Beginner VS. Expert Mode.
Greetings — I’m hoping for a bit of advice.
I’ve been an RC hobbyist for years, but my experience with RC flight has honestly been pretty discouraging.
Long story short, as a kid my dad and I built 2-meter RC sailplanes out of balsa and Monokote. My personal record was about 30 seconds before destroying something we had just spent two months building. We’d rebuild, get another 20–40 seconds, and repeat. Eventually I got into ridge soaring and worked up to about 10-minute flights… before completely obliterating the glider again. Saying we both have PTSD from those experiences isn’t far off.
Fast forward 30 years, and I’ve decided to give it another shot. I picked up a P-51 Mustang, and thank God it has a beginner mode. I now have around 2 total hours of flight time, running 2–3 batteries a day. I’m flying about 90% in intermediate mode and 10% in expert.
Here’s the problem: when I switch to expert (no assist), about 80% of those flights end in a crash.
My goal is to eventually fly DLG gliders, so that crash rate in expert mode is pretty discouraging.
How do you all get past this stage? I’m putting in the reps, but right now it feels like I’m destined to stay in beginner modes unless something changes.
I appreciate any thoughts you may have.
Thanks!