Remote Control Helicopters Flying Guide

Uneven tracking you should check the following:

• One of the blade pitch rods is slightly longer than the other
• Possibly a bent or damaged feathing shaft
• Paddles that are not level or not symetric. Just because they're parallel does not mean they are level.
• Damange thrust bearing in the blade grips

Helicopter gradually pulls up in forward flight check the following:

• The pitch in the paddles may be slightly positive overall.
• The helicopter may be nose heavy, yes - nose heavy.

Helicopter gradually dives in forward flight check the following:

• The pitch in the paddles may be slightly negative overall.
• The helicopter may be tail heavy, yes - tail heavy.

Helicopter is pitchy, rapidly pulls up and down check the following:

• You may need heavier paddles
• You may want to add flybar weights
• If it's optional, move to the mounting hole closer to the leading edge of the paddle.

Uneven tracking while performing high rate yanking and banking:

• Check that the center of gravity of each blade is the exact same distance out and that the blades are the exact same weight.
• Check for excessive slop in the control linkages

Vibrations

There are only a few systems that can cause a "low speed" shake. (5 - 30Hz) Low speed shakes are the most scarey kind because the thing looks like it might explode or resembles a paint shaker.

• Nonbalanced rotorblades
• Nontracked rotorblades
• Blade grips that are not exactly spaced from the head the same, or have slop in them alowing the blade grips to shift laterally more than .5mm.
• A flybar who's paddles are not exactly the same distance out from the center when the paddles are screwed in the same number of turns.
• A bent flybar or spindle.
• A bent main shaft. Unfortunately the only way to tell if it's bent is to remove it and roll it on glass.
• A damaged head.
• Excesive slop in the mixing arms possibly.
• A set of blades that don't have matched CGs (debatable) Matching the CG is different than just balancing.
• Warn out rubber dampeners.
• Training gear can amplify a otherwise harmles imbalance into a scarey violent shake. You can usually cure this by running a different head speed and or changing the length of the training gear and how securely or loosely they're fastened to the landing struts.

There are also only a limited number of things that can cause a "high freq shake." (100-300 Hz) High frequency vibrations are most evident by a hum sound comming from the canopy, blurred stabelizer fins, and or foamy fuel in the main tank.

• Engine vibrations or bent crank shaft.
• Damaged or unbalanced clutch or clutch bell.
• Cooling fan not balanced.
• Bent start shaft.
• Resonating tail drive shaft.
• Tail blades unbalanced or not tracking.
• Tail mast or hub bent.
• Damaged pinions or gears.

Radio Problems

There are many causes of radio interference and lockout. If you just have plain FM, radio hits will manifest themselves as control jerks and spasms. If you have PCM your controls will just stop responding and move to your pre-programed positions. Usually with a helicopter this is all servo's maintain last position and throttle to idle. I'll list as many causes as I can think of.

• Antenna touching something metal.
• Metal to metal screws that are not loc-tited.
• Any loose metal to metal connections that can rattle or vibrate.
• Bad bearings that are notchy, noisy or otherwise damaged.
• TV channel interference from a harmonic frequency. Channel 20 is bad around my area and channel 40 gets interference from the audio band of TV channel 4. Check your hobby stores for info.
• A reciever that is not sufficiently insulated from eingine vibrations.
• Antenna is too close to electronics. Try to avoid other wires, servo's, governers and gyros as much as possible.
• Grease any bearing that's supposed to be greased. Usually just in the tail gear case
• Make sure if you can, that you're not flying close to another field where people might be on the same channel
• Loose connections inside your receiver (maybe from a previous crash) or any other leads to servos or a loose frequency crystal in the receiver
• Low battery power on the reciever or transmitter.
• If you point your antenna directly at the helicopter it has the weakest signal. 45 degrees in any direction from the tip of the antenna has the strongest signal.
• If you have a short whip antenna, take special care to avoid mounting it near other electronics and that the electrical connections are very secure.

Tail Jerks (Non radio related)

Sometimes your tail wags, jerks or spasms randomly from time to time. Here are some things to check for...

• Gyro too sensitive, although if you have to make it so unsensitive the tail is "slippery" this isn't the problem.
• The gyro might be too sensitive for very high rpm's like those experienced when descending or the "weightless parts" of aerobatics. Also, fast flight makes the tail more sensitive so you might get tail wag if you're going faster than usual. You'll just need to decrease your gain 5%.
• Gyro mounted poorly. Avoid mounting a gyro in a manor that waging will be able to wobble the gyro along the verticle axis. Don't use the side of the gyro to mount it to a vertical section, use the base of it on a horizontal surface.
• Use the gyro tape suplied with the gyro, or material designed for gyro's.
• Bad high frequency vibrations and interfere with the electronics of a gyro and make it work poorly.
• If you have a belt drive make sure the teeth on the belt aren't hitting inside the boom, which can happen if your belt is too loose.
• If your engine is running too lean it can sputter which will cause sudden loss of tail power, or sudden burst of tail power which will "kick" the tail around.
• This could be a warning sign that your drive shaft is loose, slipping or backing out.
• This is also a good indication you're running low on gas, or sucking up air bubles from fuel intake.
• Many times the tail is the most sensitive part of the helicopter, so radio hits may be mostly noticed in tail jerks. See the above for troubleshooting radio interference.
• Perhaps your belt, gear or pinion are missing teeth or have damaged (rounded) teeth which are skipping. Check the clutch area, main gear and tail gears for rounded or missing teeth.

Remote Control Helicopters Flying Guide

Uneven tracking you should check the following:

• One of the blade pitch rods is slightly longer than the other
• Possibly a bent or damaged feathing shaft
• Paddles that are not level or not symetric. Just because they're parallel does not mean they are level.
• Damange thrust bearing in the blade grips
  

Helicopter gradually pulls up in forward flight check the following:

• The pitch in the paddles may be slightly positive overall.
• The helicopter may be nose heavy, yes - nose heavy.
  

Helicopter gradually dives in forward flight check the following:

• The pitch in the paddles may be slightly negative overall.
• The helicopter may be tail heavy, yes - tail heavy.
  

Helicopter is pitchy, rapidly pulls up and down check the following:

• You may need heavier paddles
• You may want to add flybar weights
• If it's optional, move to the mounting hole closer to the leading edge of the paddle.
  

Uneven tracking while performing high rate yanking and banking:

• Check that the center of gravity of each blade is the exact same distance out and that the blades are the exact same weight.
• Check for excessive slop in the control linkages
  

Vibrations
There are only a few systems that can cause a "low speed" shake. (5 - 30Hz) Low speed shakes are the most scarey kind because the thing looks like it might explode or resembles a paint shaker.

• Nonbalanced rotorblades
• Nontracked rotorblades
• Blade grips that are not exactly spaced from the head the same, or have slop in them alowing the blade grips to shift laterally more than .5mm.
• A flybar who's paddles are not exactly the same distance out from the center when the paddles are screwed in the same number of turns.
• A bent flybar or spindle.
• A bent main shaft. Unfortunately the only way to tell if it's bent is to remove it and roll it on glass.
• A damaged head.
• Excesive slop in the mixing arms possibly.
• A set of blades that don't have matched CGs (debatable) Matching the CG is different than just balancing.
• Warn out rubber dampeners.
• Training gear can amplify a otherwise harmles imbalance into a scarey violent shake. You can usually cure this by running a different head speed and or changing the length of the training gear and how securely or loosely they're fastened to the landing struts.
  

There are also only a limited number of things that can cause a "high freq shake." (100-300 Hz) High frequency vibrations are most evident by a hum sound comming from the canopy, blurred stabelizer fins, and or foamy fuel in the main tank.

• Engine vibrations or bent crank shaft.
• Damaged or unbalanced clutch or clutch bell.
• Cooling fan not balanced.
• Bent start shaft.
• Resonating tail drive shaft.
• Tail blades unbalanced or not tracking.
• Tail mast or hub bent.
• Damaged pinions or gears.
  

Radio Problems
There are many causes of radio interference and lockout. If you just have plain FM, radio hits will manifest themselves as control jerks and spasms. If you have PCM your controls will just stop responding and move to your pre-programed positions. Usually with a helicopter this is all servo's maintain last position and throttle to idle. I'll list as many causes as I can think of.

• Antenna touching something metal.
• Metal to metal screws that are not loc-tited.
• Any loose metal to metal connections that can rattle or vibrate.
• Bad bearings that are notchy, noisy or otherwise damaged.
• TV channel interference from a harmonic frequency. Channel 20 is bad around my area and channel 40 gets interference from the audio band of TV channel 4. Check your hobby stores for info.
• A reciever that is not sufficiently insulated from eingine vibrations.
• Antenna is too close to electronics. Try to avoid other wires, servo's, governers and gyros as much as possible.
• Grease any bearing that's supposed to be greased. Usually just in the tail gear case
• Make sure if you can, that you're not flying close to another field where people might be on the same channel
• Loose connections inside your receiver (maybe from a previous crash) or any other leads to servos or a loose frequency crystal in the receiver
• Low battery power on the reciever or transmitter.
• If you point your antenna directly at the helicopter it has the weakest signal. 45 degrees in any direction from the tip of the antenna has the strongest signal.
• If you have a short whip antenna, take special care to avoid mounting it near other electronics and that the electrical connections are very secure.
  

Tail Jerks (Non radio related)
Sometimes your tail wags, jerks or spasms randomly from time to time. Here are some things to check for...

• Gyro too sensitive, although if you have to make it so unsensitive the tail is "slippery" this isn't the problem.
• The gyro might be too sensitive for very high rpm's like those experienced when descending or the "weightless parts" of aerobatics. Also, fast flight makes the tail more sensitive so you might get tail wag if you're going faster than usual. You'll just need to decrease your gain 5%.
• Gyro mounted poorly. Avoid mounting a gyro in a manor that waging will be able to wobble the gyro along the verticle axis. Don't use the side of the gyro to mount it to a vertical section, use the base of it on a horizontal surface.
• Use the gyro tape suplied with the gyro, or material designed for gyro's.
• Bad high frequency vibrations and interfere with the electronics of a gyro and make it work poorly.
• If you have a belt drive make sure the teeth on the belt aren't hitting inside the boom, which can happen if your belt is too loose.
• If your engine is running too lean it can sputter which will cause sudden loss of tail power, or sudden burst of tail power which will "kick" the tail around.
• This could be a warning sign that your drive shaft is loose, slipping or backing out.
• This is also a good indication you're running low on gas, or sucking up air bubles from fuel intake.
• Many times the tail is the most sensitive part of the helicopter, so radio hits may be mostly noticed in tail jerks. See the above for troubleshooting radio interference.
• Perhaps your belt, gear or pinion are missing teeth or have damaged (rounded) teeth which are skipping. Check the clutch area, main gear and tail gears for rounded or missing teeth.
  

All About RTF Remote Control Helicopters

If you are interested in purchasing rtf remote control helicopters, then you’ve come to the right place. I personally recommend any type of rtf remote control helicopters because I have found them to be uniformly well made and durable. When I was recently out with a friend flying our rtf remote control helicopters, she mentioned that she was upset because she had also purchased a non-rtf remote control helicopters, and simply did not get the same type of quality, and it actually crashed and broke into a thousand pieces on the second day she owned it!




I’m happy to say that she was able to return it the next day and get her money back, but it was still an upsetting experience for her, and she’ll always remember from now on that she only should purchase rtf remote control helicopters.

Mine is blue with white stripes, and the propeller is really beautiful—gold and red glitter, so it really sparkles when it’s flying. I love flashy rtf remote control helicopters, but if you’re more into the utilitarian version, then you will be happy to know that there are many models out there, and you could probably even find one in all black or all white. Actually I think it might be fun to get one in black and one in white and fight them until one crashes and breaks. Of course, you’d have to purchase them wholesale, or at least on a good deal, because you know you’ll be breaking one of them completely, and the other one might never be the same. But it would certainly be a cool game to play once, and you could even video tape it and upload it to one of the video sites, such as You Tube.

Either way, I’m sure you’ll enjoy your rtf remote control helicopters when you finally decide to purchase them, and I would certainly recommend, as always doing a few hours of comparison shopping before making the purchase. This is especially important for rtf remote control helicopters, and I cannot stress it enough, because I have talked to people who have purchased the exact same models for wildly different prices. When I talked to two people, one of which paid twice as much as the other one for the same model, my jaw dropped, and it was then that I was sure of the importance of comparison shopping. And the funniest thing was, the person who spent twice as much ended up crashing her helicopter after only having it for one year! I felt so bad for her, but it was really the definition of irony.

Anyway, I hope that you’ll heed this advice before you purchase a rtf remote control helicopters, even though they are universally well made and durable, you can still pay hugely variable prices for the same degree of quality. No matter how much money you have, you should always try to make the most educated purchases, to retain your hard earned cash.

Big Remote Control Helicopters Require Skill

If space is not an issue for you, then you might be able to consider purchasing some of the new big remote control helicopters that recently were introduced from multiple brands. These helicopters, which can sometimes be as large as ten feet long, rival real helicopters in agility and of course, in price. They can run you up to 3 thousand dollars, or so I have heard.



But like many crazes, some people think that they just have to own one of their own. So now, if you go out to a long, open plain, you might see some of these big remote control helicopters flying around, and at first you’ll probably think they are real helicopters that are simply further away then you first think. But then you’ll probably see someone else controlling the helicopter through their equally big remote control, and then you’ll know the truth.

If you get a chance to see one of these in flight, consider yourself lucky. With the tremendous expense of owning one of these beauties, comes their rarity. Of course, being an avid collector myself, I have considered purchasing one of these big remote control helicopters, and I even put a bid on one in Ebay, but I ended up not getting it and instead deciding to wait until the price goes down a little bit.

Like with any other huge commodity, big remote control helicopters are the it factor now, but in a few years, I am sure they will overcome the demand with a bigger supply, and then I’ll be ready and waiting to purchase. Until then, I have a very generous and rich friend who owns one, and I will practice flying it on his. I have already taken it out once, and it’s so much more powerful than the typical small remote control helicopters that you may be used to. When you first turn it on, the big remote control helicopter’s blade spins with such ferocity, you may worry that you’re going to blow away. When it lifts off the ground, you will probably feel a huge sense of accomplishment, knowing that you are the one that is controlling it.

And if you’re able to nail the landing, then you can consider yourself a true helicopter connoisseur, because even those very well versed in small remote control helicopters would be impressed to see someone land a big remote control helicopters—it’s a whole different ball game, really. So if you happen to be lucky, rich, or determined enough to purchase one of your own, or if you’re able to practice on a friend’s helicopter like me, enjoy your time with your large helicopter.

I guarantee it’ll be one of the most exhilarating experiences of your life. For me, the entire process was unreal, and when it was all over, I had to call everyone I knew and tell them how I flew a 10 foot helicopter and prevented it from crashing. I bet that’s how pilots feel the first time they fly a fighter jet. It’s just incomprehensible unless you try it for yourself.

Bringing My Remote Control Helicopters to Gaithersburg, MD

I recently took a job located in Gaithersburg, MD, and with that comes a pretty sizeable move. I need to basically move across the country, and when I realized that this job offer was finalized, I almost had a panic attack, because I didn’t know how I would best transport my collection of remote control helicopters.


What ended up happening was a great story that I love to tell other helicopter enthusiasts or even other potential helicopter enthusiasts. Anyway, I called a few of my friends in the area, who are also remote control helicopter enthusiasts. Although none of them lived anywhere near Gaithersburg, MD, they were all ready and willing to help me in my move. They showed up a week in advance and helped me pack up my collection of about 7549 remote control helicopters, which ended up being a painstaking amount of wrapping, checking, and rewrapping of each helicopter and then placing them into a box and making sure that they won’t bump against each other or break during transport. I had to make sure that when I arrived in Gaithersburg, MD that my helicopters would still be intact, because I had a competition in the near future, and I didn’t want to lose even one of the helicopters in my large collection.

Luckily, my friends were extremely careful and considerate and made sure that they packaged each one carefully and when I finally arrived in Gaitherburg, by car, they were there to help with unloading as well. I just couldn’t believe that they took the time and the money for me. I never realized how helpful other helicopter enthusiasts could be, and I’ll never forget how wonderful they were during my move to my new job in Gaithersburg.

I am really now excited about my new job, and now that I’ve begun I am really thinking that this is the job for me, and someday when I find that someone else has to make a large move and they are worried about what they’ll do about packing up their own remote control helicopter collection, I will be right there to help them out. I am so happy that the helicopter enthusiasts in my community have such a “pay it forward” attitude, and I know that someday if I ever need them again, they’ll still be there for me. This is also something to consider when you purchase a remote control helicopter—are the people in the area going to be available to fly it with you? Because it’s often the most rewarding experience to teach someone else how to really master the flight of a helicopter, and without someone else there, you don’t get the same enjoyment out of flying.

Of course, if you’re the kind of person that really likes solitude, then maybe you would actually prefer to purchase you remote control helicopter in an area where there is a dearth of other helicopter enthusiasts, but these people are rare in the helicopter community. Believe me, I know a lot of them!

Take Care when Reading Reviews about Remote Control Helicopters

I have read tons of reviews for remote control helicopters, because I am the editor of a helicopter aficionado magazine that talks about all the types of helicopters on the market and recommends the best one to buy if you are a first time owner or a remote control helicopter veteran. The magazine is great, and it helps me see what other helicopter owners think about different models and brands of helicopters, and I really must say that people’s opinions vary widely, which is why it’s probably always best to just do your own research and get what best suits you, rather than getting what you think best suits you based on some stranger’s opinion. That said, many people who are buying their first remote control helicopters don’t really know what they are looking for, and it is these people that these reviews are written for.

But they are not meant to be taken literally, but rather as a framework to find what other people consider valuable aspects of helicopter buying. Then you need to think for yourself whether you care, for instance, whether the helicopter blades are made of paper or platinum (although your choices would most likely be more like metal or plastic, but I just meant that as an example). All in all, I like this magazine because it considers people from all walks of life, and it understands that even if you are interested in purchasing a helicopter, you may not be a rich and bored millionaire with any amount of money and no consideration for finding the best deal.

We all know that these days money is hard to come by, and consumers are becoming more and more knowledgeable about their purchases, which is a wonderful thing in my opinion. Of course, there are other people who just want to get the most money they can for themselves, so they mark up helicopter prices to exorbitant amounts and hope they’ll get a few foolish customers that didn’t do their homework.

And they probably do get a few of those customers, because they stay in business somehow, and I regularly hear horror stories about people who paid way too much for their remote control helicopter, and when I ask them why they didn’t take the time to read the reviews in my magazine, they usually say that they didn’t know about the magazine, or worse, that they didn’t have enough time. So they had enough time to work their butts off for that money, but then not enough time to read a measly magazine review? I think not. Hopefully, consumers in the future will just continue to become more and more careful about their purchases, because I hate to see people in debt.

It’s such a sad thing. If you happen to be a new helicopter enthusiast, or you know someone who is, please make sure you read the remote control helicopters reviews before making your purchase. It can literally save you hundreds of your hard earned dollars.

Caution When Using Gas or Nitro Powered Remote Control Helicopters

In contrast to electric helicopters, there also exist gas or nitro powered remote control helicopters that you should really check out, if you think you have it in you. Of course, the gas powered helicopters can be more work intensive, but they can also be more rewarding. You see, it is the gas or nitro powered remote control helicopters that are capable of really showcasing the best agility level and the highest, fastest flying capabilities.

At least that’s what I’ve typically found with my helicopter purchases. Either way, you can really have a ton of fun with gas or nitro powered remote control helicopters and if you don’t mind replacing their fuel when it runs out and working carefully to avoid fire when you’re setting them up for flight, you can really have a wonderful time.

I remember once helping another shopper with a gas or nitro powered remote control helicopter purchase, and they really found that they could have much more fun with this type of helicopter than the electric helicopter that they were using before then, because the electric one just didn’t respond as well to the remote control. I don’t know for sure if this is the case universally, or if this particular customer found that gas or nitro powered remote control helicopters were better than electric helicopters based on a single, isolated incident, but I do know that when I discuss which helicopter is better with other professional fliers, I typically get the same answer. Gas or nitro powered remote control helicopters are indeed more work, but they are also unparalleled in their ability to fly well.

For instance, let’s say you want to fly your helicopter further backwards than any other person and make it to the Guiness Book of World Records. Well, I have typically heard that people find the gas helicopters to last longer—the electrical charge in electric helicopters runs out before the fuel does. That said, the gas or nitro powered remote control helicopters are also much more expensive, and you do need to know that you have to restore the gas whenever it runs out, and cleaning the apparatus also takes more ingenuity and work. But of course, if you’re up for the challenge, the rewards are well worth it. Just make sure that when you purchase gas or nitro powered remote control helicopters, as with any large transaction, that you are buying from a reputable independent or commercial dealer, and you have researched the price trends in your area, so you know you’re getting the best deal you possibly can for your money.

There is little more frustrating that purchasing your first real gas or nitro powered remote control helicopter and finding out that your next door neighbor got a similar one for a lot cheaper, and is happier with it because they had money left over to take a trip out to the country and really fly it around. The choice is up to you, but if I had to choose one, I would choose the gas helicopter over the electric one!

Dragonfly tt487 Remote Control Helicopters and My Grandfather's Story

My grandfather told me a very interesting story that inspired me to get a dragonfly tt487 remote control helicopter, and I’d like to share that story with you.

So, when my grandfather was a little boy, he lived in the rural parts of Pennsylvania. His nearest neighbor was six miles away, so you can imagine that there weren’t many kids his age to hang around with. He told me that to kill time during the afternoons, he would go down to a little swamp in the back of his house and catch dragonflies all day. One summer, his cousin was visiting from New Jersey.

My grandfather thought that he would show him what he does each day and took him down to that old pond. Well, my grandfather’s cousin, being from a suburb of New York City, was not was not accustomed to playing with bugs. His favorite hobbies were matchbox cars, so when my grandfather’s cousin saw the big dragonfly that my grandfather was trying to catch, he screamed and ran inside the house and didn’t come out for the rest of the summer. Years later, my grandfather enlisted in the armed forces and was actually one of the first trained US soldiers to fly a helicopter during combat.

Between my grandfather’s hilarious dragon fly story (that he must have told me fifteen or twenty times) to honoring his career and bravery defending out country in the air force, when I discovered that there were dragonfly tt487 remote control helicopters out in the market, I simply could not pass up the chance to purchase one. Besides being a great tribute to my grandfather (who about four years ago, passed away from prostate cancer at the age of seventy nine), the dragonfly tt487 remote control helicopters are a great flying device. My son never really got to know my grandfather, who would be his great-grandfather, so I always take the opportunity to tell my son about the great man my grandfather was when we’re flying our dragonfly tt487 remote control helicopters in the large dewy meadow behind our house.

My son even makes fun of me because just as my grandfather told me that old dragon fly story fifteen or twenty times, I have already told my son the dragon fly story at least ten times, maybe more. Hopefully, this helps him realize the importance of family and how our ancestors are to be thanked for the blessings and good fortune that we have in our lives today. I can only hope that my son will grow up and have a family of his own to love and provide for and that he will tell that same old dragon fly story to his son or daughter as they’re flying their dragonfly tt487 remote control helicopters.

That is, of course, assuming that I don’t get to them first and tell my grandkids the story of the man who I admire the most and who has shaped my life and given me the strength to succeed in my everyday endeavors.

Great Information about Remote Control Gas Helicopters

You may already know that sometimes the best helicopters are the ones that you really put a lot of work into. For instance, the remote control gas helicopters, which require constant attention and care to their every detail—be it cleaning, preparing to fly, flying, and taking down and cleaning before storage—are often the type of helicopter that people are most likely to purchase again.



This might seem counterintuitive to our culture which thinks that anything is best when you can put the least amount of work into and it supposedly get the most return from your investment, but you need to consider helicopter flying not as a business venture or hobby but as a way of life. I have seen many a helicopter flyer become disillusioned by others because they purchase the cheapest helicopter and don’t take the time to clean it properly after flying it.

This really frustrates people because those of us who really put time into our flying see it as a joy, and don’t want others who don’t really care about helicopters to be clogging the air with their poorly maintained and poorly flown remote control gas helicopters.

That said, when people are genuinely interested in learning more about my helicopters, I am always happy to show them, and to explain why I spent a certain amount on one helicopter that might seem exorbitant. The way I see it, remote control gas helicopters, and really any type of helicopter is a true investment, and one that you might even have as an heirloom for years to come. Because when it comes down to it, remote control gas helicopters will always be the classic helicopter that people think of when you mention helicopters, and children will always be amazed by how graceful a remote control gas helicopter can fly, when it is paired with a good pilot. One of the things I look forward to most, is sharing my helicopter collection with my children someday, because I think that I’ll really pass down my love of helicopters, and they’ll have an innate sense that these instruments are beautiful and majestic.

I think that helicopters are one of the most amazing manmade creation in the world, and the fact that they mimic nature—for instance, think of the hummingbird—it’s obvious that they are going to last forever. Anyone who is interested in beginning a collection of some sort should consider collecting helicopters. They can focus on model helicopters that are unable to fly and are just purchased for decoration, or they can go full force and purchase remote control gas helicopters that are more expensive but that you get a lifetime of enjoyment out of.

It’s your decision, but either way, helicopters are bound to bring excitement and happiness to anyone who purchases them. Who knows? Someday you might become like me: a well known helicopter enthusiast and professional flyer with years of experience and tons of training and who will always have a special place in their heart for every helicopter I have ever owned.

How to Avoid Scamming When You Purchase Remote Control Helicopters for Sale

A bad place to get remote control helicopters for sale is your local newspaper, or at least that has been my experience. When I was younger and just discovering the Classifieds section in the evening newspaper, I used to look through every article, even though I really didn’t need any of those things. Well, I ended up falling in love with a set of remote control helicopters for sale in the newspaper that I just had to have. They were still quite expensive, but I saved my money for them, and I called the person who had run the ad, and they promised to save them for me.



After two days of lots of chores and saving my money, I walked to the seller’s home to get my remote control helicopters for sale. And much to my surprise, the seller had grossly misrepresented the helicopters.

Not only were they nonfunctional, but they didn’t even look like helicopters anymore! It turns out that the seller’s home burned down, and one of the things that he was able to salvage was the set of helicopters, and he was hoping that he could sell them along with a bunch of other wares to pay for a new house or at least rent for an apartment. You see, he didn’t have any insurance, so when the house burned down, he lost everything. Well, that story really tugged at my heartstrings, and since I was a young child, I didn’t know about scam artists, so I ended up giving him my hard earned money for two pieces of trash that I knew would never fly and that I couldn’t even use. I ended up throwing them away on the walk home, but at least feeling good about myself.

The worst part of the day was when I finally told my dad all about it, and he explained that the person who sold me the helicopters had probably found them in the garbage and thought he’d be able to sell them to an unsuspecting, foolish, person. Unfortunately I was that person, although I never did find out how he scraped up the money to run an ad in the newspaper, I hear they are quite pricey. The real moral of this story, though, is to tell you never to purchase remote control helicopters for sale unless you know for sure that you’re getting good, quality items, and you often cannot do that through an independent seller.

Go to an established place, like Radio Shack. The story does have a funny ending, though. The person that sold me the helicopters must have seen me throw them away on my way out, because he picked them out of the garbage, and sold them again. They were in the evening newspaper the next week. Of course, he wasn’t going to fool me again, but I wonder if anyone else fell prey to his scams…? Hopefully after reading this vignette, you’ll realize how important—crucial in fact—it is to be a shrewd consumer, in every sense of the word. And never settle for poor quality.

Information about Vortex Remote Control Helicopters

When I was purchasing my third helicopter, I remember hearing about vortex remote control helicopters, but having no idea what type they were. For instance, what exactly is a vortex, anyway? In essence, a vortex is an instrument that spins something to create a vortex of wind or liquid, which is basically in the shape of a tornado. If you’ve ever done the hurricane experiment with a two liter bottle of soda, then you’ve made a vortex.



With vortex remote control helicopters, the vortex is created in the air such that there is an invisible stream that basically is in the same shape as a tornado. Anyway, I usually advise people to make a list of all their requirements in a remote control helicopter, before going into the store to make a purchase. The reason for this is that people will often chose a helicopter based on attraction to superficial things like color, or because the helicopter has a good price and they thing helicopters are all the same. But they are truly not, and it is very important to make sure that you know what you are looking for and that you go into the helicopter purchase with a level head and a clear mind. Don’t just look for the flashiest colors. That said, people often ask me then, what should I be looking for in a helicopter, anyway?

Well, essentially, it’s really a toss up which is the best helicopter to buy, and you need to be introspective and consider the things that you need when purchasing your helicopter. Either way, best of luck with your helicopter purchase. But if I could offer some advice, I would recommend that people go with durability and not outward appearance, unless money is a non-issue, in which case they can look into purchasing a top of the line helicopter in every way imaginable, which will be both well made and durable.

This is often the case with vortex remote control helicopters. They are well made and the manufacturers of vortex remote control helicopters often pay close attention to detail and are capable of making helicopters that are really pleasing to the eye. But they really are expensive, and you need to consider that. For instance, are you planning on using the vortex remote control helicopters in a nationwide contest that could win you a lot of money?

Such contests exist, and if you enter in one, you really should consider buying a top of the line helicopter because anything less would never win you any money. Plus, in that case, the helicopter could probably pay for itself! But if you are looking into purchasing a helicopter for purely recreational reasons, then maybe it is better to just get the best one you can in your price range, and be careful with it so you don’t break it. As a careful planner and purchaser, you can usually get a helicopter that will last you many years of enjoyable playtime and that you can proudly show off to others.

Purchasing Mini Remote Control Helicopter for Indoor Use? Read This...

I cannot tell you enough the fun that I have had with mini indoor remote control helicopters. And the people that own mini indoor remote control helicopters are often the nicest, most fun people in the entire world. When I was recently touring with a group of helicopter flyers, it was the mini indoor remote control helicopter owners that invite all the other helicopter owners over their houses, and that allow them to bring their helicopters for a free for all helicopter fight.
I couldn’t believe the hospitality of this group of people, and I had so much fun at their house. Luckily, before the first mini indoor remote control helicopter party I went to, I purchased a great set of mini indoor helicopters, so I was well equipped to participate in their fun. I had such a great time, and we had such great food, drink, and conversation, that I knew I wanted to spend more time with these people. That is the reason that I began touring with this group. We travel around the nation, flying our helicopters in fields and in schools or for private parties, such as birthday parties.




We had the most fun at a 3 year old’s birthday party where we brought all of our most brightly colored helicopters for a great helicopter party, and all the children were laughing and clapping, and we all had a really great time. We even did a helicopter piñata which the kids thought was really awesome. They hit the piñata with pretend helicopter blades, and when the piñata broke apart, the helicopter was filled with helicopter candies! Another party we went to was for a ninety-two year old retired fighter pilot, and all his pilot buddies. He was still very good at flying our helicopters, even though he was so old.

It was very impressive, and he really enjoyed himself. So, in general, this helicopter touring club is a wonderful thing that brings me much joy. Of course, there are times when our parties go wrong, like once we were hired for a bachelorette party, and they thought we were something that we were not. I had no idea that could even happen, but apparently it does all the time. My guess is the party planners were drunk or something when they hired us, because we never advertised ourselves as anything but helicopter fliers. And that’s what we still are today. After about 14 years of hard work, I can now say that my helicopter touring company is off the ground and flying high. And I am really proud of my hard work, and of all the work that my colleagues put into getting the helicopter touring company from an idea on paper to something that was really tangible. The original group of 5 that started the helicopter touring company has since grown to 200, but we are still as close as ever, and we often get together for dinners and fly our mini indoor remote control helicopters all around. What a wonderful experience.

So You Want Small Remote Control Helicopters?

If you are trying to learn more about small remote control helicopters, perhaps for yourself or for a gift, then you’ve come to the right place. I am not personally an expert in small remote control helicopters, but I know many people who are, and I was able to get some insider information about purchasing them and caring for them.



Most of the people that I speak with about small remote control helicopters recommend being very careful when you purchase one, because so many of the tiny parts in these helicopters can crack or break apart even before you get them home, and you’ll never be able to fly them. So the number one thing that people recommend when you are thinking about purchasing a small remote control helicopter is to see if you can get a manufacturer’s warranty on parts for at least five years. Such a warranty may be hard to come by, but even if it costs a bit extra to get one, the piece of mind associated with such a warranty is invaluable.

You can play as hard as you want with your small remote control helicopters and if you have warranties for parts you can rest assured that if anything breaks, you are covered and you don’t have to go out and purchase an entire new helicopter. I have even heard of people getting lifetime warranties for their helicopters, but these are few and far between, and are often not available in the market of small remote control helicopters.

That said, five year warranties are not unheard of, and you can have five wonderful carefree years with your small remote control helicopters and the knowledge that you don’t have to worry about every bump and bruise. Many people choose small remote control helicopters over their larger counterparts because they are useful when you don’t have much space for storage—perhaps you’re in your twenties and still live in a studio apartment—but you still want to pursue the challenge and the fun of having an flying small remote control helicopters. If this sounds like you, then small remote control helicopters are the best bet. If on the other hand, you are more interested in larger helicopters, and you have the space, the time, and the muscles to carry them around and live near a large open expanse where you can fly them, then a larger model might better suit you. I generally find that people are more impressed by larger models, just because it seems less likely that they will be capable of flying, because they seem like such large and cumbersome contraptions.

So, when they are up in the air and flying gracefully, people are very impressed. But the smaller models are still very nice, and they’re often a great starter helicopter to learn on before you make the investment in a larger model. You could also get a large one second hand and see whether you think they are worth the investment, and then perhaps purchase a large helicopter new at a later date.

Some of the Best Remote Control Helicopters are Made by People in Toronto

This may seem counterintuitive, but sometimes the best place to get remote control helicopters is not in the Unites States where there are the most helicopter enthusiasts, but rather in Toronto, where there are a lot, but not nearly as many, people actually interested in flying them. The reason for this is because the people in Toronto have amazing skills at helicopter creation, and they are the most innovative group of people you will probably ever find when it comes to ability to make really beautiful helicopters.




I was so impressed by the helicopters I saw advertised in Toronto that I drove to Canada from Texas to purchase some for myself. Normally, I would advocate doing an online order, but in this case, it was really better to just go there on my own, because the online inventory was much less impressive, plus the cost of shipping was outrageous. Anyway, I took the time and drove to Toronto and used that little vacation to make a special trip to Niagara Falls as well, because I just cannot go to Canada without getting a glimpse of the Falls.

Anyway, it was so wonderful to see a bona fide helicopter shop where you knew the owners were also the manufacturers and they would know everything there was to know about helicopters. And of course, the wonderful Canadian hospitality cannot be beaten, and the people selling remote control helicopters in Toronto and in surrounding areas are always happy to help with your purchase and to lend their knowledge to people who are new to the helicopter world and just want to learn as much as possible before they go forward with their first helicopter purchase. Although I already consider myself a helicopter aficionado, I still know that I have a lot more to learn, and I am always interested in hearing as much as possible from these helicopter gurus. It turns out that the day I got there they had just gotten a brand new shipment of their best brands and I got first dibs at looking at what they had to sell.

I was so thrilled with their selection and their true attention to detail, that I bought two remote control helicopters, even though I had initially planned to only buy one. I brought the helicopters home and can happily say that I got back to the United States with a better knowledge of the newest trends in helicopter purchasing as well as a great idea of the type of warranty I could get in Canada. It turns out that Toronto has a great warranty plan for their remote control helicopters; one that the United States has not yet been able to match.

And the thing I like best about buying remote control helicopters in Canada is the unassuming elegance of the helicopters these Canadians craft—perfect reflections of these people as a nation. I still regularly use the two helicopters I purchased there, and I am looking forward to the next helicopter racing competition, when I can really see how well they handle.

Writing Reviews About Remote Control Electric Helicopters

As a professional helicopter flier, I often find myself writing reviews for remove control helicopters, and this includes electric helicopters. The electric ones are often the ones with the most agility, which is very important to many consumers, but you can probably imagine that these helicopters are also the ones that can be dangerous if you try to fly them in the rain or near power lines. So whenever I write reviews for remote control electric helicopters, I make sure to emphasize the potential pitfalls and I test each one carefully.



I am not like some of the other reviewers that just writes an endorsement for any old remote control electric helicopters just because they are getting paid to do so. In fact, sometimes, I will actually turn down the opportunity to promote remote control electric helicopters of a certain brand because I deem them dangerous for the typical consumers, and I worry that people will read my review, go out and purchase a specific brand of remote control electric helicopters and end up getting really injured. One occasion of this happening with a colleague really hit home with me, and I’d like to elaborate on it a bit.

This friend wrote a gleaming review for remote control electric helicopters, and I had warned him that the brand he was writing about was not always the most reliable, and sometimes they used cheaper materials to cut corners. Well, he was too entranced by the amount of money offered for this short review, so he wrote one that was just brilliant, and he posted it online and in print for everyone to see. Lo and behold, sales in that helicopter skyrocketed, and people for the most part were happy with them after the first few weeks of purchase. Then bad things began to happen. People reported the remote control electric helicopters shorting out and a few peoples’ helicopters even caught fire because of faulty wiring.

One person had to go to the hospital because they tried to put the fire out in their remote control electric helicopter and they couldn’t put it out fast enough. And a small explosion was enough for one consumer to lose a finger. As you can imagine, the reviewer just felt horrible about giving this company such a great review for their remote control electric helicopters when he had never even checked them out. The saddest thing was that this reviewer then left the helicopter business because he felt so shamed about leaving an un-researched review and hurting his trusting readers. I tried to get him to come back to the helicopter company after he was away for a few years, because I knew that flying helicopters was his passion, and I just felt so bad that he had deserted it.

It was obvious that he was depressed by the entire incident, and he ultimately did go back to flying in recreational meets, but he never regained his great name or reputation, and he was demoted to the ranks of recreational fliers from them on.