If you just purchased your first helicopter, you should take your time and wait a few minutes before starting the engine. The easiest way to learn how to fly is to use a computer program. Some remotes can be connected directly to your computer and you will figure out exactly what each button does in just a few minutes. If your kit doesn’t come with this option, you should approach the situation from a different angle.

One of the most important things that you should know about learning to fly radio controlled helicopters is that you will eventually crash. This is why you should start practicing over a soft surface. Try to focus on what you’re doing and avoid any distractions. This is all about hand to eye coordination and you will eventually get used to it. The first exercise should be hovering. Don’t get overexcited and start flying your helicopter around the room just yet. After you manage to hover at around 3 inches from the ground for a few times, you can start practicing each movement and landings until you are comfortable with everything. After that, you can start taking altitude and finally enjoy your new hobby.

Learning to fly radio controlled helicopters is not as difficult as it sounds. It might take you thirty minutes or it might take you a couple of hours, but in the end you will be able to do it. If you take your time you will avoid crashes altogether and the life span your RC helicopter will be considerably extended.

Controlling a helicopter is more difficult than controlling other vehicles because you have to think on all axes; you need to control lateral movement, vertical and horizontal movement and the back and forward movement. 360 degree maneuverability is achieved by adjusting the angle of the two rotors.

The most important thing that you should know about buying your first radio control helicopter is that you shouldn’t get an expensive one. If you really find a top of the line model that you like, you should also purchase a beginners’ helicopter to help you get used to the controls. The differences in controlling a cheap model and an expensive one are not many, but you will notice them.

If you want to make sure that your helicopter won’t crash on your first flight, you can start off by downloading an RC game and connecting your remote control to your PC. After a couple of hours of virtual flying you can practice hovering at a low altitude and preferably over a mattress. This is the only way to make sure that your radio control helicopter won’t get damaged if you lose control. While smaller helicopters can resist quite a few crashes, a large gasoline powered one will most likely require major repairs as soon as the propellers touch the ground.

Flying a helicopter will take some getting used to, but after a couple of days, you will see exactly how much fun it can be.

Radio control scale model helicopters come in many different sizes. The smallest one will be no larger than your palm and it can be affected by light rain. If you have a larger budget and you are interested in something close to a real size helicopter, you can get expensive machines which measure up to 70 inches in length. These RC helicopters can reach speeds of 100 mph or even more, depending on the model.

Most people who are interested in getting their first radio control scale model helicopter will stop at a product which costs less than 500 dollars. There are many interesting models in this category and some of them can last for years without any modifications. Nowadays, you can even find special photo and video cameras which can record hours of footage or capture pictures from a high altitude. This is quickly turning into a new hobby and many people are starting to purchase RC helicopters for this purpose alone.

In the end, RC helicopters are harder to control than most vehicles at first, but you will eventually get used to it. After that, you will appreciate the versatility offered by such a machine and you will have a lot of fun with it. Most people who start off with a small RC helicopter end up getting a larger one after a while simply because they want to experiment with faster and stronger models.

Electric RC helicopters are especially popular with beginners because they tend to be easier to fly. You have to admit, RC flying isn’t very fun when you spend all of your time crashing. And, there’s always the possibility you’ll damage your new toy.  With an electric helicopter, there are fewer channels to control. As a beginner, you don’t want to be overwhelmed with controlling too many aspects of your model’s operation.

Electric helicopters are powered by a rechargeable battery. They are usually less expensive than a gas-powered RC helicopter. For one thing, recharging the battery is cheaper compared to filling up the tank with gas for every flight. The initial purchase price is also much less for electric helicopters.

Electric copters are also quieter than gas-powered models. This could be an important point depending on where you want to fly your RC helicopter. The constant buzz of a gas-powered model could be really irritating to your neighbors if you intend to fly close to homes or apartments. The almost non-existent noise of an electric RC helicopter actually would allow you to even fly them indoors.

Electric RC helicopters are smaller than their gas-powered cousins. So not only are they easier to transport from place to place, there are a lot more options on where you can fly them. If you have a decent-sized backyard, you can probably enjoy playing with an electric helicopter. But gas-powered choppers are going to need a significant amount of space.

One of the main reasons I enjoy playing with RC models is they are fun. And for me, maintenance is definitely not fun. If you like maintaining, tweaking and tinkering with small engines, then by all means you should go for a gas RC helicopter. But electric helicopters require almost no maintenance or tuning, and provide maximum fun right out of the box.

Make no mistake about it: gas RC helicopters are on a whole different level than electric-powered models. They require more money to get started, more money to keep going, more focus and concentration to fly and more maintenance to keep them flying.

Gas RC helicopters are not for beginners. If you have never tried flying an RC helicopter and want to give it a shot, your best bet is to join an RC flight club or find a friend who’s willing to hand over the controls for a few minutes. Better yet, buy an inexpensive ready-to-fly electric RC helicopter. These basic models are easy to fly and can give you a quick idea if the thrill of RC helicopter operation is something you want to pursue. Plus, they’ll give you some valuable flight experience that you can build on if you do decide to continue in the sport.

You will spend more for a gas-powered RC helicopter compared to electric models. This is mostly due to the higher complexity of the engine, the control systems and the size of the helicopter itself. Gas RC helicopters are the biggest of the breed and require lots of space to operate.  Of course, this higher cost raises the stakes when it comes to your flight skills. There is so much more to lose if you crash violently into the ground.

I am not trying to completely scare you away from getting into gas-powered RC helicopters. They are not for the faint of heart. But if you decide to take up the challenge, the sport can be very rewarding. So it’s really up to you. Do you have what it takes?