Hi

Hi guys I'm Kayla Leadbeatter a new member, I fly many and make many planes to keep me occupied on the holidays and on weekends. Last weekend I flew my dads 1/2A Pathfinder with my dad we did loops but when it came to dad saying " lets do a figure of 8 " I crashed it because I forgot that when you are upside down up is down and down is up. I was pulling down and my dad was pulling up alls I said when it crashed was woops! the wing was in half and I think the nose of the plane broke off too but it is repaired now. my Dad is Warren Leadbeatter he has put a few pictures of the pathfinder on the website.

stukette

Welcome to the Forum, Kayla (Stukette). We've been watching your progress. Yeah, "down is up/up is down" is something we all went through. Try flying very long Lazy Eights and you'll soon get the hang of it.

Thanks for the advice I will try that thanks again

Hi Stukette,

Don't worry about crashing a few times learning to stunt, especially flying inverted and figure eights.

Every one does when they first start and some keep doing it for a long time.

Most important thing is Don't give up. You'll get it in no time.

I'll bet it's great having a Dad that can teach you interesting things like flying inverted.

I've never actually met your Dad but he seems like a very nice fellow here on Stuka Stunt Works.

Maybe someday you and him can come to the US for a contest and we can meet.

I will bet that you will be flying inverted and doing figure eights and everything else in no time!

Thanks for putting your "post" on Stuka Stunt Works. It's always nice to hear from someone learning to stunt.

>Hi Stukette,
>
>Don't worry about crashing a few times learning to stunt,
>especially flying inverted and figure eights.
>
>Every one does when they first start and some keep doing it
>for a long time.
>
>Most important thing is Don't give up. You'll get it in no
>time.
>
>I'll bet it's great having a Dad that can teach you
>interesting things like flying inverted.
>
>I've never actually met your Dad but he seems like a very
>nice fellow here on Stuka Stunt Works.
>
>Maybe someday you and him can come to the US for a contest
>and we can meet.
>
>I will bet that you will be flying inverted and doing figure
>eights and everything else in no time!
>
>Thanks for putting your "post" on Stuka Stunt Works. It's
>always nice to hear from someone learning to stunt.

GMA said he wiped out eight airplanes trying to learn to just fly inverted. One old piece of advice I have heard is: If the wheels are on top (looking at the plane) and you want to go where the wheels are (away from the ground), give it down (control) think in terms of the wheels being on the bottom and going there...

Absolutely agree. Think canopy direction/wheels direction and you can't go wrong. I need to go to the wheels go get away from the ground or I need to go to the canopy, and it is pretty clear. You have to learn to put yourself inside the airplane, and fly from there.

( I still can't do that to my satisfaction.... sigh )

Hi Kayla; Like Uncle Mikey said, we've all been ther and done that a lot! The way I learned and the way I teach is to NOT call it up and down, but "bottom and top." If uyyou are upright and too high, you give control towards the bottom and vice-versa. If you are upside down and too low, you still give "bottom" control. Either way, you always want to make the airplane go the direction you want it to go, towards the top or towards the bottm. Hope I don't confuse you with that.
Welcome to the hobby and I hope we hear a lot more from you.
Good luck and have fun,
Dan McEntee
St.Louis. MO USA

Hi Kayla, just wanted to welcome you to our forum also. Can only agree and repeat what the guys have already said. Don't give up! (especially when you're inverted).

The event is unique, from the planes that are flown to the people who fly them. I hope you discover, as I did, how special it all is.

Bill Ervin (President, Cedar Yopantz Aircraft Co.)

LAST EDITED ON Oct-11-06 AT 07:55 PM (CST)
 
Kayla,
Way to go... Keep it up. Pun intended. =)

I have been back at it for about 2 years now and I still plant them in the ground. Keep your dad and the glue handy.
You guys have some nice paint jobs.

Keep us posted on how you are doing.

Paul Taylor

~I wish I knew everything you have forgotten about C/L.

Check out my Blog@
http://rootbeard.rcuniverse.com
A link to a slide show of a fun day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-_sR0ZydSQ

gee thanks for all our advice guys and I do hope I see some of yous at the US someday I will use that advice and once again thanks

> Last weekend I flew my dads 1/2A Pathfinder with
>my dad we did loops but when it came to dad saying " lets do
>a figure of 8 " I crashed it because I forgot that when you
>are upside down up is down and down is up. I was pulling
>down and my dad was pulling up alls I said when it crashed
>was woops! the wing was in half and I think the nose of the
>plane broke off too but it is repaired now.

Eh, that's just the way it goes. Every one of us had crashed a hundred times, just part of the process. If you put it together in the first place, you can put it back together.

Welcome,
Keep up the good work. Flying a control line stunt plane is a wonderful skill and quite a rush everytime you learn something new or do it better than before. Inverted will come quickly, as previously advised try flying figure eights and just keep lengthing the inverted portion as you become more and more comfortable. Augering one in and re-kitting it is unfortunately part of the learning process. One of the great challenges and part of the attraction of control line is the fact that you have very little airspace to work in.
Enjoy yourself and the wonderful time you are spending with your Dad.

Pat King
Monee, Illinois

I planted mine 3 times in exactly the same spot learning the horizontal 8. Ran out of needle valves.

Stukette:
It's a very large expense, but maybe you should ask Dad to plan a holiday for you and him to Tucson for the VSC. If you like controline you'll LOVE this!

Kayla, welcome to SSW...a lot of good advice here on flying inverted and doing "8s."
Something I did to help me keep it inverted and under control, is to do a half loop, while approaching the top, start to roll your hand over (palm up) thus making the bottom of the handle "the up end." At first I would twist my wrist over to the point that the bottom of the handle was amost pointed up. Eventually this becomes less exagerated and comfortable...for me that is...try it, it may work for you. Most of all don't get frustrated, you'll figure it out. Keep us posted.
Norm

Hi Kayla,

I'd like to add my welcome too. Flying is great fun and flying inverted is the first real hurdle. Once you've got that taped you are on your way.

I crashed it because I forgot that when you
>are upside down up is down and down is up.

Welcome Kayla. Keep up the good work, it's great to see you here, BUT.....

How could you make a mistake like that when you live in Australia and are already upside down?

My effort to learn inverted flight was to go inverted and stay at 45 degrees or above and play with the up and down control. Keep you wits about you. It will come.

Hi Kayla

Did you have a go at inverted this weekend?

Kayla. Welcome to the wonderful world of stunt! What's a few crashes among friends?

Hey.. I like your screen name "Stukette". Why didn't I think of that?

Floyd Carter in Oregon USA

"Cuz you ain"t a guuurl? Kayla, I think it is marvelous that one of the (smarter) fairer sex is joining us, I was just twigging Floyd.

Welcome to the (fraternity won't work, brotherhood, isn't even close, we need a new noun) gang (howzzat?)

You will find a marvelous crew here to answer any question, no matter how naive or elementary. (not alimentary, though I do like to cook).

The few ladies who have consented to compete in this "Male, Macho" sport have generally kicked our butts. Thank goodness you are a rare example.

It is a great way to meet some really nice guys who probably are hopeless to meet any other way. Nerds can be fun!

(I'm doomed, the stunt Mafia will certainly write a contract on me for this one.... )

Hi all,

One other point I might make, is Kayla is a left handed flyer. Not many of those around either I am led to believe.

She flew in her first stunt competition yesterday and flew her new Akromaster powered by a Taipan 2.5cc Goldhead. She mainly did it for the experience of flying in front of a crowd. Nice take off and level flight, wingover and langing only but her landing was way better than mine. I'm not sure where she placed but I came in 3rd flying her plane. I was pleased with that result for our first comp.

Cheers

We need more "Stunt Chicks". The boys will be along soon, and then the Park Department will have to build more flying circles. This is my solution to the flying site problem. Thanks, Kayla and Warren!
Steve

My 5 year old daughter is starting to show signs of interest.

LAST EDITED ON Oct-15-06 AT 11:30 PM (CST)
 
Local expert flyer Jim Hoffman flies with his left hand. It seems to make no difference.

Ask Dad to pass the hat and collect enough AUS$ to fund your holiday to VSC-19 next March. Once you've seen THIS you'll never want to stop.

Mike tell us more. What is VSC 19?

LAST EDITED ON Oct-15-06 AT 11:53 PM (CST)
 
Ahh, Warren....that's the 19th annual Vintage Stunt Championships, to be held here in Tucson, Arizona 14-17 March 2007. Four days of official flying: Old Time on Wednesday & Thursday; Classic on Friday & Saturday, although most people arrive one or two days prior. Awards banquet on Saturday evening. Full details on our club web site, www.ccmaconline.org, and you can see photos and a write-up on past VSCs on the Oz website maintained by Ken Dowell: http://www.vicstunt.com/Aerobatics/VSC/VSC.htm.

Take a gander at THAT, then tell me you and Stukette wouldn't want to be here!!!

(The evening social hours/parties have become as much--if not more--of an attraction that the actual flying.)

Competition, yes...but it's the camraderie that counts. If there is a remote chance that you can attend, please contact me via private e-mail and I'll send you even MORE details.

LAST EDITED ON Oct-16-06 AT 05:07 AM (CST)
 
>Local expert flyer Jim Hoffman flies with his left hand. It
>seems to make no difference.
>
>Mike Keville
>Tucson

Aren't you forgetting someone, Mike? Seems I remember a fellow named Klapinski who lives in your area - - National Champ, or something. Of course, that was a l-o-n-n-g time ago.

Anyhow, Kayla, Bart can get a 500+ score with a brick on a string! Flies counter-clockwise, but lefty none-the-less.

>We need more "Stunt Chicks". The boys will be along soon,
>and then the Park Department will have to build more flying
>circles. This is my solution to the flying site problem.
>Thanks, Kayla and Warren!
> Steve
>

YES!!!!!!! Ive been thinking/saying that for years. Yes there have been a few. I hung out with Krystal King at the Nat's a few years back...veeerry good flyer. She had a short-lived stunt career; I flew against here in the Jr Beginner class back in '98. I assume she decided to concentrate on flying combat. I used to watch Krystal and Nick Mears, another good flyer from Texas, battle it out. What a show!

Last I hear she went to college to get a degree in law (?!?!?!) Maybe she will become a senator or something and lobby congress to build more sites...and end the war in Iraq so I can come home and fly some more!

LAST EDITED ON Oct-16-06 AT 05:20 AM (CST)
 
Floyd,
I chose that name because it was the first that came to my head

LAST EDITED ON Oct-16-06 AT 05:24 AM (CST)
 
Dear Everyone,
I went in my first competition on sunday. I don't know what I came but I only did a little of the pattern, but I didn't go inverted. Everyone was proud of me and surprised because I was the only female and left handed flyer they had ever seen

Congratulations Kayla,

I flew in a few contests flying only part of the pattern when I was young, too. That is a good way to get used to flying in the contest environment. Good show.

My son Michael is 10 and he soloed on Saturday with a .35 sized Midwest King Cobra stunter. His landings are a little rough still, but I have a lot of epoxy and CA glue.

It is very exciting to see young people enjoying control line flying.
Have lots of fun.

Chris...

Back in '87, I wrote an article for Flying Models magazine on learning to fly inverted. I suggested that the student use a small 1/2A plane with a built-up wing, like a Baby Ringmaster. Build the plane really strong, and cover the wings with silk or one of the iron-on fabrics so that the model can take a lot of abuse. Then go out to a place where the ground is really soft, or there is knee-high grass. Have your helper hand launch the plane and then proceed to try your inverted flying. If you crash, you just pick the plane up and go again. Nothing to fix because most likely nothing broke. This in itself will help you, because it takes the "fear of crashing" out of you and you can concentrate on your technique. I learned to fly inverted using this method and afterward, I never crashed a model because I got "crossed up". And it sure beats smashing your larger stunt trainer a bunch of times to achieve the same end.

Kayla, please post a pic of your plane. Thanks!

Hi Here is a couple of her planes...

WOW!

I was pulling down and my dad was pulling up alls I said when it crashed was woops! >stukette

Miss Leadbeatter: Welcome! I worked with a guy that was training to fly Mosquitoes during World War II. For some reason, he and his copilot hated each other. (Band of Brothers, right?)

Anyhow, they lost an engine on take off, and Terry pushed the yoke to nose it down, and the copilot was pulling back on it with all his strength. Needless to say, "woops" indeed! Terry walked away, and probably the copilot, too.

It's good to have you on the forum.

I can see why the Leadbeatter family could be running out of storage soon!

Nice planes - HAVE FUN. Winter has started here at last and it's colder, wet and worst of all WINDY

No flying for us this weekend either unfortunately... seems like we are getting a bit of your winter weather before the summer begins.
ie cold wet and windy southerly blowing all weekend.

I will tell you right now, your daddy is a class act. I have seen many a man who did not spend a minute with his kids. That daddy of yours is doing a great thing and someday you will really look back on it all and feel all warm and squishy in your guts. I saw your Akromaster, a plane in which I am an expert, and I will tell you without hesitation that it is the best looking ##### Akromaster I have ever seen! Keep up the good work, mate!

Floyd Cummins

G'day Kayla,

We lefties are not all that rare. Reg Towell is a pretty fair F2B pilot,
Mike Kaminski (Senior) is pretty good combat flier, and I manage to stay out of serious trouble on Team racing circles (well most of the time).

Just don't let anyone get on your goat about how you're standing on the wrong side of the handle (etc etc.)

Good luck with your flying.

Greggles

Hi Greg,

Yes Kayla knows Reg. We fly with him regularly as we are in the same club.

Cheers

Some very kind words there Floyd. Thanks!

Warren,

How do you get your kids past the noise aspect of C/L?

My 5 year old daughter has been showing signs of interest, but when I ran some engines on the weekend she bailed out and declared that she doesn't like them. About the only one that didn't bother her was the Saito four stroke.

I have hopes of teaching her to fly.

cheers,
Colin

Col,

The noise issue has never come up. I think they must like it. I know Amy didnt like loud noises when she was younger, but it doesnt seem to be an issue now.

Cheers

I don't think its so much a case of her hating noise, as her knowing her mother hates noise. She treats her mother as the primary role model. If I like something and her mother hates something - I lose!!!

I'm determined to at least get her to try it.