Radio transmitter in hand, the student pilot edged the control stick to the right for a gentle turn away from the crowd. The airplane responded with a slow roll to the left, then harder to the right as the pilot overcompensated, nose falling, soon out of control heading for the ground.
‘I got it,? said the instructor, flipping a switch on his controller and immediately bringing the plane back to level flight.
Learning to fly a radio-controlled aircraft from the ground is a challenge ? especially when plane faces pilot ? one welcomed by Pontiac Miniature Aircraft Club instructors.
New flyers of all ages are invited to their Takeoff And Grow Day, 10 a.m.-4p.m., Saturday, May 30, at their White Lake Road field. The free event, open to the community, includes introduction to flight control on a computer simulator.
‘We’ll set you up on that until you’re comfortable with radio control,? said club member Dale Matteson of Davisburg. ‘Then we’ll have them fly a real trainer plane with a PMAC flight instructor.?
Student and trainer controllers are linked by a cable in a Buddy Box system. The teacher can assume control at any time by flipping a switch, allowing the student to fly without fear of crashing an expensive aircraft.
This system is a great improvement over older methods of flight instruction, said Dave Stephens of Waterford.
‘When I learned to fly, the instructor would need quick hands to grab the controller,? Stephens said. ‘The buddy box is a lot easier on the equipment.?
Club members own and fly sporters, scale replicas, World War I and World War II fighters, jets, stunt planes for acrobatics, giant-scale planes with eight-foot wingspans, helicopters, and other radio-controlled aircraft, electric and gas powered.
‘It’s a good organization, very active,? said charter member Jim Wert of Davisburg. ‘These guys took a small operation and made it nice. They come from many different walks of life. What we have in common is we all like to fly model airplanes.?
‘We have people from all facets of life, engineers, doctors, bankers, lawyers,? said Bill Schaeffer of Waterford. ‘I enjoy the people out here.?
‘I like flying ? it’s a great hobby,? said Sterling Smith of Clarkston, who has been flying since the club’s founding, 47 years ago.
Sterling flies giant-scale planes with 100-inch wingspan to 20-inch indoor models, for indoor flying during the winter.
Steve Demster of Clarkston, club president, joined four years ago.
‘We have a good group here,? said Dempster, who joined the club while volunteering as a mentor. ‘There are a lot of people here I really admire and like. This is a well kept field with a wonderful instructor program.?
‘I like the challenge,? said Amy Klopman of Waterford. ‘You lose yourself when you’re flying. You don’t think about anything else. This is a great bunch of people. Everyone is willing to help each other.?
New members are invited to come out every Thursday, 6 p.m., May-October, for demonstrations and training, no appointment needed.
‘I was driving down the road and saw this airplane flying, so I stopped by,? said Tim Allen, who joined three years ago. ‘It’s great ? I love to fly and all the interaction with the people.?
Planes are designed for speed, acrobatics, training, and air-to-air combat, with pilots trying to cut streamers attached to opposing planes.
‘Kids love that,? Demster said.
‘There are so many avenues to look into. It never gets old,? said John Hoover of Lake Orion. ‘It’s a rewarding hobby. It’s not something you can learn in one day. Every flight is different.?
Miniature-aircraft flying is also a good way to introduce students to aviation, Demster said.
‘There are a lot of careers in aviation and aerospace engineering,? he said. ‘If they’re never exposed to them, they’ll never know they’re there.?
Several club members fly full-size aircraft, including airliners, fighters, and private planes.
‘I used to fly miniature airplanes as a kid, but started flying full-scale planes when I was 16, and got away from it,? said John Becker of Waterford, a pilot with Delta Airlines. ‘I got back into it when my son wanted to try it out.?
‘The nice thing is to come here and fly club airplanes and figure out the orientation,? said David Becker, John’s son. ‘It’s easy to get disoriented. This gets you past that big hurdle.?
‘It’s flying without the stress,? said Ed Kincer of Fenton, chief flight instructor for the club. ‘I enjoy it.?
TAG day is part of the club’s community outreach, which also includes aeronautics-badge work with local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. PMAC’s flying field is inside Pontiac Lake Recreation Area, White Lake Road west of Andersonville Road and east of Teggerdine.
For more information, check www.PMAC.us.