Roadking said:
Well it sounds very logical that once I am able to fly a quad that is all manual, I would be ably to fly the Phantom well. But it also sounds like starting with the Phantom that has many auto features would be more forgiving for someone learning.
As I have experienced with many other endeavors there are many opinions on the topic, all of which are very valid, and provide guidance.
Having never flown, I am not sure what my learning curve will be.
I know this is a stupid question, but is there an app that might simulate flying that I could try?
Put it this way, you can learn to ride a bike with trainer wheels, it works, but takes longer to learn to ride, and it's not till the trainer wheels are off do you really ride well and see what a bike is capable of.
I would as a supplement have a manual Quad copter also, a great way to gain better flying skills. I have several manual quads and still fly them, as well as my Phantom. A manual quad you got to be on the sticks all the time, unlike the Phantom, where you let go of the sticks will hover and sit there. A manual quad you let go of the sticks will crash and drift.
By using manual, you gain a much higher flight skill. The Phantom becomes a better beast, faster, etc. There are many, who own the AR Drone, use a TX and modify it for manual flight, due to it flies faster and more touchy. Sure the Phantom maybe great to learn on, but to gain a much better skill at flying, and to see what it can do, then manual flight will really help you become a much better pilot. So at some Stage manual flying is well worth it.
Also you can get Phoenix Flight Sim, you can attach a TX to it and practice flying model aircraft, etc on your PC with a TX. It has one Quad on it, so practiced with that. Great fun when it is raining outside.
The Phantom is so easy to fly, People get into trouble with it. Look at You Tube, all the crashes. When something is so easy to fly, you get over confidant and lack of proper flying skills shows its ugly head.
To many beginners fly among trees, over suburbs, and go to high, and it is these people with a lack of skill who will wreak this as a hobby. One crash into a house, or hurt someone, when laws will come into effect banning these. Take it slowly when learning, learn how to fly before flying over your neighbourhood, find an open field learn to fly at different heights, not go straight up high, learn to fly nose at first with the flashing light visible, so so out the back, then side to side, till you do these well, then learn to fly nose in, the controls are reversed so you brain has to learn to work in reverse as well as normal direction, also when learning don't fly high until you can fly. Take your time to learn to be a responsible flyer.
There are to many foolish Phantom owners out there flying these with little flying skill. Taking your time will lead to either no crashes or very few. It takes ages to learn to fly well, trouble is to many don't want to take the time to learn. I am still learning myself and just learned how to fully fly a 450 sized manual quad in a confined space. My smaller quad are easier to learn on.
So enjoy my Phantom, and every now and then fire up my manual quads, flying skills, you learn to think and react much quicker. With the Phantom you can let go of the stick and will in most cases sit there, then think which way to go then go, but you will take longer to develop quick reactions and thinking quicker. A manual quad you cannot let go of the sticks if you get into trouble, so have to think and react much quicker.
You don't have to turn of the Manual flight option in the Phantom, but having a Manual quad helps tune your skills. To many are learning on Phantoms, which is fine, the problem is to many are flying them beyond their skill levels and it's these people who will damage this hobby.