Wintonbury
Flying Club Training Guide
2003 Edition
Welcome to the Wintonbury Flying Club!
This is your flying
training guide for the novice pilot. You will be assigned an experienced
instructor to help train you to become confident enough for solo flight.
You will have mastered by then the four (4) basic steps to solo flight.
It will be YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to contact your instructor prior to coming
to the field to fly. If your instructor is not available, there are usually
other instructors at the field, especially on weekends. Try to be patient
with them as they have other students and also want to fly their own planes
as well. We suggest that you do not solo fly your airplane until you
have completed your flight training course. The time learning to solo
may vary. We have seen young people with good hand and eye coordination
learn in as little as five flights, while I have seen other students struggle
for months. It generally depends on the amount of practice time that you
have available. Your first solo flight will be one that you will always
remember.
The type of aircraft you choose is also a very important choice to make
when learning to fly. You should have a basic four channel trainer. Usually
a forty size aircraft with a wingspan of fifty to sixty inches and with
a lot of dihedral. There are many of these aircraft on the market these
days in both kit build or ARF. If you haven't chosen a plane yet, your instructor
will be glad to help you make the selection that is right for you. You should
also have a radio that will accept a training cord from your instructor's
radio. The trainer cord will allow your instructor to give or take control
of your airplane at the flip of a switch. This switch control on his radio
will help save the loss of your airplane while training to fly especially
at lower altitudes.
You will have received a list of the club's rules and regulations. Please
review these rules carefully. If you have any questions, your instructor,
or any other club member will be glad to help you. I would like to review
two of these important rules:
1. Never, ever turn on your transmitter until you have posted your frequency
pin on the appropriate channel on the frequency board. Example - If your
radio is turned on and someone else is flying on the same channel they will
lose control of their plane and you will be at fault.
2. Never fly over the pit area where all the people are standing and their
cars are parked. Even if you plane is out of control, attempt to direct
it away from the pit area and to warn others of incoming danger.
Following are the four basic steps you will learn:
1. Learning level flight and turns.
2. How to set and hold headings.
3. Taking off.
4. Approaches and landings.
Step One - Learning Level Flights and Turns
It's not as easy as it sounds. As the plane gets further away from you and
at altitude it will become smaller and will be more difficult to see what
it is doing . Your instructor will have taken your plane off and trimmed
it for straight and level flight. You will take control and asked to make
some left and right turns while staying in control and not losing or gaining
significant altitude. Note - When you complete your successful turn around
and the airplane is coming at you your left and right are now reversed.
Your instructor will teach you how to handle this. Once you have mastered
step one you will then go on to Step 2.
Step 2 - How to Set and Hold Headings
The objective of heading control, is to learn to point the airplane where
you want it to go under complete control. You will be shown how to fly to
various parts of the field within boundaries and to return. You will be
shown how to fly over the runway and fly your airplane safely.
Step 3 - Taking-Off
The objective of this step is learning to taxi, take-off, and gain altitude
to a safe flying pattern. Taking-off can be one of the most exciting part
of flying as well as the most dangerous. You will be shown how to take-off
straight and under control, gradually gain altitude, and then make your
first turn away from the pit area to make your flight.
Step 4 - Approaches and Landings
This step is designed to teach you how to learn approaches and successfully
land your plane on the runway. Landing can take the longest to learn and
is the most critical, so stay patient. This is when your plane gets the
slowest and lowest to the ground. Good landings start way back in the pattern
and approach headings, long before touch down. Take your time to learn this
part well, it will be worth it! A good landing is the perfect ending to
a successful flight and the chance of taking your plane home in one piece.
Please ask your instructors questions. There are NO stupid questions. The
more you learn now in training the better you will become in the future.
Good luck and happy flying!
Ray Zisa, Director of flight training.
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