reviews

Controlling v/s reacting / Thinking ahead of the plane

Dave has the student focus on making prescribed controls inputs and the aircraft follows along - versus reacting to the airplane and always being one step behind it. Dave's friendly approach made the lessons easy to learn and the training flights allowed us to immediately put his techniques to use, get feedback, and continue on. Bill Felton. Apex, NC The course totally exceeded my expectations, and I had high expectations. I now have the confidence that I am totally in control of my plane. The DAS system just can't be that simple, and yet it is!!! Please 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 Thanks to your training, I'm enjoying flying instead of trying to keep up with the plane. The really amazing thing was that it seemed so easy. On my return, all of the instructors were amazed at the progress I had made. I was surprised at how much fun it is when people start accepting you and helping. Even the "General" speaks to me every now and then. Thanks again for making flying a fun hobby. Sam Stimson. Austin, TX I had five flights with good landings my first time out after the School. Told myself, small bumps and do not hold in the aileron. Have been flying nice patterns, have been flying mainly right turns due to the wind directions. One fellow yesterday wanted to know how long I have been flying. I told him a week and he was kind of shocked at the ease of my flying. I told him I attended your school and he was impressed. I was a little afraid that I would forget everything, but Dave, it was automatic for me, very little thinking just action (not reaction). I am so excited to fly, each flight was a little better, smoother and automatic. Pencil me in for some aerobatics. Michael Pad. Bloomfield, MI The books are great (Park Flying 1-2-3D & One Week to Solo). I flew reacting to the plane, but I am now working to control the plane using instructions from your book. I have made many improvements since I started using your books. I had some limited instructions from experienced pilots in my club but the instructions did not get into many of the areas that your books cover. Ross Schultz. Iron Ridge, WI I just wanted to let you know that my flying is going very well and has caught the attention of the local field club members. They continually comment on how well I control the plane and can’t believe that I’ve only been flying since May with just a week of instruction. Several flyers even ask me for tips from time to time. I do, of course, refer them to your school and manual. Thanks again. Paul Darland. A great big "thank you" for your books on aerobatics - your combination of text and corresponding picture(s) of stick position(s) have helped me in learning to fly, and increased the enjoyment of flying tremendously! Thank you! George Moran. I've been competing in NSRCA Sportsman for a year. I have carefully studied all your books and it's what gave me the confidence and skill to compete in Sportsman. I do believe I'm now more of a controller than a reactor. Peter Vogel. Santa Clara, CA Dave believes there are two basic types of flyers. Most club flyers are "Reactors" who watch what the airplane is doing and react to deviations. By definition, they are slightly behind the airplane. For a "Reactor", improvement takes lots of practice and fuel for incremental improvements. I had been flying like this, but now I am a "Controller." Controllers anticipate the appropriate corrections to prevent the deviation before it occurs. They are thinking ahead of the airplane. An important part of being a "Controller" is identifying which corrections need to be made ahead of time. This is the heart of the DAS (David A. Scott) system in his manuals, and used at the flight school. Ken Weddell. Fremont, MI I often think about our sessions notwithstanding the dramatic impact on my flying. I now CONTROL what happens by not always reacting. I anticipate what is going to happen and put in the correct inputs and TRUST what will happen. I plan ahead for things that might happen and make adjustments before they occur or when they occur. I read something in your manual every night -- good stuff. I can tell you spent a lot of time writing and refining what you wrote. Jim Procrass. Beverly Hills, CA I just finished 3rd in my second contest since taking the course. The last round was judged by a couple unlimited Nats winners who gave me some really great compliments, such as, this guy really knows how to use the rudder the right way! Way too much yawing going on, but not by me though thanks to your training! They also commented on the flight school shirt I had on and told me to make sure I fly "Rythmically crisp"! Scott Paschen. Michigan Signal Seekers As this season comes to a close I'd like to pass along a progress report. First and foremost I now fly with a plan. Instead of simply reacting to the elements and the characteristics of the airplane, I'm incorporating the lessons you taught us into the maneuvers. I am doing stuff I never thought I would be able to do. You have a gift for making the complicated possible. Thanks again for making my hobby more enjoyable. George Kreyling. St. Charles, IL Primary Flight training instilled both the essential basics of flying and confidence in controlling my inputs and not waiting to 'react' to what the plane was doing. Jeff Wallach. Dallas, TX You've helped impart in me goal setting and intentional pattern flying and maintaining control of the airplane at all times. I'm now thinking ahead about where I want the plane to be rather than reacting to unintentional consequences. Thanks for helping me to evolve my skills so I may enjoy a hobby that has been my life long pursuit. Mike Anthony. Naperville, IL You have provided the basis from which I have been able to move ahead and perfect what you so skillfully and patiently taught me. Thanks to your instruction I'm able to anticipate the maneuvers and what corrections to make to do them better. I'm amazed by how quickly I’ve progressed. You have an amazing way of teaching the basics and also stressing the finer points to achieve perfection without making it a grueling task. In addition to flying, the information you provided on equipment selection, setups, and what works would take years of experimenting to achieve. You debunk the myths. Jim Hahn. Birnamwood, WI With hundreds of hours of dual instruction time, I was certain I had the skills to self-learn aerobatics. It was ugly to watch as myself as the "club instructor" started crashing his models while attempting what I believed were minor aerobatics. Matters became worse as my former students wanted me to teach them aerobatics. More models stated hitting the ground. I had just about given up when I saw your ad and booked a session in your aerobatic school. You will be pleased to know that back home I have put your manual and school knowledge to work. My rudder control is improving with every flight, and "yes", I'm staying ahead of the airplane. Thanks for all your help, and saving my reputation at the field. Tony Biach. Silver Cliff, WI You have built a business using proper flight instruction methodology-i.e.-a SYLLABUS.Just as in full size flying - proper instruction (making the airplane do what the PILOT wants it to do as opposed to accepting whatever the plane wants to do and sorta guiding it around) is the only way to learn consistency. Your program indicates an understanding of proper instruction - 99% of articles on flight training that I read in trade pubs is utter garbage. I find your program truly worthwhile and would recommend it to aspiring modelers. Phil Sibille. Nats, Top Gun, & Masters Champion Now when flyers hear that I have been to aerobatic flight school they always ask if it helped or if it was worthwhile. I cannot be more positive about my experience to other flyers. There was no other way for me to advance my skills so quickly. I am not sure any amount of time would have helped this much. I think differently about flying. As the flight school taught me, I no longer react to what the aircraft is doing. I anticipate what to do and control the plane. The smoothness of my flights is better. My flying is improving and I am having more fun flying aerobatics than ever. Ken Weddell. Fremont, MI Dave relayed some new ideas about control, "Trust your plan and your inputs." When we started flying it worked! Times when I couldn't see the plane very well, trusted my inputs, and here she comes! Wow! By the third day I wasn't even looking at the plane, just where it was heading. I didn't need to know WHAT the plane was doing because I KNEW what I had told it to do. Flying was actually becoming FUN. Dave Healy. Medford, OR I just wanted to thank you for a superb 4 days in the Precision Aerobatics class, and for once again exceeding my expectations in R/C flying. With your tenants as our basics, I was amazed at how quickly we all learned to use the rudder control! It was simply a matter of 'trusting your control inputs' and not getting behind the airplane and reacting to it. Thanks again for a great, repeatable learning methodology that has taken me light years ahead of my local Club R/C colleagues! Jeff Wallach. Dallas, TX I've learned from you that it is all about set-up, set-up, set-up. Without a proper set up everything else goes bad. If you are not set up right then you are always reacting to the fact that the plane will not track right or come out of the maneuver prepared for the next one. Jim Procrass. Beverly Hills, CA I received the books yesterday and stayed up all night reading. So many great learning strategies. I hold a private pilots license so I figured I knew the basics, but my first flight was a full spin into the ground. I am your example of a "Reactor". I love your comments on simulators and alerting me to the fact that I think I am learning when really I am learning to react. Bad habits are SO hard to break, but I’m certain that I will improve dramatically with your DAS system. Just looking at your calendar tells me you are very busy and have something worth telling others about. David R. Vaught Ph.D.. Columbia, MO Many thanks for a terrific class! It provided me with a plan and gave me much more confidence to fly low, slow, level approaches to landings. The high winds also gave excellent practice flying precision flight patterns. I am putting a check in the mail today for next years aerobatic class. John Skillicorn. Mora, MN