What are your CLUB TRAINER airplanes?

[Saddlebum]

I am going to be building a Club Trainer this winter to use to train total beginners next year and would like to know what your Club uses for that purpose before I make my decision on what to build.

When you respond can you also tell us just how effective each trainer is? What I mean is, many clubs have a "few" trainer airplanes and some may be more suitable for raw beginners, some may be good intermediate trainers, some may be great on grass or only useful on pavement. That kind of stuff.

I'd like to hear from the Flight Instructors primarily as they have probably trained dozens of beginners on many different airplanes, but if you have experience being trained or watching others being trained and have an observation, please chime in!

Thanks... The Bum

[CHELLIE]

Easystar with landing gear, why, its strong, slow, gives the new pilot time to think and react, the prop is protected and will boost a newby confidence right away, a High wing trainer is a great Intermidiate plane, after learning the basics with a power glider. the easystar or high wing trainer will fly great off of grass with big lite foam wheels, that can also be used on asphalt, just my 2 cents worth, Take care and have fun, Chellie

[FlyingMonkey]

I'd say for the dozen or so people I've worked with getting flying, BluBaby, the Miss 2 and recently, the new Hobbyzone Champ have had the most success.

[Grasshopper]

I personally like a larger balsa plane for training so you're not as limited by wind. I think a Seniorita or a Telemaster would be good choices. They are large enough to see when your student is 3 mistakes high and handle wind better than a small foamy. For a foam plane, an E-flite Apprentice is also a good one.

I would also start a new student on a plane with ailerons. You don't have to use them to start with, but why make them go to a second plane to learn ailerons? There seems to be this big phobia about starting with ailerons when they really don't add any more difficulty if done properly. That way, they learn 4 channels from the start and don't have to move up to a second trainer. As with any trainer, it's best to have it on a buddy box so you have minimal chance of crashing.

Just my one opinion in the sea of millions.

[Glacier Girl]

Yes any high wing bird is going to be more stable, Like the Hobbico NexStar, and weight helps as Tom said.
And it can be a 4 channel, and just lock the ailerons if you only want to used rudder/elevator.

And trike gear is easier to steer on the ground vs a tail dragger.
We had an ancient Hobbico HobbyStar that was set up both ways. Start em out on the trike then switched it to a tail dragger.
It was a great trainer. Could be set up for very docile characteristics, or set up to really rip around the sky.

Loved that bird. I ended up rebuilding it into an electric and donated it to a newbie here on Wattflyer.

And heck the GWS Slow Stick is about as easy as it gets to learn on. And they are easy fixes when something goes wrong, and they are CHEAP. Get em comfortable flying in low winds and then turn em loose in a breeze. They will learn real quick on how to handle the wind.

Heck anymore at our club we wait for windy days to fly em. It makes it a lot more fun.

Then turn em loose on a 4 channel.

And something to think of. Most three channel birds are controls on the right stick, which can throw off a newbie when they switch to a 4 channel and now have a left stick control too. Had my druthers I would have rather learned both sticks at the same time. I still find myself on occasion trying to steer a 4 channel bird on the ground with the right stick. Doesn't work so well.

[Saddlebum]

I have decided to buy a Senior Telemaster and build it electric, tricycle gear and with ailerons.

I like that airplane because it is BIG and SLOW and easy to see.

Thanks everyone for all your helpful input.

...The Bum

[rcers]

It is a classic that has trained MANY over the years. An excellent choice.

[firemanbill]

Originally Posted by Saddlebum

I have decided to buy a Senior Telemaster and build it electric, tricycle gear and with ailerons.

I like that airplane because it is BIG and SLOW and easy to see.

Thanks everyone for all your helpful input.

...The Bum

Originally Posted by rcers

It is a classic that has trained MANY over the years. An excellent choice.

Yeah! And that plane ain't bad either!

[road king 97]

The telemaster is a great choice but i still have my training sig cadet sr, great flying trainer and a 80 wing so they can see it.