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Old 12-07-2011, 04:25 PM
 
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Hello friends. I have decided to take up a new hobby of flying radio-controlled airplanes. I bought a r/c flight simulator to practice on my computer (should be here this week), and then I want to buy a decent starter plane (electric, not gas powered for now). I went ahead and bought my A.M.A license, which is basically insurance coverage in case you crash into something or someone, yikes!

Does anyone in this group do this or know of anyone that can suggest a good place to fly in Charlotte proper? I've found online mention of the r/c airfields in York County and Lancaster County but I was thinking of somewhere closer in Charlotte.

Thanks for any advice also.
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Old 12-07-2011, 06:18 PM
 
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Years ago I tagged along with a friend who was into it. We went to a place off Shopton Road and Hwy 49. I have another friend who flies out of his own field in SC. You should contact the local hobby store. They will definitely know where to fly.
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Old 12-07-2011, 08:33 PM
 
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When I was younger, I used to fly at local schools during "off" hours.
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Old 12-07-2011, 08:44 PM
 
Location: Near the water
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Hope this helps...

Gaston RC Flyers
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Old 12-08-2011, 04:38 PM
 
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We haven't been to the Charlotte Aeromodelers but we have been to the field in York, SC.

Tthis is serious stuff ... lots of money in the airplanes. Hubby had bought grandson a plane and we left it in the truck after seeing the $3,000.00+ toys. our plane looked like a gnat.


Charlotte Aeromodelers Club


York County Flyers
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Old 12-08-2011, 04:50 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CarolinaWoman View Post
We haven't been to the Charlotte Aeromodelers but we have been to the field in York, SC.

Tthis is serious stuff ... lots of money in the airplanes. Hubby had bought grandson a plane and we left it in the truck after seeing the $3,000.00+ toys. our plane looked like a gnat.


Charlotte Aeromodelers Club


York County Flyers
It's not just the cost, it's the time many of those people have spent assembling those big buck planes.

One of my aforementioned buddies built a 1/8 scale (I think) P-51 Mustang. I'm no great judge of model planes, but it was beautiful and very authentic. The first time he took it to fly some $10 part (A servo, I think) malfunctioned. Time to assemble: 6 months. Cost: unknown, but the main components were well over $2K. Total flying time: less than 2 minutes.

Oops.
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Old 12-08-2011, 06:06 PM
 
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I recently went to the "Warbirds over the Glades" show at the airfield in Delray Beach, FL and couldn't believe some of these beauty's flying around. And yep, these aren't cheap but I was instantly hooked.

I'm not really looking to get into the super expensive r/c planes anytime soon though. There are plenty of decent planes out there for $100 - $400 dollars that are repairable if crashed. The hand-held controller is probably going to be my biggest expense at first. The one I want runs about $400.

Anyway, my Aerofly5 Simulator came today and I have been practicing. Still can't land worth a hoot but practicing on this should help. It will be a great way to kill some time on a cold winter day. I talked to some of those really good pilots at the Delray Beach show and many of them learned on these simulators.

Hey, CWoman & CKitty, thanks for those links. I've got them bookmarked.
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Old 12-08-2011, 06:10 PM
 
Location: Charlotte, NC
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When I've taken the dog to the dog park at McAlpine Greenway Park, I've often seen folks flying radio-controlled planes in the field there. They looked like smaller planes, but I'm not familiar with the hobby.

I've seen folks at Frank Liske Park in Concord, too - bigger planes, more people; looked like it was a club of some type. That's not too far outside Charlotte.
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Old 12-08-2011, 06:13 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by swampfoxer View Post
I recently went to the "Warbirds over the Glades" show at the airfield in Delray Beach, FL and couldn't believe some of these beauty's flying around. And yep, these aren't cheap but I was instantly hooked.

I'm not really looking to get into the super expensive r/c planes anytime soon though. There are plenty of decent planes out there for $100 - $400 dollars that are repairable if crashed. The hand-held controller is probably going to be my biggest expense at first. The one I want runs about $400.

Anyway, my Aerofly5 Simulator came today and I have been practicing. Still can't land worth a hoot but practicing on this should help. It will be a great way to kill some time on a cold winter day. I talked to some of those really good pilots at the Delray Beach show and many of them learned on these simulators.

Hey, CWoman & CKitty, thanks for those links. I've got them bookmarked.
Flying is easy. Landing, OTOH...not so much, and far more important.

You definitely want to start with something easy to fly and repair. You may also want to start with a lesser controller, or buy used. I know these guys step up through some of their gear.
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Old 12-08-2011, 06:41 PM
 
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vmax I hear ya. I originally wanted to start off with a cheaper controller but some of the advice I got at the airshow was to go ahead and get a good controller that will cover your needs when you advance. Also they say get one with a buddy-box so you can fly with someone else. I still have a lot to learn. Once I feel ready to go out and terrorize the airfields, lol, I'll probably get this starter plane called the Champ for $89.99 which comes with a cheap controller. If I can find one without a controller it would be even cheaper.
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