Zen hovers and crashes in the San Francisco Bay Area
There is often a micro heli in the day pack I take around town in case time, good weather, and a likely flying spot coincide. People see the tail boom and rotor protruding from the pack and ask me if the 'propeller' makes my bicycle go faster!
I f ly in the park near my house as often as I can. In the morning there is no one around and little or no wind. It is very peaceful and there is nothing quite like seeing a helicopter in the air and telling it which way to go. I can fly circles and eights and am working on achieving better control. I also love flying it high—30 feet or more. But the first battery is devoted to slow forward flight, turns, and hovering in all orientations. Trying to do too much right away almost guarantees a crash.
When it comes crashes RC helicopter pilots are incurable optimists. We carefully repair the results of each crash and go right back to the activity that caused it! We learn, however slowly, how to avoid crashing that way again. But new ways to crash are waiting for us in every new maneuver!
In the afternoon and on weekends small kids play in the 'tot lot' in the park. If I fly later in the day it is important to be sure they don't come too close to me or the helicopter. My park flyers are micros with balsa blades that can't do much damage. The heli's draw fascinated kids who watch and ask questions and some ask if they can fly it! I tell them to stay behind the cement walk that I fly from. My position on the walk lets me see anyone who is approaching in time to land if necessary. When I set a heli down and unplug flight power I let the kids touch and handle the bird with me and ask questions. Changing flight batteries becomes an introduction to physics. I let the kids hold the discharged battery to feel its heat. Parents and nannies enjoy the show and sometimes an adult will ask where I got the helicopter, how much it cost, and how hard it is to fly. I hand out color business-size ABCheli cards as invitions to visit this web site.
The helicopter lets me reach places that I never could before. As I gain confidence my relationship with the three dimensional space around me is more intimate. Wherever I go I look for potential flying fields and go back later to try them out. Large, green fields or parks with a blue sky background illuminated by direct sunlight let me see the helicopter well and know which way it is pointing. Gray days and confusing backgrounds induce loss of orientation and have helped me to crash more than once. Although I like big fields the little micro heli's let me fly practically anywhere.
Flying an RC helicopter concentrates the body, senses, mind, and spirit. Calmness is the goal but relaxation can be hard to achieve when we focus on not-crashing or are working hard to keep tabs on the helicopter in wind. When everything comes together there is nothing like a helicopter in flight. Tightly banked turns in fast forward flight and circuits are always nice. Hovering the helicopter nose-in and flying circles and figure eights sometimes feels like magic. And there is always the promise of the next maneuver to master.
An RC helicopter is a moving poem shared with others.
Flying in the Park. |