subject: RC Planes For The Weekend Pilot [print this page] RC Planes For The Weekend Pilot RC Planes For The Weekend Pilot
Getting your pilot wings, getting your license to fly and your first craft is a dream that many of us share, and that few of us actually realize. This is tragic because anyone can afford it, one day, if they scrimp and save. For example, the money you spend on a new car could easily go to lessons and a small, safe, used aircraft, but you have to prioritize. With enough saving, one day you can get your wings. Until then, you can fly RC planes, and maybe make some money on it.
The thrill of the RC plane is not an exclusive pleasure, it's not something reserved only for the rich and the retirees. The power, the freedom of flying is all there in a tiny little package that doesn't even cost a tiny fraction of what it takes to really get into flying.
You can begin flying for less than you probably spent on the grocery bill last week, no exaggeration. Some of the basic starter kits can really be bought for that cheap, or cheaper.
To compare the price of RC flight to the other option, the at home flight simulator, there's a clear winner. A flight simulator in your garage can be a lot of fun, and can, potentially, be set up in a single weekend, but only if you have the equipment, the knowledge and the tools already. If not, you may wind up spending as much as you would have on flight school!
With the RC aircraft, you get the joy, the thrill, the freedom of flying without the steep price tag of either a real plane or an at home simulator. For the motorheads out there, you also get the fun of tweaking, tuning and maintaining the engine of the plane. Most RC airplanes use gas based engines which can be fine tuned and customized to perfection.
If you're really serious about flying your RC craft, you can even start making some money with it. Sure, go ahead and look up competitions and races and RC air shows in driving distance from your home town. You might be surprised at just how much there is out there in the RC plane community. Even if you don't always win, you might land a sponsor, which means that the hobby itself will be enjoyed for free.
We're discussing RC flight as a substitute for the real thing, but the fact is, while it does provide some of the same thrill, it's really its own thing, and even when you finally get your pilotwings, you'll probably keep coming back to your RC kit time and again for the sheer freedom and playful fun it provides.
