My name is Aiden, I'm 9 years old, and I live in Champaign, Illinois. I first became interested in flying at the Champaign County RC Club (CCRCC). I got to practice on a simulator first and then fly a real RC plane with a coach at CCRCC. That experience made me really interested in flying RC planes. Flying a new plane is always exciting.
I joined CCRCC's free training program at age 7. My first plane was a Carbon Cub, which I received as a birthday gift, and I didn't yet know how to fly it. Later, I got an AeroScout, which was easier to control. After about two months of training, I was able to fly it confidently. One of the hardest things at the beginning was understanding the controls. For example, when you push the elevator stick forward, the plane goes down, and when you pull it back, the plane goes up.
My first solo flight felt exciting and a little scary. I improved by practicing during Thursday training nights and taking lessons from Bill at CCRCC. I also learned safety rules, how to repair planes, and the importance of focus and patience. My favorite plane to fly is my AeroScout, and my favorite flying moment was when I did my first solo flight.
Besides flying RC airplanes, I also learned how to build one. With help from instructors at CCRCC, I built a Nutball. It was fun putting all the parts together, and I event installed LED lights so I can fly it at night. Flying the Nutball is different from flying the AeroScout. At first, it felt unusual because it tends to climb, and if you pull back too much, it can stall.
Flying RC planes has taught me confidence, patience, persistence, responsibility, safety, friendship, community, and being a role model for younger kids. Thank you to CCRCC, Bill, Mark, and all the other instructors and RC plane flyers for making RC flying so fun. I hope other kids and adults will try flying RC planes, because it is both fun and rewarding.
