Rose City Model Flyers
Rose City Model Flyers
For those in the Niagara Region, you may visit the shops below:
Skycraft Hobbies, 314 Lake Street, St.Catharines, ON
Skycraft Hobbies, 115 Plains Road, Burlington, ON
Great Hobbies, 3035 Argentia Road, Unit 3, Mississauga, ON
A&J Hobbies 200 Edgeley Blvd. Unit 28, Concord, ON
Trainers such as these: NEXSTAR (ARF), the Great Planes Goldberg Eagle 2 Trainer (builder's kit), or Hanger 9 Alpha 40 or good models to begin with. You may choose which power system to learn on. Either glow (fuel) engine or Electric. Some kits allow either power source so make sure you review the specifications on a kit before you buy.
E-flite sells some excellent entry level flyers that come with SAFE, a technology that can make things much less expensive for the novice flyer. SAFE equipped aircraft include the Apprentice S 15e , the Timber and the Maule . While SAFE is universally panned by seasoned flyers, it makes a great learning tool, and can be disabled and re-enabled at the flip of a switch.
Also, coming out this February is FMS Cessna 182 from BananaHobbies
Join a Local RC Flying Club
Joining a local RC flying club is essential for beginners. It offers valuable guidance, training, and support from experienced pilots. Being part of a club enables you to connect with other enthusiasts, share knowledge, and learn from one another's experiences. Therefore, when starting with RC planes, it is highly recommended to join a local club.
RC planes, short for radio-controlled planes, are model aircraft that are controlled remotely using a transmitter. These miniature aircraft offer an exciting and immersive flying experience for aviation enthusiasts. From trainers to sport planes, scale planes to aerobatic planes, there are various types of RC planes available to suit different flying preferences and skill levels.
Types of RC Planes:
1. Trainers: These RC planes are specifically designed for beginners and provide a stable and forgiving flight experience, making them ideal for learning and practice.
2. Sport Planes: Sport planes are versatile and offer a blend of stable flight characteristics and aerobatic capabilities, allowing pilots to perform tricks and maneuvers.
3. Scale Planes: Scale planes replicate real-life aircraft and are popular among enthusiasts who appreciate the authenticity and attention to detail in their design.
4. Warbirds: Warbirds are modeled after historic military aircraft and are known for their realistic appearance and flight characteristics.
5. Aerobatic Planes: As the name suggests, aerobatic planes are designed for performing advanced aerial maneuvers and stunts, requiring a higher level of skill and experience.
Choosing the Right RC Plane for Beginners:
When starting with RC planes, it is crucial to select a suitable aircraft based on your skill level and preferences. Some factors to consider include the availability of flight stabilization systems, durability, ease of control, and the recommended power source (electric or gas-powered) for the plane.
Click on the link to the left to watch an informative video from our friends at FliteTest, on which type of plane to start you in the hobby
Here is a very interesting article on the History of Model Flying from our friends at the British Model Flying Asso. Click on their logo to the right to read.
Recent Canadian Regulations:
Part IX Compliance
Other than control line, free-flight, and free-flight rockets, flying models in Canada now requires a Part IX basic
operators certificate from Transport Canada. The Transport Canada website has the current information on getting a drone pilot certificate and a link to their drone pilot study resources. You can read through the two abridged TC Documents attached to this email. The full documents are available here:
Transport Canada Aeronautical Information Manual (TC AIM) - TP 14371
Canadian Aviation Regulations (SOR/96-433) (canada.ca)
Our experience shows that MAAC members should be able to get their Basic Drone Pilot Certificate with minimal
review and studying. For the majority of MAAC activities, the Basic Certificate would be adequate. Here are some direct links to some key pages on the Transport Canada website:
RPAS Exam overview – a general look at the exam criteria and process
Basic RPAS Exam – the page where you sign in to take your basic written test.
Advanced RPAS Exam – the page where you sign in to take your advance written test.
Register your Drone – This is done through the Drone Management Portal.
You will have to sign in to an account that uses either a GCKey generated with the Government or signing in
through a sign-in partner.
Each member is responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable Canadian Aviation Regulations and MAAC Safety Code. MAAC is still developing more tools to support clubs. However, we remind members that the MAAC App RPAS Wilco is free and extremely valuable in determining airspace and aerodromes and meeting other CAR Part IX requirements for producing a site survey (CAR 901.27) for each day of flying.
RPAS WILCO
Part IX requires that every operator needs a site survey for each day they will be flying. The MAACPRO version of RPAS Wilco is free to members and makes this very easy to do, and it can be done when you arrive on site for the day. That report will include just about everything you’ll need to satisfy the site survey requirements. More information about the app and the free ‘MAACPro’ version is available to members and can be found on the MAAC website (see link below). There is a bit of a learning curve to using the app effectively, so here are a few short training videos you can review.
Sign-up and initial set-up - how to activate RPAS WILCO and where to use the MAAC Pro invitation code.
RPAS Wilco First Time Login - It is very important to set up your RPAS and user information before using RPAS WILCO.
Site Survey Basics - RPAS Wilco Site Survey - A site survey is a critical knowledge requirement for drone operations in Canada. You must also use official and up-to-date aeronautical information from NAV Canada. RPAS WILCO helps you create a site survey efficiently with the official aeronautical data from NAV Canada.
Checklists – a look at missions and checklists that will help with the flight log process, also required by the Part IX regulations.
