| A few years ago I asked for an RC helicopter as | | | | the skids of the helicopter. This effectively |
| a gift. I have flown RC planes as well as driven | | | | increased the landing base considerably. |
| RC boats, RC cars and RC trucks, but never | | | | I tried out the landing gear on my next flight. |
| experienced an RC helicopter. Fortunately I | | | | Wow, what a difference! Even if I was slightly |
| received a beginner's helicopter. It came fully | | | | tilted or landing hard, the training gear absorbed |
| assembled and ready to fly! All I had to do was | | | | the impact quite nicely and kept my R/C |
| to charge the batteries and install them in the unit. | | | | helicopter upright! I left the training landing gear on |
| The next day, the wind was calm so I headed to | | | | for quite some time until I was confident that I |
| a large common area to start my first flight. With | | | | could land successfully without incident. |
| the batteries installed I was ready to go! The | | | | Since that time I have heard many stories of first |
| takeoff was a breeze and I soon learned to | | | | time RC helicopter pilots who wished they had |
| hover and to fly forward. Landing was a little | | | | installed the landing training gear. I even saw a |
| more problematic. I got the helicopter to within | | | | first time pilot who had the landing gear in his |
| eighteen inches of the ground, when a sudden | | | | possession who ignored the pleas of his buddies |
| gust of wind pushed me sideways and off a level | | | | and flew for the first time without them. Making |
| plane. I applied a bit more power and got myself | | | | too many over corrections he came down hard |
| righted and tried the landing again. This time, I cut | | | | on the RC helicopters side. Fortunately there was |
| the power and landed a bit heavily. But, I was | | | | little to no damage to the helicopter, but a lot of |
| back on the ground without any damage. My first | | | | damage to the pilot's ego! |
| flight was exciting and successful! | | | | Me, I'm completely sold on training landing gear. |
| A friend and fellow R/C plane flyer suggested I | | | | Even with experience, I always use the landing |
| get a set of training landing gear. Basically it | | | | gear when I fly a new RC helicopter. So, if you |
| consisted of two carbon fiber rods crossed to | | | | are looking for an R/C helicopter I recommend |
| form an "X" with foam balls attached to the ends | | | | you make your first flights with training landing |
| of the rods. The rods have clips that attach to | | | | gear. |