Training Regimen

Training Regimen

R/C FLIGHT INSTRUCTION

PROGRAM

V4.0

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GROUND SCHOOL

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INITIAL FLIGHT INSTRUCTION

INSTRUCTOR CHECKS OUT STUDENT'S PLANE

(with explanation to student)

Ground Checks:

1. AIRFRAME

A. Center of gravity

B. Security of prop, engine, servos, wing, and tail

C. Security of hinges and control rods

2. RADIO CONTROL SYSTEM

A. Receiver properly secured.

B. Receiver radio system battery (if so equipped) properly secured.

C. Receiver battery properly charged (overnight for NiCad ort NiMh).

D. Servos and servo arms secured with all required fasteners.

E. Wiring properly routed and secured.

F. Receiver antenna(s) properly routed.

G. Transmitter battery properly charged (overnight for NiCad ort NiMh).

3. PROPULSION

A. Engine Power

(a). Fuel lines properly plumbed

(b). Supply line on correct nipple

(c). Fuel tank stopper secure

(d). Proper engine size with proper propellor.

B. Motor Power

(a). Arming plug or throttle hold switch.

(b). Proper motor size with proper propellor.

(c). Battery size (explain dangers of LiPo batteries)

(d). Battery mounting and cooling.

(e). ESC and BEC mounting and cooling.

4. SYSTEMS CHECK

A. Frequency Control

(a). Explain frequency control for 72 MHz systems

(b). Explain receiver binding for 2.4 GHZ systems

B. Control direction

(a). Throttle in correct direction.

(b). Aileron/Elevator/Rudder in correct direction

(c). Nose wheel turns correctly.

C. Control Trims

(a). All trims centered. Subtrims adjusted to suit.

(b). Trims buttons are where expected.

D. Perform range check per manufacturer's instructions.

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ENGINE POWER

INSTRUCTOR/STUDENT STARTING and RUNNING

(demonstration by instructor with explanation)

Engine Start:

1. Radio on

2 . High speed needle set

3. Open throttle, choke or prime

4. Set throttle to idle. Confirm throttle position

5. Secure the airplane

(a) Anchor airplane

(b) Place in run up stand

6. Apply glow driver

7. Spin in a short burst with starter

8. Carefully remove glow driver

Adjust High Speed:

1. Turn high speed needle out (c.c.) until engine slows

2 . Turn high speed needle in until engine speed no longer increases

3. Turn high speed needle out until engine begins to slow

4. Tip airplane nose vertically. With throttle wide open

(a) confirm engine doesn’t slow down

(b) Open needle valve one click at a time until engine no longer slows

Hand Starting:

1. Look out for the flashing on propeller trailing edge

2. Don’t hook fingers around prop. Place fingers against prop face

3 . Using a “Chicken Stick” is the best option

Miscellaneous:

1. Test glow plug for red glow

2 . Use 1.2 to 1.5 volts on glow plug

3. Glow plugs can and do burn out

4. Use 5 to 15% nitro fuel with 18 to 25% oil content

5. Keep fuel container closed. Alcohol will absorb water from the air making the engine run poorly or not at all.

Mixture Adjustments:

1. Too rich

(a) Abundant smoke trail

(b) Lower exhaust note ( 4 cycle sound)

2. Too lean

(a) Little, if any smoke

(b) Engine runs slower and slower until it stops

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INSTRUCTOR/STUDENT FIELD ETIQUETTE

(instructor lecture)

1. For 72 MHz systems. do not turn on transmitter without possession of frequency pin. It’s a good idea to also be aware of any others on the same frequency

2. Don’t blast others with your prop wash

3. Call taxi outs, take offs and landings

4. Last one out locks the gate

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INSTRUCTOR/STUDENT SAFETY

(instructor lecture)

1. Adhere to AMA safety code

2. Be aware of your prop at all times

(a) For engine powered airplanes, don’t reach through prop for the glow driver or to adjust the needle valve

(b) Don’t stand in line with prop disk during run up

3. Stand behind the airplane when doing engine run up

4. Have a helper hold airplane by the wing and tail during start up and run up

5. Ear and eye protection is recommended

6. During ground movement and times of distraction, hold the transmitter by your left hand with your thumb holding the throttle stick at idle

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TEST FLIGHT

Instructor test flies the aircraft and conducts trimming with explanation to student. Instructor has another qualified pilot trim the buddy box.

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FLIGHT TRAINING

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INSTRUCTOR/STUDENT DAILY PREFLIGHT CHECK

(instructor lecture)

Upon arrival at the field:

1. Secure frequency (for 72 MHz radio systems)

2. Flight control security

3 . Battery charge level, TX and RX

4. Directional check

5. Range check

6. Prop condition

7 . Wing security

8 . Trim settings

9. Correct airplane/transmitter selected on transmitter

Before each flight:

1. Airplane general condition

2. Check battery charge

3. Fueled or flight battery charged

4 . Frequency pin (for 72 MHz systems)

5 . Flight control trim

6. Correct airplane/transmitter selected

7. Propeller condition

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INSTRUCTOR/STUDENT BUDDY BOX FLIGHT

TASK #1 RACE TRACK PATTERN

Lecture:

1 Right stick controls elevator (pitch)(nose) and aileron (roll, bank)

2 Left stick controls rudder/ground steering and throttle

3 As long as stick position is held, the maneuver will continue

4 Requires opposite control input to overcome and return airplane to normal flight

5 Trim controls: how to and why

6. Turns: (a) Input aileron to establish bank angle, then release input.

(b) Small elevator input to prevent nose from dropping.

Flight:

1. Trim airplane to straight and level

2. Fly a race track pattern to left and right, centered in flight zone

(a) Use gentle banks

(b) Maintain 150-200 ft altitude

(d) Maintain symmetry of pattern

(e) Demonstrate control of situation

TASK #2 FIGURE EIGHTS

Lecture:

1 Reverse aileron visual response with airplane coming toward you

2 Push aileron stick toward low wing to pick up that wing

3 To regain control of airplane: first level the wings, then pick up the nose

Flight:

1. Fly horizontal figure eights with crossover point in front of pilot in flight zone center

2. Review race track pattern

3. Fly figure eights inside the “race track”. Innies and outties

4. Trim airplane

5. Symmetry and constant altitude

6 . Demonstrate command and awareness

TASK #3 RECTANGLE PATTERN + RUNWAY LINE UP

Lecture:

1. Line up with runway

(a) Square your body to the runway,

(b) Fly airplane toward shoulder

2. Maintain airspeed to maintain control

3. Don’t fly too far away

4. Bermuda triangle affect: caused by sun backlighting the airplane, making it hard to see its attitude

5. Don’t fly through disk of the sun. Should it happen, close your eyes until the plane passes through the sun disk

Flight - Rectangular Pattern:

1. Ground work

(a) Practice taxi

(b) Do a take off

2. Throttle use

(a) Student to use throttle while doing race track and fig. 8

3. Fly a rectangular pattern, left and right, centered in flight zone

(a) Use fence line as closest side

(b) Using two consecutive 90 deg. Turns at each end

(d) Symmetry and altitude consistency

(e) Move closest side to runway center line

TASK #4 SLOW FLIGHT AND GLIDING

Lecture:

1. Normal landing pattern

2 . Maintain air speed

3 . Some up elevator is required to prevent airplane from diving

4 . If airplane descends with a given amount of up elevator, it probably won’t stall

5. Sudden up elevator can cause a stall, spin, or snap roll

Flight - Slow flight:

1 Combine with rectangular pattern and landing pattern

2 Use low throttle

3 Hold nose up slightly with elevator input

4 Maintain altitude using throttle and elevator

Flight - Gliding:

1 Demo a stall

2 Keep wings level

3 Keep fuselage level to slight nose down

4 Use throttle to control descent

TASK #5 TAKE OFFS

Lecture:

1. P factor and swirling air stream

(a) Requires a little right rudder with power application during take off, climb, and low speed high power situations

2. A little up elevator at start of take off roll will make plane fly off of ground and makes the steering less sensitive. Briefly tap the rudder to correct take off roll heading. Holding rudder inputs may cause over corrections.

3. Smoothly advance throttle to full power. Do not hesitate.

4. On lift off, be ready to readjust elevator to correct climb angle

5. Choose climb angle to allow acceleration and climb. Keep wings level.

6. Climb out on extended runway centerline. At safe altitude, throttle back, then make first turn and trim the airplane.

7. Acceleration is more important than climb

8. If you lose power after lift off , maintain flying speed

9. If you get behind the airplane, throttle back

10. TAKE OFF INTO THE WIND

Flight - Take off practice:

1. Practice taxi up and down the runway

2. Perform a take off standing behind the airplane

3. Taxi up and down runway from pilots station

4. Perform take offs from pilot station, left and right

TASK #6 AEROBATICS

Lecture:

1. Explain stall speed, stall angle, and stall

2. Explain stall recovery

(a) Release elevator

(b) Regain flying speed

(d) Airplane may stall again and spin if not enough speed is regained or angle of attack is not reduced enough

3. Explain spin and recovery

(a) Gentle pull out to prevent secondary spin

4. Explain snap roll and recover

(a) Accelerated stall vis-à-vis stall speed and stall angle

(b) Reduce angle of attack, i.e. release elevator, release rudder

5. Explain loop and roll

6. Explain stall and spin, hard to do on purpose, easy to do and more violent by accident

Flight - Aerobatics introduction:

1 Demonstrate the loop

2 Student does a loop

3 Demonstrate a stall and stall recovery

4 Demonstrate a spin and recovery

5 Demonstrate an accelerated stall and recovery

6. Demonstrate a roll

(a) Slight nose up

(b) Release elevator

(d) When upright, release aileron and level airplane

TASK #7 LANDINGS

Lecture:

1. Announce intent to land

2. LAND INTO WIND

3. Use “square body to runway” and fly toward shoulder

4. Wings level and fuselage level on final approach. Maintain stability to make go arounds easier

5. Glide. Let airplane descend. Adjust glide with power as required

6. Flare. Stop descent at around 1 ft by gently raising nose, allow main wheels to touch first

7. Lower nose wheel by releasing up elevator. This should stop airplane from flying

8. Bounce recovery: Maintain flare angle and let plane settle on ground (hold the nose up)

9. Use power to control glide angle

10. Sudden up elevator application with throttle up can cause a snap roll

11. Use a diving turn onto final approach to adjust altitude if too high. In a turn with a steep bank angle, you can adjust the altitude by using no or little up elevator. Adjust the turn to end just below landing glide path.

Flight - Missed approaches:

1. Review tasks 3 and 4

2. Gliding/slow flight toward runway, into wind

3. Do go-around at round 50 ft

(a) Maintain runway alignment

(b) Compensate for any crosswind

4. Do missed approaches lower and lower

(a) Apply power for go around

(b) Maintain proper angle for climb

[1] Prepare to release some up elevator when adding power

[2] Glide elevator can lead to a stall during go-around

5. Landing

(a) Glide to nose high position within 1 ft of runway surface

(b) Hold off touch down until main wheels are lower than nose wheel

(d) Lower nose wheel gentle

(e) Steer with rudder and let airplane slow to taxi speed

(f) Avoid fast taxi turns as airplane may tip over and damage the prop

TASK #8 DEAD STICK LANDINGS

Lecture:

1. Announce “dead stick” to get landing priority

2. Don’t crash into pit or flight stations

3. Maintain flying speed

(a) Lower nose to a glide

(b) Avoid steep turns

(d) More nose down required in a steep turn

(e) Control response is slower at glide speed

4. Don’t try to stretch glide above 3 ft altitude

5. Avoid off field down wind landing

(a) Turn into or toward wind. Touch down wings level

6. Circling approach : Visualize landing glide path. Fly the airplane to intersect the landing glide path at glide speed

(a) Estimate energy

(b) Turn toward glide path if you energy is low

(d) Turn toward glide path as energy dissipates

(e) Stretch base leg if too fast. i.e. fly past runway center line

(f) Do ess turns to dissipate energy

(g) Stretch glide only when near the ground

(h) Touch wheels onto runway at a flat angle if too fast

7. Avoid turning away from the runway. Do "S" turns instead

Flight - Dead stick landing (engine dead):

1. Demonstrate circling approach

2. Let student do it

3 . Explain that airplane glides better with engine dead

TASK #9 TAKE OFFS AND LANDINGS

Flight -Take offs and landings, opposite direction:

1. Take off and land left and right

TASK # 10 GRADUATION

Lecture:

1. Emergencies

(a) Power loss

(1) Throttle back, engine may continue to run or motor may restart

(2) Maintain airspeed

(b) Aileron servo failure

(1) Rudder may give adequate control to land

(1) Power may raise nose

(2) Steep turns will lower nose

(d) Interference:

(1)Announce loudly: "Heads up" or "I ain’t got it"

(2) Kill motor or throttle engine back

2. Bermuda triangle

(a) Is always under the sun

Flight - 3 take offs and landings from each direction with no buddy box:

1. Student demonstrate traffic pattern and altitude control

2. Student demos solo ability with second instructor

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GRADUATION!!!!

rev 2/5/2014