Flight Training 2008

Spring is here again and we’ll start flight training in just about two weeks.  Here are some things a new student can do to be ready to fly on the first training day.

1. Please, DO NOT TURN ON YOUR TRANSMITTER WITHOUT GETTING PERMISSION FROM AN INSTRUCTOR FIRST!!  When two radios that share the same frequency are turned on at the same time, very bad and dangerous things can happen.
2. Be sure to charge your receiver and transmitter batteries for 14 hours the night before flight training.
3. Make sure you bring everything you will need so you can fly.  That includes your airplane and the wing (yes, it has happened), transmitter, field box, glo-plug driver, chicken stick or electric starter, fuel etc.
4. Bring your airplane to a table in the pit area.  Then put your transmitter on a shelf in the transmitter impound.  Your transmitter should always live in the impound except when you are flying.  Get into the habit of putting it there when you first arrive at the field.  Next, sign the attendance sheet, located on the table closest to the transmitter impound.
5. If you are a new student and your airplane has never flown at the field, don’t put the wing on until one of the DCRC ground support staff has had a chance to do an airworthiness check, and then instructs you to assemble your plane.
6. Flight training officially starts at 9:00am and ends at noon.  The gate is usually open at about 8:30am for those who wish to get a head start on assembling their airplane and taxiing by 9:00am.
7. Please bring your AMA membership card and your DCRC membership card with you when you come to the field.  If you have an airplane and all the gear but are not an AMA and/or DCRC member, don’t panic.  Just bring your checkbook and we will help you fill out the necessary forms so you can fly that day

8. That’s all that comes to mind right now.  Watch this space for any other pearls of wisdom I might pull out of my brain.

9. Oh yeah, one other thing – come prepared to learn a lot and have fun!

Michael Peizer

DCRC Flight Training Coordinator