The Basics

This is the start of a new series which has the sole purpose of attracting people to the hobby and sport of Model Aviation. Notice that I wrote “hobby” and “sport”; the hobby aspect involves building and assembling model aircraft, and the sport part involves the flying. As you will quickly learn, you don’t have to be a builder to be a flier! But as time goes along, I hope you will want to learn to do both.

Throughout this series it is our intention to explain all facets of Model Aviation. Monthly articles geared toward the beginner and the intermediate will become a regular from now on. Sometimes a single subject will be presented, and at other times you may see several subjects in a single month.

Magazine issues tend to get lost or misplaced. Unless you faithfully make your own scrapbook of information, data retrieval becomes a problem. The Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) has every intention of making this series available on CD-ROM and on a dedicated Web site. In both cases, the idea is to make all the information accessible and easy to locate for as long as you need it.

In addition to monthly articles, it is also hoped to publish key questions readers ask. These FAQs (Frequently-Asked Questions) will be cataloged by subject matter and placed on CD-ROM and in Web-site format for the aid of the beginners.

Where to Start? You might be out driving on a summer day and pass by a model-aircraft flying field. You see a model in the sky maneuvering much like a full-scale airplane. At first you might think it is a full-scale airplane. You stop and watch, then think “I’d like to try that.” But how do you take that first step?

That is the purpose of this series: to tell you how to get started, how to learn about Model Aviation, and how to learn to build/assemble and fly these airplanes. Even if you are already into Model Aviation, it is hoped that this series might open the door to areas you were not previously familiar with.

You have seen your first model airplane in flight. What next? The best place to start is to attend a few flying sessions at a local flying field and initially just watch what is going on. Most local flying fields are operated by clubs which are chartered by AMA—the organization that, among other things, publishes Model Aviation.

Besides observing, you will have modelers to talk to and you can ask some basic questions as a starting point. Being referred to this magazine and this “beginner series” is a good first step. There are other magazines available with different types of model-aircraft specialties, books for beginners, Internet digests and chat groups, hobby trade shows in different parts of the country, and even instructional videotapes, all of which can prove extremely helpful. AMA can provide lists of all this supporting material.

After a visit or two to the flying field, ask where the local club meets and if it takes on new members. If the answer is yes, find the location and time and attend a meeting to see what it is like. Learning to build and fly model aircraft is best done with the help of experienced modelers. You could learn on your own, especially if you live in a remote location, but it will take much more time.

You may have been “introduced” to Model Aviation by reading magazine and catalog advertisements. Catalogs placed in the seat pockets of various airlines often advertise Ready-to-Fly (RTF) models. Your children may have even seen these ads or heard others talk about the hobby, and now you want to know more. 

Another excellent and basic way to get started in Model Aviation is to visit a local hobby shop. The AMA Web site has a button on the front page—“Hobby Shop Locator”—that will help you find one. Hobby shops are owned and staffed by modelers. They can easily inform you of local flying fields and local model-aircraft clubs. Again we are back to “fields” and “clubs.”

The local hobby dealer can also outline for you what it will take to get started. There will certainly be an initial outlay of money to buy the necessary equipment. Certain decisions must be made at the start to guide you in the right direction. Again, that is the purpose of this series.