Plane Crazy MFC offer excellent novice training facilities with friendly and professional tuition. Your training will take you to the required standard to achieve your BMFA 'A' certificate, which is required by all members, before being allowed to fly solo. The club membership fee includes your tuition; please read the site rules before making an application to join the club. Below are some simple pointers for you to get started.

The first thing is the right attitude. Radio control aircraft are not toys, the spinning propeller can cause serious damage to anything it hits. Once in the air the model can travel at considerable speed and the engine in particular, being metal, is potentially lethal on impact. A responsible attitude to the safe operation of model aircraft is not just desirable - it is a legal requirement.

There is the financial expense of buying a model and equipment for radio controlled model flying. At Plane Crazy we will initially provide all equipment so that you can decide on your suitability to the hobby before outlaying hard earned cash. It will however take a lot of your time to learn - you wont learn in a day, or a week, or even a month. You you will need to be able to commit time on a regular basis to be at the field. It is important to maintain regular visits in order to progress at a reasonable rate. You have to be prepared for set backs and frustrations, and the determination to persevere with what is an absorbing, fascinating and very diverse hobby.

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Equipment

It has never been cheaper or easier to get into model flying. Model shops will do a 'startup kit for under £250. The basics supplied are:-

ARTF Trainer, glue for assembly, 2 stroke glow engine or equivalent electric set up, radio control set, fuel pump, glow fuel or batteries and a glow start.
ARTF (almost ready to fly) models have most of the building work already completed e.g. the wings are pre-built and covered, just require glueing together. Similarly with other parts such as the tail section gluing into fuselage.

Usually the instructions are aimed at the 'first time builder' and a weekend is all that is required to complete the assembly, install the engine and radio control items and appropriate movement of control surfaces per the instructions.

Trainers are fun to fly and have forgiving flying characteristics so are ideal for learning. You may like the idea of flying a 'warbird' like a Spitfire or Hurricane but these are much less forgiving than trainers and will often have 'vices' to catch out the novice.