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If you're a novice, there is one thing that you will
need to fly your Avistar II safely that is not furnished
with the kit: You will need a qualified instructor to
teach you to fly. No model ever made will let you
teach yourself to fly safely. It can be done, but you
would be seriously risking more than just the airplane.
To find an instructor, you should join an R/C flying
club. If there is not a club nearby, then you should
find an experienced model pilot who is willing to help
you. The chosen instructor should fly well enough to
allow you to concentrate on your own flying. If you
are worried about your i n s t r u c t o r crashing your
model, you will not be able to concentrate on learning
to fly. After you have found an instructor, you should
spend some time just talking with him about what
you w i l l be trying to learn. He should inspect the
model to be certain that it is ready to fly. Listen to him
and try to gain from his experience.
Now t h a t you have a good model and an
instructor whom you trust, you can go out and get
started learning to fly. You can expect to be very
nervous at first, and will make some mistakes. There
will be several instances where the instructor will
prevent you from crashing. This will be unsettling, but
the t h i n g to do is j u m p right back into flying the
model (after your knees stop shaking, of course). This
is one of the most important things about learning to
fly model airplanes...you have to fly! Fly as often as
you can. Be sure to make several flights each time you
go to the flying field, hut give yourself time after each
flight to calm down and discuss the flight with your
instructor. Spending some time after each flight
talking about what happened and what you need to
work on to improve your skills will pay off with greater
confidence in your own growing abilities.
CHARGE THE BATTERIES
Follow the battery charging procedures in your radio
instruction manual. You should always charge your
transmitter and receiver batteries the night before you
go flying, and at other times as recommended by the
radio manufacturer.
BALANCE THE PROPELLER
Balance your propellers carefully before flying.
An unbalanced prop is the single most significant
cause of damaging vibration. Not only will engine
mounting screws and bolts vibrate out, possibly with
disastrous effect, but vibration will also damage your
radio receiver and battery. Vibration will cause your
fuel to foam, which will, in turn, cause your engine to
run rough or quit.
We use a Top F l i t e Precision Magnetic Prop
Balancer (#TOPQ5700) in the workshop and keep a
Great Planes Fingertip Balancer (#GPMQ5000) in our
flight box.
FIND A SAFE PLACE TO FL Y
1. The best place to fly your R/C model is an AMA
(Academy of Model Aeronautics) chartered club field.
Ask your hobby shop dealer if there is such a club in
your area and join. Club fields are set up for R / C
f l y i n g , which makes y o u r outing safer and more
enjoyable. The AMA can also tell you the name of a
club in your area. We recommend that you join the
AMA and a local club so you can have a safe place to
fly and also have insurance to cover you in case of a
flying accident. (The AMA address is listed at the front
of this instruction book).
If there is not a flying club in your area, you need
to find a large open area, free of obstructions, with a
smooth surface that can be used as a runway. It
should be located at least 6 miles away from any other
R / C a i r p l a n e operation and away from houses,
buildings and streets. A schoolyard may look inviting
but it is too close to people, power lines and possible
radio interference.
GROUND CHECK THE MODEL
If you are not thoroughly familiar with the operation
of R/C models, ask an experienced modeler to check
to see that you have the radio installed correctly and
t h a t all the control surfaces do what t h e y are
supposed to. The engine operation must also be
checked and the engine "broken in." Follow the
engine manufacturer's recommendations for break-
in. Check to make sure all screws remain tight, that
the hinges are secure and that the prop is on tight.
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