2old2fly Veteran Location: Mill Creek, Wa.
| Flying fixed wing, it's almost alyways side in. You rarely get a real tail in situation. Two tricks we used to tell the beginners, and which one they'd use really just depended on what they could get their head into.
1) Fly it over your shoulder. If it's left side toward you, mentally turn so it's coming over your right shoulder. If it's right side toward you, turn the other way. If it's coming over your shoulder, it's always tail in!
2) Get in the cockpit! Mentally sit in the plane, and fly it as if you're sitting in the pilot seat. Same would work for helis (although I was more of a "over the shoulder type".
Once you've been doing it for a while, it becomes natural, and you don't need the crutches any more. But when you're starting out, anything you can do to get past the early crashes is a plus!
I also like the "stay under 1 mistake" philosophy. That's pretty much how I've been working with the 450. Under 1 mistake, with TG on. I'm pretty firm not to get into trying circuits until I can "comfortably" side it that one. The CX2 is forgiving. The 450 isn't quite so mild mannered.
Helicopters don't fly, they beat the air into submission. |