[JohnM]

A few weeks ago I visited a fellow modeller/flier. During our discussion I heard myself say something like: "My biggest mistake when I first starting flying was NOT using my rudder."
I was years into flying before I started to use my rudder even in a mild fashion. This, despite being told by more experienced fliers that the rudder was important. On hindsight, I feel that my non use of the rudder held my flying skills back.
The person I was talking to (Gary Maker) totally agreed and stated that he was fortunate because his instructor insisted that he use the rudder and ever set up drills for him to perform which included the use of it.
It might be interesting to find out what others would have done differently given a second chance in this hobby. Perhaps improved building skills, air craft set up, listening or not listening to advice, taking the hobby too seriously, etc., etc.
I have no idea where this friendly discussion may go, but it might be fun to find out and as always, I just might learn a thing or two. . . Cheers

[channel38]

My only regret would be that if I had thought ahead and realized that with the money I have spent on RC I could of had my private pilot's license. lol

dj

[Glenn Nigh]

I did get my pilot's license before I could drive but did not have the funds to keep it up. The model flying has had to take it's place, never a regret.
I have to tell you that I also had the same problem using rudder, but not for the same reasons. I learned to fly and taught people to fly on "single stick"for over 20 years. I fought to keep from flying two stick, must have bought 5 new sets, but succumed to the old single, because I had less control of my left hand and because it seemed right to rotate the single stick on the rudder. I feel I became very proficient on it too. Then came all the goodies and computer radios and no more single stick transmitters. It has taken me four years to feel that I am now flying the airplane again, instead of it flying me. The new two stick transmitters are awesome once the rudder and throttle are are mastered. I still have a long ways to go!
Glenn

[AJCoholic]

Well, honestly I dont think I would change a thing

Took me 5 or 6 years as a teenager to learn how to fly (taught myself on an old 3 channel Kraft radio, old beater engines I was given and a lot of scratch built from plans airframes). Guess I could say I wish I found an instructor - but there werent any.

I look at how little I had to go on in the beginning yet how determined I was, and how much FUN I had doing it...

Since then, the past 20 years has been full of new planes, learning to fly jets, and helis, and all sorts of stuff like building engines, and designing my own airplanes. It sometimes boggles my mind how amazingly varied and seemingly endless this hobby actually is and I feel I have only scratched the surface of what is out there.

I do have one regret - buying the Giles G300 kit from Ohio RC about 10 years ago... it flew like a big piece of crap.

I also wish I had hung on to some of the engines I once had and sold off - some of them were really sweet and I would love to still have them.

In terms of flying - I guess I wish I could focus on one thing more - than try and do too many things all the time. But it's hard to concentrate on one aspect of the hobby when so much is there to do and so much fun...

If I was 7 years old again, and just got my first Cox plane all over again, I wish I actually tired to fly it before it got smashed up, by me swinging it around in the backyard where it collided with the picnic table

AJC

[Guest]

I wouldn't change anything, not even the crappy airplanes I've had in the past, they all shaped me into the pilot I am today and I am capable and comfortable of flying any and all of the planes I have ever wanted to.
It's the same with my personal life, do I have some regrets, not really, do I have things that I SHOULD have done differently, absolutely, but would I change anything if I had to start all over, not at all. I like who I am, and while I still have life struggles, I'm glad my life has gone the way it has. The bad things have made me appreciate the good things even more.

[dean2287]

If I had a second chance knowing what I know now...of course, I would do everything differently.

If I had a second chance NOT knowing what I know now...of course, I would do the same things again, making the same mistakes!

You could ask yourself the same thing about your life, then drive yourself crazy thinking about all the stupid mistakes you've made in the past.

However, nothing teaches you better than making a mistake. And...nodoby's perfect.

The only things I would have done differently would be to join a club sooner, and to temper my enthusiasm. I bought and sold a number of planes before I settled down and found my groove, and learned to enjoy flying more than just collecting airplanes.

And...I would have started in this hobby a LOT sooner!!

(OMG - over 1000 posts?? What the heck am I doing with my time???)

[mark_]

I'm with Dean...I would have started much earlier in life. I was almost 40 before I started and am very envious of the guys who have been flying for 20-30 years. What a wealth of knowledge and skills!

[Max]

I am also a "Don’t change a thing"'er.

I started a a kid- and learned so much, either myself or with friends. My mistakes and lessons I have learned not only taught me a thing or two about the model hobby, but I also took away some life-lessons that apply to other aspects of my life.

What I have learned in RC has also influenced the job I have today- I love my job and I wouldn’t be in that position had it not been for RC and what it has taught me over the years.

[JohnM]

Thanks for the well thought out replies. I like Max's comment re. life lessons. One thing I have had reinforced from this hobby is that: "there are no short cuts" and "good enough is not good enough".
Before retirement, I always thought I had the best job in the world, what this hobby did for me was take my mind off it so I could do it even better. . . Cheers

[generis]

well, I would have looked long and hard for some more experienced pilots and builders to give me pointers, and then when I was a teen and too arrogant to listen to these said pilots, I would have listened to them (if I had to do it again). I can't begin to tell you how I suffered from bad choices made in equipment and building fo-pa's before realizing that it was ME all along. In the end, like so many others I sure learned, but sometimes thought it was learning the hard way. Now almost 40, I'm the happiest most simplistic pilot I know, with reliable and simple and fun equipment that runs and delivers fun flight after hilarious flight.
RC flight forever!