course the biggest advantage of the training course is the concentrated day-after-day practice. The combination of concentrated training, a proven system, personal attention, constructive exchanges between classmates, and reliable equipment all add up to your best opportunity to quickly start enjoying the many rewards of RC flying!
Notes for Enrollees: We strongly suggest that you acquire the ONE WEEK TO SOLO manual prior to the course to familiarize yourself with the terms and techniques that will be used in your training. If you have a laptop with RealFlight installed, we highly recommend that you bring it to practice on between sessions. If you can bring your simulator, doing so will be a big help to reinforce the lessons taught earlier in the day and thus ensure greater productivity moving forward. We do not take a lunch break. If you bring snacks, we recomend that you keep them light to avoid the fatigue that typically follows a normal size lunch. Cold drinks are a must in the summer time. The flight school does not provide a cooler at the field because students usually prefer to arrange their own coolers the night or morning before training. Weather: While no one can control the weather, efforts will be made to conduct double sessions to build up flying time if rain is forecasted, or to make up for rain delays.
Bring enough clothing for a variety of weather. Average May temps: 50 degrees (morning) 65 degrees (afternoon), June: 50-75, July: 60-85, August: 60-80, September: 50-70. A hat is recommended as well as insect repellent. Sunscreen and sunglasses are necessities!
While the flight school's primary emphasis is on flight instruction, there are many opportunities to discuss RC equipment operations to ensure that you have the practical knowhow to go along with your new flying skills. You'll also be able to observe what brands of equipment hold up best under the constant use and abuse of daily training, and thus can be expected to provide outstanding performance and reliability for the individual flier.
To understand what the school's equipment is subjected to, here are a few 1st RC Flight School stats:
Number of pilots trained:......................Over 2200Number of flights:.......................................Over 42,000Actual flight time:.......................................Over 12,000 hrsNumber of landings:.................................Over 80,000Age range of students: from 7 to 87; average age: 55
  • "I cannot express how much you've helped me gain confidence. That first day when you had me fly in 20 mph winds, I would not have believed it unless I had tried it myself! Your training has helped me to be better prepared to fly successfully on my home field."
    MICHAEL ANTHONY. NAPERVILLE, IL
    "After a great week in Shawano, I flew six solo flights---no problems. Having high winds all week at your school proved to be advantageous because it was extremely windy during my club checkout. I achieved a total score of 87 out of 100 and received my wings."
    NEIL ROBERTSON. PETERBOROUGH, ONT
    "I was able to make a successful maiden flight with an out of trim airplane. I couldn't have done this without the training you provided. I certainly wouldn't have even tried with a crosswind if I had not flown all week at the school in crosswinds."
    JOE THOMPSON. PALM CITY, FL
  • “I'm so impressed by how clearly you organize the lessons and how easy you make it to learn. Now I feel I have the foundation to do just about anything with practice.”
    BOB YEAGER. CASPER, WY
    "Your explanations before the flights and during the flights eliminated the usual disorientation and lack of control. All my flights have been uneventful (in a good way) since taking your course."
    FAYE STILLY. WILTON, CT
    "Your approach of treating both flight preparation and the actual flying as though it were full scale is absolutely on target for maximal learning and fun with minimal headaches. I only wish I'd come to the School BEFORE making all the ridiculous mistakes!"
    KEN MOORE. LAS VEGAS, NV
  • "Dave has the student focus on making prescribed control inputs and the airplane follows along - versus reacting to the airplane and always being one step behind it. Dave's friendly approach made these lessons easy to learn, get feedback, and continue on."
    BILL FELTON. APEX, NC
    "The combination of concentrated training, emphasis on fundamentals, and your infinite patience has enabled me to be successful."
    ARCHIE PAEZ. JACKSONVILLE, FL
    "I gained the knowledge to know how to correct errors, and yet has also instilled the “fun” into the hobby. Your additional input on equipment, engines, fuel, maintenance, etc. will be very helpful and cleared the air of a lot of misunderstood information."
    PAUL MOHR. PLYMOUTH, MN
  • “After 4 years of flying RC, I attended Dave's school. After one week, my flying was totally transformed. To fly with confidence and to never fear the wind is a lot of fun!”
    MIKE ZIPPER. MA
    "I would readily suggest your course to other people like myself whose schedules do not permit sustained weekend after weekend flying to build proficiency. The 5 days I spent with you represented several summers worth of regular training."
    JEFFREY STEINBERG. CHESTNUT HILL, MA
    "My goal in attending the Flight School was to be able to fly comfortably and land the airplane in one place. The objective was certainly achieved during the five day course. I would highly recommend the Flight School to anyone who wanted to learn to fly in a very short period of time without crashing a number of planes."
    WILLIAM REYNOLDS. ALPENA, MI
  • "Having a practice plan made learning new stuff enjoyable and much easier to accomplish. I realize that you had given me something that I didn't expect - CONFIDENCE! Thanks for a VERY enjoyable season of flying and learning."
    DAVE COUTIE. OSHAWA, CAN
    "The course totally exceeded expectations, and I had high expectations. I now have the confidence that I am totally in control of my plane. The DAS system can't be that simple, and yet it is!!! Feel free to have anyone who wants confirmation of your courses worth to email me. I will tell them that it is the best $ I have ever spent in the hobby."
    STEVE STORMAN. HARRINGTON PARK, NJ
    "My flights keep getting better each time out since the week at your school. I am increasingly more confident and more relaxed flying. The techniques you’ve taught me are just what I needed to become an independent flyer. Thanks again for being such a great instructor."
    TOM NELSON. STREAMWOOD, IL