Lesson 10: Nose in Hovering
Don't cringe; nose in hovering isn't that boring. If you begin this lesson with an optimistic attitude, it will be much easier to practice (Yes, I can attest to that). Don't worry, you can do it :)
Of note is that you will, in a way, relearn to fly your helicopter. Therefore, you will want to fly this lesson over concrete or tile (asphalt is fine) like in lessons 2 - 5. You'll also want to set your D/R back to 40 - 50% (I learned with 40%) because you will really be having a hard time trying to correct in time. Also, set your pitch curve back to Lesson 2, because you want to be able to land safely. You shouldn't have taken off your training gear, but if you have, put them back on.
The biggest rule for today is patience.
Approximate Lesson Length: 5 - 10 hours of flight time
Of note is that you will, in a way, relearn to fly your helicopter. Therefore, you will want to fly this lesson over concrete or tile (asphalt is fine) like in lessons 2 - 5. You'll also want to set your D/R back to 40 - 50% (I learned with 40%) because you will really be having a hard time trying to correct in time. Also, set your pitch curve back to Lesson 2, because you want to be able to land safely. You shouldn't have taken off your training gear, but if you have, put them back on.
The biggest rule for today is patience.
Approximate Lesson Length: 5 - 10 hours of flight time
Pre-Flight Exercises:
Nose-In Orientation
These are actually exercises you can practice in between charges in the lessons leading up to this one, particularly Lesson 9. Although mastery of these Pre-flight Exercises won't equate to mastery of this lesson, they will drastically reduce the possibility of disorientation crashes and significantly (2-4 hours) reduce the time needed to learn this lesson. Without mastery of these Pre-Flight Exercises before starting this lesson, it will probably take you 10 hours to learn to nose in hover.
So what are these exercises? Basically, you practice telling the helicopter to go in a direction while it is facing you. Set your heli, unplugged, on the ground or any surface. Now, with your radio off, sit or stand in front of the nose or your heli, preferably about 5-10 feet but a little less or more is fine. Now you are going to practice imagining the helicopter move. However, to imagine / make the helicopter go forward and to the right from you, you will need to make a backwards to the left move. But don't think of nose-in flying like this; always think of each movement in relation to the helicopter. For example, think of a forward to the right movement always making the HELICOPTER move forwards and to the right, whatever direction that may be in relation to you.
Start first by initiating and imagining the helicopter moving forwards (relative to it, not you), to the right, backwards, and to the left. But when you practice don't do these commands in the same order; always choose a random direction to imaging flying next. Once you begin to get the hang of these straight directions, add in diagonals, just like in lesson 2, to spice things up. When you are first starting, you will probably have to take a few seconds or so to think of each command, but as you get better, you may want to practice having someone else point out directions for you and then respond in the appropriate direction as fast as you can.
Again, you can learn to nose in hover without this practice, but you can't learn without actually practicing hovering nose in. The above exercises will help you hone your skills, but hovering is too fast and randomish to accurately simulate without actually flying.
This is where a 4-channel coaxial or stable FP Heli can help out a bit. If you do have a coaxial or stable FP Heli (i.e. one that has a 45 Degree Flybar), you can turn it around (to face it nose-in) and practice the exercises below. This will be more beneficial than the above imaginary exercises (although they will still help) and due to the self-stability of these types of helis you will be able to partially learn with less risk. But as I said above, nothing substitutes for real nose-in hovering on a CP Heli.
So what are these exercises? Basically, you practice telling the helicopter to go in a direction while it is facing you. Set your heli, unplugged, on the ground or any surface. Now, with your radio off, sit or stand in front of the nose or your heli, preferably about 5-10 feet but a little less or more is fine. Now you are going to practice imagining the helicopter move. However, to imagine / make the helicopter go forward and to the right from you, you will need to make a backwards to the left move. But don't think of nose-in flying like this; always think of each movement in relation to the helicopter. For example, think of a forward to the right movement always making the HELICOPTER move forwards and to the right, whatever direction that may be in relation to you.
Start first by initiating and imagining the helicopter moving forwards (relative to it, not you), to the right, backwards, and to the left. But when you practice don't do these commands in the same order; always choose a random direction to imaging flying next. Once you begin to get the hang of these straight directions, add in diagonals, just like in lesson 2, to spice things up. When you are first starting, you will probably have to take a few seconds or so to think of each command, but as you get better, you may want to practice having someone else point out directions for you and then respond in the appropriate direction as fast as you can.
Again, you can learn to nose in hover without this practice, but you can't learn without actually practicing hovering nose in. The above exercises will help you hone your skills, but hovering is too fast and randomish to accurately simulate without actually flying.
This is where a 4-channel coaxial or stable FP Heli can help out a bit. If you do have a coaxial or stable FP Heli (i.e. one that has a 45 Degree Flybar), you can turn it around (to face it nose-in) and practice the exercises below. This will be more beneficial than the above imaginary exercises (although they will still help) and due to the self-stability of these types of helis you will be able to partially learn with less risk. But as I said above, nothing substitutes for real nose-in hovering on a CP Heli.
Nose-In Ground Exercises
Forwards Ground Exercise
Now you're going to go back to Lesson 2 for Nose-In Ground Exercises. Remember, the key to today is patience. Force yourself to perform these exercises until you are comfortable with them nose in.
Start out with a forward (again, always relative to the heli) ground exercise, then a backwards, then left and right exercises. When you can do these well then start practicing Diagonal Ground Exercises (click Lesson 2 if you've forgotten what these were; it will take you back to Lesson 2 where you can refresh your memory). Make your forwards to the left, forwards to the right, backwards to the left, and backwards to the right (all in relation to the helicopter) nice, slow, and controlled.
When you feel comfortable with these ground exercises, its time to move on to hovering . . .
Start out with a forward (again, always relative to the heli) ground exercise, then a backwards, then left and right exercises. When you can do these well then start practicing Diagonal Ground Exercises (click Lesson 2 if you've forgotten what these were; it will take you back to Lesson 2 where you can refresh your memory). Make your forwards to the left, forwards to the right, backwards to the left, and backwards to the right (all in relation to the helicopter) nice, slow, and controlled.
When you feel comfortable with these ground exercises, its time to move on to hovering . . .
Nose-In Hovering
Now you're going to basically repeat Lesson 3, except this time nose-in. Start out hovering only a few inches off the ground, practicing holding the helicopter over your helipad. If it begins to get away from you and you get scared (its fine if you do, much better than getting poor [$$$]), simply cut the throttle and with Lesson 2's Gentle Throttle and Pitch Curves your heli shouldn't suffer any damage.
As you keep practicing, you will be able to start holding a hover for longer and longer. About halfway through your practice or so, you will be able to hover about 5 seconds (on average). When you reach this point, keep with it! You can do it! I feel like this lesson is all about developing the dedication to do greater things. Learning to nose in hover will provide a basis on which you can look back to and say, "I learned to nose in hover. I can do _______ (substitute in fast forward flight, inverted flight, ask a girl out, take out the trash, etc)."
When you are practicing nose in, every so often (say every 20-30 minutes of flight or so) turn around and fly tail in again. Otherwise, you start to forget how to fly tail in!
When you can hold a minute hover at a few inches above the ground, move up to 6 inches, then a foot, then two or wherever ground effect stops stabilizing your hovering. This transition to higher up will likely be very easy, and before you know it you're moving on to Nose-In Hovering Exercises.
As you keep practicing, you will be able to start holding a hover for longer and longer. About halfway through your practice or so, you will be able to hover about 5 seconds (on average). When you reach this point, keep with it! You can do it! I feel like this lesson is all about developing the dedication to do greater things. Learning to nose in hover will provide a basis on which you can look back to and say, "I learned to nose in hover. I can do _______ (substitute in fast forward flight, inverted flight, ask a girl out, take out the trash, etc)."
When you are practicing nose in, every so often (say every 20-30 minutes of flight or so) turn around and fly tail in again. Otherwise, you start to forget how to fly tail in!
When you can hold a minute hover at a few inches above the ground, move up to 6 inches, then a foot, then two or wherever ground effect stops stabilizing your hovering. This transition to higher up will likely be very easy, and before you know it you're moving on to Nose-In Hovering Exercises.
Nose-In Hovering Exercises
Now that you can hover, you'll want to practice Lesson 4 Exercises Nose-In. Master straight hovering exercises, then long Hovering Exercises, then 90 Degree, then Diagonal, long diagonal, and Diagonal 90 Degree Exercises. Complete comfort with these nose-in exercises, if not attained, will plague you later, so become proficient in them.
The images below are examples from Lesson 4, so for this lesson you will need to look at them upside down. Click on an image to get a larger picture.
The images below are examples from Lesson 4, so for this lesson you will need to look at them upside down. Click on an image to get a larger picture.
Nose-In Cyclic Figure 8s
Now its time for Cyclic Figure 8s from lesson 5, but nose in. Don't worry, you have made it over the hurdle and from now on things get much more exciting. Practice both forwards and backwards circles, then complete figure 8s moving in both forward and reverse.
This is very important; otherwise, when flying nose in (as in Lesson 11) you will be uncomfortable and have a harder time flying (and maybe crash).
The images below are examples from lesson 5. Click on an image to get a larger picture and refresh what they are, or go to lesson 5 to reread it's lesson plan.
This is very important; otherwise, when flying nose in (as in Lesson 11) you will be uncomfortable and have a harder time flying (and maybe crash).
The images below are examples from lesson 5. Click on an image to get a larger picture and refresh what they are, or go to lesson 5 to reread it's lesson plan.
Turning Nose-In
Moving in the direction of flight
This part is partially based on lesson 7. However, in this part you don't (or shouldn't) need to practice the whole lesson nose-in; rather, just practice moving in the direction of flight (as seen to the left) but instead turning outwards at the end of each stretch. For example, in the image to the left you would turn 180 Degrees to the left after moving to the left and then turn 180 Degrees to the right after coming back to the right, 180 degrees to the left again after moving to the left, etc.
You want to turn your dual rates back up to about 60-70% for this part of the lesson.
Now you've done it! You've completed what, in my humble opinion, was the most testing lesson in flight school. Basically, if you can learn to nose-in hover, you can do anything. Nose in hovering on a CP Heli distinguishes the beginners from the intermediates and experts. Well now with nose-in over we can go back to the excitement of FFF in Lesson 11: Fast Projected Circuits and Pre-Acrobatics!
You want to turn your dual rates back up to about 60-70% for this part of the lesson.
Now you've done it! You've completed what, in my humble opinion, was the most testing lesson in flight school. Basically, if you can learn to nose-in hover, you can do anything. Nose in hovering on a CP Heli distinguishes the beginners from the intermediates and experts. Well now with nose-in over we can go back to the excitement of FFF in Lesson 11: Fast Projected Circuits and Pre-Acrobatics!