How to fly an RC helicopter

Learning to fly an RC helicopter used to be notoriously hard. Modern gyros and stabilisation have changed that, but the basic process hasn't: you build skills in a fixed order, and trying to skip a stage is how most helicopters get broken.

This guide takes you from opening the box to flying circuits. The hover gets its own detailed guide: how to hover an RC helicopter.

Before your first flight

Practise on a simulator

Even a few hours on a simulator makes a real difference, especially for collective pitch. Crashes are free and you can practise orientation endlessly. See RC flight simulators.

Learn the controls

Know which stick does what before the rotor turns. On a Mode 2 transmitter, the left stick is throttle/collective (up and down) and rudder (turn); the right stick moves the helicopter forward, back and sideways. Full detail is in RC helicopter controls explained.

Check the helicopter

• Battery fully charged and secure.
• Blades undamaged, all screws tight.
• With the helicopter powered and the motor disarmed (throttle hold on), move each stick and check the swashplate and tail respond in the right direction.
• Throttle at zero and throttle hold on before you plug in.

Choose where and when

• Indoors: a clear room, no ceiling fans, pets out. See flying RC helicopters indoors.
• Outdoors: a flat, open space away from people, on a calm day. Follow the CAA's rules: the UK rules for RC models explains Flyer IDs and distances.

Stage 1: spool up and skim

Set the helicopter on a smooth floor, tail pointing at you. Slowly raise the throttle until the helicopter feels light on its skids, then lower it again. Do this a few times. Then let it lift a couple of centimetres and set it straight back down. You're learning how the helicopter responds, not trying to fly.

Stage 2: the tail-in hover

Keep the tail pointing towards you so the controls match your view: right stick right moves it right. Hover just above the ground, making small, gentle corrections. Aim for 30 seconds in a small area, then a full battery. Detailed drills are in the hover guide.

Hovering low (10 to 30cm) is easier than it looks, but beware ground effect: close to the floor the rotor wash makes the helicopter skate around. Once steady, try hovering at waist height.

Stage 3: side-in and nose-in

Once the tail-in hover is solid, turn the helicopter 45 degrees, then 90 degrees so you see it side-on. Then work up to nose-in, where the controls feel reversed left to right. This takes time. Use small turns and return to tail-in whenever you feel lost.

Stage 4: forward flight

Start with slow, straight forward flight across the field, stop in a hover, turn and come back. Then join them up into a large oval or circuit, keeping the helicopter in front of you. Forward flight is often easier than hovering, because the helicopter becomes more stable as it moves.

Stage 5: circuits and figure eights

Fly smooth circuits in both directions, then figure eights. These combine everything: turning, orientation and speed control. When you can fly a figure eight calmly, you're a pilot.

Mistakes that end most early flights

• Over-controlling. Small, smooth stick movements; let the helicopter settle.
• Flying too high too soon. Height gives you time, but only once you can control it.
• Losing orientation. If confused, stop, bring it to a hover and turn it tail-in.
• Flying until the battery dies. Land with some charge left: a weak battery makes the helicopter sluggish just when you need power.
• Flying in wind. Even a light breeze doubles the difficulty for a beginner.
• Grabbing it after a crash with the motor live. Throttle hold first.

Join a club

An instructor and a buddy-box (trainer link) can take control when things go wrong, which speeds learning hugely. See joining an RC club.

When things don't fly the way they should, the RC helicopter troubleshooting guide explains why. All the learning guides are on the RC helicopters hub.