What age to start your kids in the hobby

[DKY]

Hi guy's

At what age have you sucessfully started your kids into the hobby and how did you do it?

I am specifically concerned about RC planes in particular.

[whirlyspud]

My son started playing with a sim at 3. I did not help him or give any guidance with the sim. He just wanted to have fun with it. I told him when he could take off, fly a pattern and then land, I would take him up with a buddy box. At 5 I took him up with a foamie on a buddy box. A few flights and he was on his own in the sence that I never had to take control back from him. Now he can fly foamies on his own, and I let him fly anything else on a buddy box. I think he could fly pretty much anything I own, but I feel better, and I'm sure the others arounds us do also that he is on a box in case something goes wrong. Let him have at it with a sim. You will know when he is ready.


Mike

[MrKiwi]

I started at age 10.

[MattyMatt]

When you mean start?

I started going to the field with my dad every weekend about 3 years old. Started flying when I was 6-7.

I started building, (gluing stuff together by 5), cleaning, taking them apart and helping to put them together probably 4-5... rubber band powered planes, kite's, free flight gliders.

This was before they had sims... and buddy boxes!

There is a lot for them to learn eary on, instill saftey early. I think people forget how dangerous these things can be. Teach them the hobby... not just to fly.

[Downhumpty]

	Quote: Originally Posted by whirlyspud
	My son started playing with a sim at 3. I did not help him or give any guidance with the sim. He just wanted to have fun with it. I told him when he could take off, fly a pattern and then land, I would take him up with a buddy box. At 5 I took him up with a foamie on a buddy box. A few flights and he was on his own in the sence that I never had to take control back from him. Now he can fly foamies on his own, and I let him fly anything else on a buddy box. I think he could fly pretty much anything I own, but I feel better, and I'm sure the others arounds us do also that he is on a box in case something goes wrong. Let him have at it with a sim. You will know when he is ready. Mike

My youngest son started going to the field as soon as he was I did not have to change his diaper. I just did not want that responsibility at the field. Buddy box at three years old and until five and a half. Same as above. Only because of the liability. Alex is now eleven and......well not only is he a great pilot he is also very courteous to other pilots and their airspace. He now competes in the Intermediate class in IMAC with his own 3.2m Radiowave Extra 300 mid wing.
So... the sooner you get a transmitter in their hand the better. Do not force them! If they want to fly, cool! If not, that's cool to!

Kent Porter

[WangoTango]

Kyle (Fandango) was seven when the late Bob Upton gave him an old well-worn Lazy Bee with a run-out O.S. 15. We put a radio in it and got it trimmed out. We made tick marks on the wing every time he put a gallon of fuel through it. Sixteen tick marks later the fuel-soaked firewall came off and it got dinged up! We fixed it and gave it away. That was followed by a giant Stinger and a whole host of other airframes. He'll be 19 in September and he's been flying electrics, foamies and gassers ever since. The good part: We fly together every weekend and really enjoy this hobby.
WT
*** The bad part: I have to have a Malox cocktail to watch him 3D as LOW as he does!!

[ifly3d]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Downhumpty
	My youngest son started going to the field as soon as he was I did not have to change his diaper. I just did not want that responsibility at the field. Buddy box at three years old and until five and a half. Same as above. Only because of the liability. Alex is now eleven and......well not only is he a great pilot he is also very courteous to other pilots and their airspace. He now competes in the Intermediate class in IMAC with his own 3.2m Radiowave Extra 300 mid wing. So... the sooner you get a transmitter in their hand the better. Do not force them! If they want to fly, cool! If not, that's cool to! Kent Porter

I Have watched this young man ( Alex ) over the years grow in this hobby, And like Kent said as soon as they want to go to the field take them with you and let them fly, if they just want to go and hang thats ok, but dont force them to go. They hate it in the long run if you do this. I have scene a lot of kids come and go at our club, I think they are doing it because there dads want them to. Most of all I think if your kid wants to be in this hobby he should tought at an early age how to do everthing, even if they are just not big enough to do it. I have started Alex plane more than once and he has told me I was not cranking it the correct way. This is a good thing I think, because it tells me that he knows the ins and outs the his airplane. There a lot of kids that all they know how to do is fly. This is not good for the hobby, because when they get older they dont know what to do to a plane when something is wrong.

P.S. get them on the sim.

[Eury]

Well, my son is now 9 weeks old, I bought him a 50cc Yak about a month ago!

[LawnJockey]

My son is 11 and he just finished his High Wing Trainer. We are going out to the field next weekend to put some flights on it. He never really wanted to fly until he got his own plane. I think all kids are different, I wanted to fly at the age of 5 and built my first RC at 10. I flew LC for years before that. Nothing like a nylon prop and a Cox .049 that bites ya.

LJ

[Garley]

My Dad gave me little goes of his gliders when I was 2 and later on I was solo when I was 5 and have been flying ever since

Aaron

[Ramz]

Chuck Norris doesn't start his kids in the hobby....Chuck Norris started the hobby for his kids.



But in all honesty, I started at age 11 with a Hobbico Sturdy Birdy. It was a piece of junk but I'll never forget that piece of junk..LOL. I think I wore out that poor little Magnum .25 on that thing but I sure had a blast!

[whirlyspud]

I started out at 9 or 10 with control line, and rc a year later. All bought on my own dime, and no one else in my family in the hobby. I got lucky and ran into another kid that flew contol line at camp. His father helped me learn to fly rc. He was my second dad in a way. RIP Bob. I miss ya. I'm confident with my kids flying, but I'm also very selective about when and where he flies. I've seen too many examples of what can happen over the years. If it is busy, or there are yahoo's I don't trust on the flight line, then that is the last place I want him to be.

Mike
Mike