15 First-Flight Myths Revealed

Getting Started Has Never Been Easier

For many years, the editors of Electric Flight have enjoyed building and flying all sorts of RC airplanes. We’ve met a lot of interesting and talented people along the way, and we’ve answered a lot of questions about getting started in the hobby. Depending on who you talk to, there’s a lot of misinformation out there. Here are the top 15 myths that seem to keep many newcomers from getting involved.

Myth: Learning to fly model airplanes is difficult.

FACT:  Many years ago, this was true. But today, getting started is easy and learning how to fly by yourself is quite possible. There are countless rugged, molded-foam ready-to-fly (RTF) RC airplanes available, and many are extremely stable and require almost no assembly. There are even some that have built-in flight-stabilization systems that ease the learning process. And if you can find an experienced modeler to help you learn, the process is even easier.

Myth: I need a new radio system for every airplane that I buy.

FACT:  That is not true. If you stay with one brand of radio and airplane, you can control all your models with the same transmitter. Bind-and-fly airplanes are designed to use the same radio system, and they come with a built-in receiver that works with its appropriate brand of transmitter. These airplanes usually come with everything else you need, but you won’t have to buy a new transmitter every time. With some larger airplanes that come in a “receiver-ready” package, you do have to supply your own receiver and transmitter, but they include everything else.

Myth: Flying RC model airplanes is too expensive for regular people.