forward flight or nose in?

[flingwing]

just wondering in the normal progression of things as a begginer what should come first? mastering nose in hovers (and all other angles as well of course) or being abble to do circles or small circuits in forward flight? i've heard different opinions and would love to hear yours.

thanks

[sgtmike74]

I am pretty much a newby, but I have to say that flying in circles is easier (to me) then hovering nose in. I think the reason why is that with foward flight the heli is acting more like an airplane. All you have to do is maintain your bank and keep the nose level....easy. Hovering nose in on the other hand is more of a handfull in my eyes. If you make one slight movement in the wrong direction you have better be able to correct it while thinking in reverse or kiss dirt!

[tdswan]

I learned nose in first before doing any forward flight. An easy way of learning this is to have the heli do circles (with the nose pointing the same direction) around you standing in a fixed position. A sim is what finally got me comfortable with it. It takes a LONG time to get comfortable with nose-in hover. I will still hover at least a half-tank per flying day nose in, landing and taking off just to keep in practice. If you don't do it at least once each time you fly, you get rusty at it. It is much easier in FF, like stated above, to come at yourself nose-in because it's easier when it's moving. In my opinion, it is still a good idea to at least get somewhat comfortable with nose-in first. Always have a bail-out move ready....Usually spinning the tail towards you to recover. I still occasionally use the move if I get disoriented.

[mb323]

I learned nose in first by practicing on the sim, low and close, then taking it up and higher, then forward flight towards me and stopping in a hover high and away.

After I got comfortable with all of that on the sim I reversed the process with my real heli. Starting with forward flight towards me and stopping high and away, then closer and closer until I was hovering 10' out 5' up and finally to a nose in landing.

A good bail out plan is important, mine is add collective while turning it around.

[axis]

I get all screwed up during nose in but I do FFF without a problem. So I guess you could say I learned forward flight before nose in.

[mb323]

I get all screwed up during nose in but I do FFF without a problem. So I guess you could say I learned forward flight before nose in.

I know what you mean about all screwed up. When I finally got to where I was nose-in hovering close, I hovered a full tank nose-in without any issues, then when I turned the heli around to land I forgot how to hover normally, when I tried to correct, I move the sticks the wrong way. I managed to get the heli on the ground without a major incident but that was a hair raising experience.

Now I will nose in hover no more than a minute or two before changing orientation.