Looking for r/c aircraft tutor

[edmond22]

Yup, ....maybe he doesn't know that if he anyhow "wack some words" just to make it look as if he has some authority, he could be sued for damages.

Sometimes it's better to keep your mouth shut and let pple' think you're dumb then to open it and prove them RIGHT !

Okay ....too OT aredi, ...Bro, you're Mode 2 flyer wat !

Me? kekekek Crash heli can lar lol.

Hard to find a mode 2 who has the confidence to take both Electric/ nitro planes and heli. Usually, the ones I know are more proficient on Nitro and knows little about electric while those on electric knows little about Nitro. Pretty tough.

[muddy]

I tink that perhaps the people who are flying electric and nitro planes and helis will probably not need the 500 bucks offered. Haha... Oh well..Still looking

[YZY]

hmm where would the training/flying site be?

[aerobird]

I tink that perhaps the people who are flying electric and nitro planes and helis will probably not need the 500 bucks offered. Haha... Oh well..Still looking

Hi Muddy, I went thru all the posts, and I do hope you'll take in my comments.

Much as I would like to see your research group success in this, I think offering $500 (that works out roughly $50/hr for the 5 sessions of 2hrs), may not really get you the kind of instructor you need.

If you come across a true instructor, he will prob either tell you to keep the money, and he'll do it as a community service, OR, he will tell you that the fee is way too low.

I think you should put the RC instructor in the same league as any other lecturer who teaches in the Uni ..ie..Rates of at least $200/hr. I'm sure that if such a budget would be put in place, you'll be able to source out the kind of quality instructor your team requires.

I believe you know that a person who can fly a RC plane or Heli does not necessarily mean they can instruct.

I wish I can help you with the instruction, and I'll gladly do it for free, unfortunately, I fly mode III on helis and planes.

All the best to your project!

[muddy]

Hello. Thanks everyone for your comments.

The flying site will be at JW or Woodlands.

About the fee. Of course, it would be great if we could provide more monetary compensation for the instructor, but this is the budget that we have to work with. However, I don't think I can justify paying the instructor the same amount that we pay our lecturers. Besides, our professors are not paid 200 bucks an hour (Where did you get that figure??? That works out to 36,000 bucks a month for a 8-5 job!). In fact, in school, we have many instuctors for various purposes who are paid much lesser per hour than what we are offering here, including many lecturers (pls don't ask me for details).

In essense, I hope we can find someone who is not purely motivated by money. The money is an incentive. The candidate should hopefully be someone keen on working with new technology and have a love for RC aircraft. It should be a fun experience to him and not just a job that he has to do.

I also happen to think that it is quite a good deal to earn 500 bucks while being immersed in RC and cutting edge technology at the same time. The instructor could even end up learning something from what we are doing. I've often seen people talking in the forum about wishing that their work is flying RC aircraft. Now's your chance!

Thanks for your kind comments aerobird. I hope my answer is satisfactory.

[ammo]

Hello. Thanks everyone for your comments.

However, I don't think I can justify paying the instructor the same amount that we pay our lecturers.

In essense, I hope we can find someone who is not purely motivated by money. The money is an incentive. The candidate should hopefully be someone keen on working with new technology and have a love for RC aircraft. It should be a fun experience to him and not just a job that he has to do.

I also happen to think that it is quite a good deal to earn 500 bucks while being immersed in RC and cutting edge technology at the same time. The instructor could even end up learning something from what we are doing.

Just a comment

When you are looking for pilots with teaching capability, you are talking about professionalism in the field. If the price cannot be justified, I think your idea of money 'incentive' candidate is more of a normal flyer instead.

And I think to commit professionally, these sessions won't be just a hobby or fun fly to the candidate.

Just a comment, no hard feelings

[muddy]

Its alright ammo. No hard feelings.

I understand your sentiments. But I can't afford to pay 200 bucks per hour as previously suggested as well. Besides, this is the amount that my boss has offered. Its this or nothing at all.

In fact, we have previously flown in an overseas instructor or as what you would probably call a "professional". He was paid less per hour than the amount offered here. And he has 20 years experience and really did teach us alot. (Please don't tell me: "Then you go look for him lah!")

We will be flying him in again in July. For now, we need someone to tide us through in terms of flying progress until he comes.

The term "incentive" is used to persuade someone who might expect more. To me, I'm not that rich, 500 bucks is a big deal to me.

[muddy]

Haha. I just thought of something that people might say in return to my comments regarding 500 bucks being a big deal to me.

The reason i say that it is a big deal to me is not because I am a student and that I take money from my parents. I am fortunate enough to have a job but still i think that the money offered is quite decent.

The last thing I want is for the whole discussion to degenerate into talk about money. I am sure there are passionate people out there who believe in making a meaningful contribution.

[aerobird]

Hi Muddy,

I do part time instructing (not RC), and my rates are already $100 per hr. That's not even in the Uni.

However, I do sincerely hope you get the person you're looking for. Like I said, if the goal is to have this person teach your team about flying RC,
both plane and heli, then you're looking for a person who is skilled to
Instruct and not someone who can merely fly a lot of RC equipments.

If I may add to your criteria, have your potential candidates do a
quick lesson with one of your more "Rc challenged team mates" and see just how much he can pick up.

Cheers!

[muddy]

Hi aerobird,

The price to pay is really subjective. It would not be fair to compare your rate with what we are offering. It depends on what you instruct as well. Hence, I really do not wish for this discussion to be about comparing apples with oranges.

Also, why should people in uni have to pay a higher price? We're not hiring the instructor to teach advanced aerodynamics. Should I pay $200 dollars an hour for lets say perhaps a piano lesson, because I am from a university?

Our emphasis is on having a pilot fly the plane that carries our sensors. What we are paying for essentially is for peace of mind that the plane is in safe hands.

Of course, we would like to get more out of having hired a guy here. So, we get the person we hired to teach as well.

I appreciate your concern. If perhaps in your opinion, the job does not pay well enough, then perhaps it is not for you. It is the same with any other job anywhere else. I can perhaps go easier on the 2hr/session.. but it still has to be 5 sessions and $500 bucks. $500 is all I have to work with and I am openly offering it. No under table or shady stuff like offering less first to test response. In short, it is not negotiable and since it is not negotiable, I hope that someone who is not purely motivated by money, someone looking to teach a few greenhorns about RC and someone looking to have some fun flying helicopters and planes for a small token can step up.

[muddy]

I hope that potential candidates have not been scared off by the discussion about money. It is the best I am allowed to offer.

If you think you can lend a hand, please let me know. We'll try to work out a deal. Thanks for everyone's patience..

[Vortices]

hi muddy...happy new year guys...

sorry to hear you have not found your instructor. I have made some calls for you., Unfortunately all my friends flies mode 1.

however I know a few very competent pilots that flies mode 2 might be able to help your flight trial. Not sure if they will be interested to teach though.

For the rest of the comments from ghostfit, well, call me if you need clarification. 81887873. too many misunderstandings have started this way. Let us not contribute another.

I am actually quite curious on your project...can share more details? quite interested in experimental stuff. By the way there is an autopilot system for model airplane that is available now for fix track and altitude lock. May be it would help in your experimental flights. It is not very expensive and can hold track and altitude much better than any grd base pilots.

Actually, give me a call if you have the time, can perhaps get more out of it as I am from aviation facualty as well.

Cheers: Kevin
81887873

[muddy]

Thanks Vortices for your help!

Can you share with us the autopilot system that you were talking about? Maybe its something that I have missed out when doing my literature review.

With regards to information on my project, I can tell you that I'm working on robotics. Currently, the team I work with has land and air vehicles. The air vehicles are just model aircraft now. I believe the aerospace dept of my school are designing and building new aircraft. In the forseeable future, I am trying to get my heli to right itself at the flip of a switch on the TX. Once it has righted, the on board systems keeps the heli upright. Once this system is establish, I hope to get it to stay above a spot with minimum drift. I don't know what else you would like to know. Haha..

The planes and ground vehicles are handled by other students.

I will have to finalise an instructor soon. If there are no more candidates, I will revert back to hiring the mode 1 pilot that my friend contacted previously. Perhaps, most forumer members now think that the money is too little after all that talk about $$$. But I still hope that a suitable forum member can offer his services.

Its good to know that there are like minded people like yourself who are motivated by experimental stuff and new technology.

[baby_zyklon]

There is a co-pilot by fma for heli that can right itself.

[flying bear]

hi muddy,

I was previously from NTU MPE product design, think now has changed its name to relate more to aviation. NTU have changed a lot, maybe I should pop by someday to see your project, I quite curious. (of course on your consent, it is not top secret right ?)

Like Vortices, i m keen to know stuff like that not too crazy like him though. Wish Junior flying club (now call Youth Flying Club) those days got classes like this. But still I have lots of fun in Line control team racers n combat.

Well, for the autopilot, chk out the following system to see if can be of any help.

http://eagletreesystems.com/Plane/plane.html

It is able to record all the vital information that probably will be useful to you. with some mod, you might do instrument flight with the system as the data can be send 'live' to you. I m not too sure abt the resolution of the system, but i m sure you able to create a better circuit by some help from EEE guys.

Good Luck !!!

Bear