Flight school
Thirty-six lessons in six series, from the trainer to the aircraft carrier. The instructor takes off, hands you the sticks in flight and takes them back when needed.
A lesson, step by step
The circuit, the fifth lesson of the basics, in the trainer at the club. The zones are the ones the game judges at each step, laid on the view of the field from above.
RunwayYouJudged zoneGreen hoops
The instructor
“Watch the instructor: you get the controls once in the air.”
“Your controls!”
Step 1 of 4
Turn right and fly through the green hoops, parallel to the runway.
What the game checksIn the downwind hoops, 25 to 60 m up, for 2 seconds
Good!
Step 2 of 4
Turn right towards the runway, through the green hoops.
What the game checksIn the base-leg hoops, 20 to 55 m up
Nice!
Step 3 of 4
Turn to face the runway and come down through the green hoops.
What the game checksLined up with the runway within 20°, the hoops come down from 25 to 10 m
Perfect, let’s go on.
Step 4 of 4
Open the throttle and climb above the bar (30 m).
What the game checksAbove the 30 m bar
Well done!
Circuit flown
3 stars: without the instructor taking the sticks, with at most one missed attempt and two warnings.
Six series
Lessons are not locked: the school offers the first one you have not passed, and any of them can be flown again.
The basics 8 lessons
The controlsWhat each stick does, one control at a time.
- Bank left with the ailerons.
- Level the wings.
- Pull a little elevator: the aircraft climbs.
- Ease off the elevator: back to level flight.
- Close the throttle well back.
- Open the throttle almost fully again.
- Give a firm push of rudder: the nose turns.
Straight and levelHold a heading and a height.
- Stay in the corridor for 10 seconds: same heading (±20°), same height (±10 m). A one-second slip is forgiven.
- Stay in the corridor for 10 seconds: same heading (±20°), same height (±10 m). A one-second slip is forgiven.
TurnsTurn left, right, then a full circle, without losing height.
- Turn left as far as the arrow, keeping your height (±15 m).
- Turn right as far as the arrow, keeping your height (±15 m).
- Fly a full circle to the left, keeping your height (±15 m).
Coming towards youWhen the aircraft flies towards you, the ailerons seem reversed.
- Fly through the gate, wings level (under 35°).
- Fly through the gate, wings level (under 35°).
The circuitDownwind, base, final, go around.
- Turn right and fly through the green hoops, parallel to the runway.
- Turn right towards the runway, through the green hoops.
- Turn to face the runway and come down through the green hoops.
- Open the throttle and climb above the bar (30 m).
LandingLand the aircraft from final.
- Throttle back and descend towards the marks on the runway.
- Flare: pull gently just above the ground.
Take-offRoll on the centreline, lift off, climb to 30 m.
- Open the throttle gradually and keep on the centreline with the rudder.
- Pull gently: the aircraft lifts off.
- Climb to 30 m, wings level.
The full flightTake-off, circuit and landing on your own, with a light crosswind.
- Open the throttle gradually and keep on the centreline with the rudder.
- Pull gently: the aircraft lifts off.
- Climb to 30 m, wings level.
- Turn right and fly through the green hoops, parallel to the runway.
- Turn right towards the runway, through the green hoops.
- Turn to face the runway and come down through the green hoops.
- Throttle back and descend towards the marks on the runway.
- Flare: pull gently just above the ground.
Cockpit rides 4 lessons
A ride over the clubFollow the lead instructor around the field in the trainer, from the cockpit.Trainer 1.5 m · Club field
- Follow the lead instructor, 10 to 30 m behind him and a little lower.
The valley in a warbirdFly down the alpine valley behind the lead instructor, in the warbird.Warbird 60 cc · Alpine cirque
- Follow the lead instructor, 10 to 30 m behind him and a little lower.
The canyon in a jetFollow the lead instructor between the canyon walls, in the jet.Sport jet 80 mm EDF · Canyon
- Follow the lead instructor, 10 to 30 m behind him and a little lower.
The carrier in the naval deltaCatapult shot, a tour of the fleet behind the lead instructor, then a trap.Naval delta 1:6.8 · Aircraft carrier
- Follow the lead instructor, 10 to 30 m behind him and a little lower.
- Count five seconds, then break: fly the same pattern and trap behind me.
Jets 6 lessons
The catapult launchOn catapult 1, seen from behind the jet. Full power against the holdback, fire the catapult, keep full power down the stroke: within seconds the jet leaves the bow. Ease the nose up, raise the gear and level off at 40 m.
- Full power: the holdback keeps you in place.
- Fire the catapult (the Catapult launch key, L by default), and keep full power.
- Airborne! Ease the nose up: a pitch of 8 to 22°, wings level, and climb.
- Raise the gear (the Gear key, G by default).
- Level off at 40 m: level flight, wings level, for 2 seconds.
Carrier trap 1: the finalThe hook is down and the auto-throttle holds the speed. You fly the stick only: bring the ball to the centre, hold it with the approach aid, then fly into the wires.
- Bring the ball to the centre and keep it there: 4 seconds in all on the slope and lined up.
- Good! Fly the ball into the wires: any wire counts.
Carrier trap 2: the speedNo auto-throttle: the jet arrives a little fast. Slow to the approach speed on the slope, hold the ball with the throttle, catch a wire.
- Throttle back: slow to the approach speed, on the slope.
- On speed: keep the ball centred for 3 seconds.
- Good! Fly the ball into the wires: any wire counts.
Carrier trap 3: from the platformThe landing signal officer’s view: lower the hook, slow to the approach speed and catch a wire.
- Lower the arresting hook.
- Throttle back: slow to the approach speed, on the slope.
- Fly the ball into the wires.
The wave-offOn short final, hook down: the landing signal officer will order a wave-off.
- Bring the ball to the centre and hold it 2 seconds. Stay ready: the order can come at any moment.
- WAVE OFF! Full power, wings level, and climb 6 m.
- Level off at 40 m: level flight, wings level, for 2 seconds.
The bolterThe hook skips the wires: every landing becomes a touch-and-go. Full power as soon as the wheels touch, fly off the end of the deck, then come round downwind.
- Land on the angled deck, and full power as soon as the wheels touch: the hook will skip the wires.
- Level off at 40 m: level flight, wings level, for 2 seconds.
- Coming round: turn 180° left onto the downwind leg, holding your height.
FPV 8 lessons
The hoverIn the goggles, in Angle: hold the height, stay over the circle, turn on the spot, land.
- Hold the height with the throttle.
- Stay over the circle.
- Turn on the spot with the yaw.
- Land in the circle.
Move and stopFly to the pad, stop over it, then come back to the circle.
- Fly forward to the pad, 2 to 5 m up.
- Stop over the pad, for 3 seconds.
- Come back to the circle and stop over it, for 3 seconds.
Turns around a pylonOne lap of the pylon each way, banking and yawing together.
- Fly round the pylon to the right, 3 to 8 m up.
- Fly round the pylon to the left, 3 to 8 m up.
First steps in AcroNo self-levelling: tilt, hold, brake and turn; the attitude stays where you put it.
- Tilt the quad about 25° forward and hold the height, for 5 seconds.
- Brake: tilt back, then level out under 2 m/s.
- Turn 90° to the right, roll and pitch together, and finish level.
Turtle modeThe quad is on its back: turtle mode, flip it over, re-arm and take off again.
- On its back: disarm, switch turtle mode on, arm again.
- Flip it over: push the roll stick to one side.
- Out of turtle: disarm, switch turtle off, arm again.
- Take off and hold 2 m over the circle.
The gatesThe club’s race course: three gates, a full lap, then a lap in under 45 seconds.
- Fly through gates 1 to 3, in order.
- Fly the full lap, all 6 gates in order.
- A full lap in under 45 seconds.
The racing lineAfter the gates: keep the speed through them, on a flowing line.
- Gates 1 to 3, each faster than 22 km/h.
- A full lap, faster than 22 km/h through every gate.
The timed lapFlying laps against the clock, with the split times at every gate.
- A flying lap in under 50 seconds: the clock starts at gate 1.
- The clock: a flying lap in under 45 seconds.
Long-range FPV 2 lessons
The cruiseThe 7-inch long-range quad: up to 20 m, a steady cruise along a line, and the stop at its end.
- Climb to between 12 and 28 m and hold it.
- Cruise through the hoops, between 12 and 28 m, to the end.
- Stop over the pad past the last hoop.
Out and backOut to the far pylon watching the OSD, back without wasting the pack, and a gentle landing.
- Fly out to the pylon, 350 m away: watch the distance and the pack on the OSD.
- Back to the circle within 150 mAh: straight home, no dawdling.
- Land gently in the circle.
Helicopter 8 lessons
Spool-up and lift-offRelease the hold, lift off to 1 m, set down gently, put the hold back on.
- Release the hold, collective down: the rotor spools up.
- Raise the collective gently: lift off to 1 m.
- Set down gently in the circle.
- Put the hold back on.
Tail-in hoverTail towards you, in the breeze: hold the height, stay over the circle, land.
- Hold the height with the collective.
- Stay over the circle.
- Land in the circle.
Side-on hoverTurn the nose left, then right, and hold the heli over the circle.
- Turn the nose left and hold it over the circle.
- Turn the nose right and hold it over the circle.
Nose-in hoverA slow half turn on the spot, then the nose towards you: the controls are reversed.
- Turn slowly through half a turn on the spot.
- Nose towards you: hold it over the circle.
Translate and stopSide-on along the runway: to the pad, stop over it, back to the circle.
- Fly to the pad, between 2 and 5 m up.
- Stop over the pad.
- Come back to the circle and stop over it.
CircuitClimb to 15 m, downwind, base, a descending final, a stop over the circle and a landing.
- Climb to 15 m over the circle and hold the height.
- Downwind: fly along the runway through the hoops, between 15 and 20 m, at a good speed.
- Base: turn back towards the circle’s line, through the hoops.
- Final: come down towards the circle through the hoops.
- Stop in a hover over the circle.
- Land in the circle.
First autorotationAt 30 m over the strip: hold, collective down, glide, flare and land without the motor.
- Hold! Collective down.
- Glide towards the strip, keeping the speed and the rotor speed.
- Flare, then land with the collective.
First 3DIn 3D mode, no self-levelling: a hover at 15 m, a flip, a roll.
- 3D mode: hold the hover over the circle, between 12 and 18 m.
- A flip on the spot: a full turn in pitch, then level.
- A roll on the spot: a full turn in roll, then level.
The instructor
“The instructor always warns first, then lets you correct: 2 s (watchful) or 3.5 s (relaxed), much longer when you are high up or on the move being taught. Off: only when asked.”
He takes over when the aircraft goes past its limits, before it is too late. Watchful, he steps in beyond 75° of bank or 40° of dive, or under 1.10 times the stall speed. Relaxed, beyond 100°, 50° and under 1.05 times.
A Help button, on the keyboard or on a transmitter switch, gives him the controls when you ask. His set-up flights can be fast-forwarded up to four times, then everything is back to real time before he hands over.
The lesson sets the conditions and the view: broad daylight, clear weather, and wind only when it needs some.
Only when asked
Two moments from the game: a warning in orange, then a takeover.
Stars and medals
Three stars!
Without the instructor taking the sticks, with at most one missed attempt and two warnings.
Two stars
At most one takeover and three missed attempts.
One star: passed!
The lesson is passed, with the instructor’s help.
The cockpit rides
You follow the lead instructor. The score is the share of the time spent in the window behind him: gold from 75%, silver from 55%, bronze from 35%.
After the school
The challenges take the same aircraft to the nine maps, with medals and the ghost of your best run.
Coming soon to Steam
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