RC Helicopters - Your New Hobby

Thinking of taking up the fun, fascinating and rewarding hobby of RC helicopters, or just want to learn more about them? 

There are RC helicopters now for every budget and ability, in a vast array of types and sizes. RC equipment has improved immensely and costs much less than when I first took up the hobby back in the late 80's. 

Yep, I've been flying, introducing and instructing newcomers to RC (radio controlled) helicopters for over 30 years now. I've heard all the common questions you likely have, and I've unfortunately seen all the common mistakes (made many myself too). 

So, if you want to succeed at this fun and engaging hobby while avoiding many of these unwanted frustrations; I and my website are here to help you achieve those goals in your radio controlled helicopter journey. 

Flying RC helicopters like this is rewarding, educational, engaging & fun!

Why RC Helicopters? You Won't Need a Runway.

Helis Don't Need Runways

Unlike most RC airplanes, radio controlled helicopters don't need a large mowed or paved runway.

Helicopters (helis) take-off & land vertically, so any open area will do.

This freedom of taking off & landing anywhere is what first sparked my interest in radio controlled helicopters. CONVENIENCE sums it up best. 

It's still the number one benefit for so many of us in the hobby. Whenever you have a desire to go flying, it can be as simple as walking out into your yard or big empty field, regardless of the season, with heli in hand, to get some time on the sticks. 

This is a HUGE time saver over having to cart a bunch of RC gear out to a distant & often crowded RC flying field when you don't have the time.

Flying a small RC helicopter at home in your own yard is very convenient & enjoyable.

What about flying during rotten weather?

It's no problem when you have a small micro electric indoor RC helicopter to fly in your own home or at the office. 

Inexpensive Micro Coaxial RC Heli Flying Indoors

Radio controlled helicopters also teach you a great deal about rotary flight and controls in its many forms which for many of us, are the most fascinating aspects of radio controlled helicopters.

It's the only RC hobby that equally combines all aspects of RC into one: Aeronautics, Mechanics and Electronics. 

Precision mechanical & electrical components inside an RC helicopter kit that you get to assemble yourself - very cool and very rewarding.

The Four Main Types of Radio Controlled Helicopters.

• Toy RC Helicopters
• Micro Coaxial RC Helicopters
• Micro Fixed Pitch RC Helicopters
  
• Collective Pitch (3D) RC Helicopters

The number and specific types of radio controlled helicopters available these days is quite overwhelming. All have pros and cons, and all offer their own unique levels of fun, challenges, and rewards.  

The Radio Controlled Helicopter Problem & Solution.

There is one down side to this huge selection of radio controlled helicopters when first getting into the hobby... Information overload.

Various Types & Sizes Of RC Helicopters

Unless you have some basic facts and understanding, you likely won't choose the best RC helicopter for you.

This usually leads to frustration, crashing, and discouragement.

I know many folks who gave up with RC helis before ever getting to experience the thrill and pure joy of piloting one. They simply got in over their head without understanding the basics first, and even more fundamentally, didn't have anyone to help them.

The Goal of This Site is Simple...

The Radio (also called the Transmitter) Is What We Use To Control Our Radio Controlled Helicopters.

Provide you with Detailed Information & Knowledge, to answer your many questions & get you off on the right foot. Right stick actually :-)

Saving you time, money, and frustration. 

I follow a "teach a man (or woman) to fish" philosophy on this website, just as I do while instructing one-on-one.

It would be much easier of course to just make a few quick heli recommendations, followed by an empty "good luck" as most other sites do.  

I want you to have brilliant fun in your RC helicopter journey so you will passionately want to stick with the hobby for years to come. In short, the same help and advice you would get if you joined an RC helicopter club and were getting an instructor's help.

What First Sparked Your Interest In RC Helicopters?

Scale Bell 222 Collective Pitch RC Heli - If You Like Real Helicopters, Scale RC Helis Are For You! But they are not for the RC Helicopter Newbie.

Large Nitro Powered Collective Pitch (3D) RC Helicopter Hovering Inverted

A large collective pitch aerobatic (3D) helicopter such as the one pictured to the left, or scale RC helicopter (pictured above) may have been what first got you interested in checking out this hobby.

You have to enjoy learning with these types of radio controlled helicopters. It can take years to become proficient - that's all part of the fun.  

Hobby Grade RTF Beginner Micro RC Helicopter Package

This is not true of RC toy helis, and various hobby grade beginner RC helicopters which offer up out of the box fun!

These remote helicopters come all built (RTF - ready to fly) and are fairly easy to fly for kids and adults alike.

They are an excellent starting point for most folks who have never flown an RC heli before.

I wanted to make those distinctions crystal clear so you understand there is a big difference between these various types of radio controlled helicopters...

They are all completely different machines.

• They fly very differently from one another.
• They require different levels of time & learning/practicing commitments.
• They require different levels of mechanical & electronic skills.
• They require different amounts of disposable income.

Large Collective Pitch Jet Turbine Powered RC Heli. Amazing Sound, Smell & Complexity - Not Beginner Friendly At All!

It's such an engaging and rewarding hobby. Life's problems disappear while you are flying an RC helicopter, especially a collective pitch one because you are so focused and concentrating intently. No question that's why I (and I hope you as well), love flying RC helicopters. It's our escape! Exactly what a hobby should provide.

It's hard to resist the challenge, performance potential and overwhelming feeling of accomplishment offered with collective pitch RC helicopter flight; not to mention the awesome sound the larger ones produce as you can hear in the above video.

This is after all the closest most of us will get to piloting a full size helicopter. We have the same primary flight controls as the big birds and are bound by the same laws of helicopter physics.

Low Cost Micro CP Heli Hovering Inverted - As Challenging As The Big Ones, But Not Nearly As Intimidating

Micro sized collective pitch radio controlled helicopters have also revolutionized the hobby because of their low cost. They are just as challenging to fly (more so actually); but don't think you have to spend a couple thousand dollars like we once had to when first getting into the hobby.

There are decent little ready to fly micro collective pitch helicopters for under $150 dollars these days.

RC Heli Addiction Begins!

My Passion & Interest In RC Helicopters Has Become Border Line Obsessive.

Besides the flying fun, is the technical fun of understanding and maintaining an RC helicopter. For many, that's the most rewarding aspect of this hobby; I fall into that category myself.

RC helicopters have taught me and many others so much about aerodynamics, physics, mechanics, and electronics (in a very fun way I should add) over the years, and I'm still learning new and fascinating stuff almost daily.

Talk about a hobby that embraces STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics); RC helicopters has it covered in spades!

That aspect of the hobby alone is somewhat priceless, and the older I get, the more I appreciate its everlasting educational value.  

If you like the looks of what's going on here, you are going to enjoy learning about this hobby.

Time to Start... Spooling Up.

Are you still with me?

If so, it's a safe bet to say you likely already have a healthy interest in this hobby. I hope the rest of my site will further help "fuel" your RC heli interest into a full blown passion! 

The navigation bar on the top of the page has all the main RC heli topics with sub navigation drop-downs. If you're unsure where to begin, the "Beginner Zone" is the best place to start. The specific pages I would recommend in that section are:

• Getting Started
• Are RC Helicopters Hard To Fly
• Best RC Helicopter

If you find the information useful and helpful, feel free to bookmark this site, Face-it, Tweet-it, link/share the pages, or subscribe to my "Heli Blog". Tell your buddies & get them into the hobby as well.

The world needs more good & responsible RC Helicopter Pilots :-)

If you have questions, please contact me through my contact page.

Wishing you good success in the hobby & countless happy flights...

John Salt

Video below shows exactly why I love this hobby so much with one of my most recent RC helicopter builds.

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