While you are building your airplane, you may want to consider what radio equipment you will need. Your instructor may have something in mind for you or you may want to read model magazines and do some research. This article that I am writing is not intended to tell you what brand of radio you should buy, but you should buy for service and resale value. A four or five channel usually has the best resale value. Check your area for the radio equipment that has proven repair service.

The word "mode" comes up when you select a transmitter. Mode means "control stick functions." You may have to learn the mode in which your instructor uses. He may fly single stick or dual stick. My instructor flies Mode II, meaning dual stick. The throttle and rudder are on the left stick and the elevator and aileron controls are on the right stick. My instructor and I started on a seven channel radio, but at that time I only needed three channels. I would recommend having a four channel radio and airplane because this type of airplane is easier to learn on. (My opinion). On a three channel airplane you only have rudder, throttle and elevator. A three channel for giant scale. On a four channel if you loose your ailerons you have to coordinate rudder and ailerons in the same direction to make your turns smoother.

Your instructor will probably want to use the buddy box on your first time on the controls. It will be a lot easier for you and you probably won't be quite as nervous. The buddy box is a system of using two transmitters with an interconnecting cable that allows the instructor to regain control of your transmitter when you make a mistake. Believe me you will be very nervous the first time out. One problem with the buddy box that I can see is that you could become dependent on the instructor to save you all of the time.

I really don't know the solution for being so nervous. Every time that I fly I get a little nervous. Especially at the beginning of the season. I really never know what to expect from the airplane. When you are taking instructions, concentrate on exactly how to control the airplane. Watch your airplane at all times. My airplane is silver, but it is so big that I can tell if it is upside down or right side up. Also the airplane is fairly slow so I can keep my eye on it.

Don't carry on a conversation with your instructor, just follow his instructions. It's like trying to think two things at once.

I had two instructors once. One was my husband and the other one was Corky Heitman. I would suggest having someone other than your boyfriend or husband teach you. Husbands tend to yell at you a lot. My other instructor had a great idea on teaching you how to fly which worked perfectly. He would stand behind you while you were holding your transmitter and would tap you on the right shoulder when he wanted you to make a right hand turn and then he would tap you on the left shoulder when he wanted you to turn left. No talking or yelling. That way he never made you nervous. He also showed you how to set up for a square box landing and how to land the airplane on your trim buttons. Within the third or fourth flight he would have you taking off, turning and landing. He then would award you with your pilot's license.

One problem with being a beginner is orientation. That means keeping the plane in the air and the airplane coming towards you and going away from you. A beginner will over control his transmitter and spiral his plane into the ground. Remember if you were sitting in an airplane it would be so much easier. When you take off with a miniature aircraft (giant scale), the controls are the same as if in a full size airplane, but after you make a turn to the right or to the left or towards you, your controls will be the opposite. Your instructor will want to take the plane off for the first time. There are several reasons why: 1. He will want to range check your radio. That means that you will move all the controls on the ground with the antenna down to make sure the controls are all operational within the distance prescribed by your radio manufacturer. 2. Trimming the airplane must be done by an experienced pilot. If your center of gravity is exact you won't need much trimming. The trims are on your transmitter on each side of your sticks and below your sticks. If your airplane is climbing too much, he will use the elevator trim and trim down. Your elevator trim is just beside your right stick. Push trim up to trim down and down to go up. If your airplane is turning too much to the right, he will use aileron trim which is below your right stick or underneath the right stick and he will move the trim to the left to correct the problem or to the right to correct a left turn. Basically an airplane that is trimmed perfectly will hold all flying positions until a correction is made. 3. Check your engine for full power and idle adjustment. 4. Check your hinges to see that everything is connected. Giant aircraft need inspections just like full size aircraft.

After your instructor takes your airplane off and had everything trimmed, he will want you to take the controls either on your own transmitter or on the buddy box. Don't be too upset if you do not do the right thing. Just move your controls slightly and when in doubt, hold your elevator control up slightly. Your instructor will probably want to put you high up in the air.

One exercise your instructor will want you to do is to practice figure eights. Left hand turns are much too easy. He will want you to do right hand turns too. Just remember these simple things. When the airplane is going away from you and your left wing is low, you move your stick to the right (aileron) and that picks up the low left wing and makes the plane level. If the airplane is coming towards you with the left wing low, you will move the stick to the low wing which is right side and the airplane will become level. When making turns to the right or to the left you will probably want to use elevator in coordiantion with turns to keep the airplane level (that is a light up elevator) and to keep the airplane from diving. Actually the turns are made with the elevator and the ailerons being used to place the airplane at either right or left bank. Once you have learned these simple steps you are ready to do more maneuvers and landings. You will also discover how quick a plane goes out of sight. You have to turn your airplane back to you. You can't let it fly away. But please do not get discouraged. Flying is really fun and you can enjoy it after you practice a while.

If it is possible try to get some stick time, that means, try to hold the transmitter in your hands. Get some feel of the controls, you don't have to move the controls much. you will also have to have some ground schooling. More on this in my next column.