By joining the Sangamon Valley R/C Flyers and working with one of the club's designated instructors, you could quickly be on your way to the rewards of building and/or piloting your own radio controlled airplane.

         The easiest way to get started is to fill out the Introductory Flight Request Form. You will then be contacted by one of the club designated instructors who will work out a time for you to join him at Holmes Airport for an introductory flight

During this time, you WILL FLY a radio controlled airplane! You WILL LEARN how the transmitter works with the receiver and the controls to make the airplane do what it does in the air! And, you WILL ENJOY your time at the field! You WILL NOT be a spectator. You DO NOT need to have your own equipment for the introductory flight and you DO NOT need to have an AMA membership.  NO, you will not fly the P-51!  You will fly a trainer.  The P-51 will have to wait!

         Once your introductory flight is completed, you will most likely be extremely enthused about continuing your flight training. If you're not in a rush to buy equipment, you may continue to fly with one of our designated instructors through the AMA's Introductory Pilot Program without an AMA membership card for up to 30-days. At that point, you will likely need to purchase your own equipment and membership cards to continue your training.

         There are many places to go and buy a Radio Controlled Airplane. One consideration is the local hobby shops. There are also links from the Internet Links page that go to manufacturers/retailers that offer R/C airplanes and equipment. From one of our Local Hobby Shops, Here is a basic list of what you will need:

1. Airplane Kit/ARF-This may be in the form of a box of sticks or kit, or what is known as an ARF or Almost Ready to Fly. Kits take anywhere from one day to one year to complete. ARF aircraft can be ready to fly out of the box, or take 10-20 hours to complete. Undoubtedly, you will be in the air faster with an ARF. Prices range from $50 for a kit to $300 for a Ready-to-fly trainer.

2. Radio-You will need equipment (except in the case of ready-to-fly aircraft) to control your plane on the ground and in the air. Many planes can be flown with a simple four-channel radio system. It is best to start with a plane that has ailerons, engine throttle, elevator, and rudder controls which means you will need at least four servos. A battery pack, typically 600 MAH and a switch come with most radio packages. Prices range from $150 - $1,000 for radios of all types.

3. Field Equipment-At minimum, you will need fuel for the airplane's engine, a glow-starter to prime the glow plug on the engine, a spare propeller, propeller wrench, prop reamer and a "chicken stick" or electric starter (requires a 12-volt sealed battery). A typical setup can be seen here.

4. Club Membership-You must join the Sangamon Valley R/C Flyers to be fly at Holmes Airport. Fill out the Membership Application online or mail it to the club treasurer with the club dues to become a member.

5. Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) Card-This is the most important item to have on hand at the flying field. It protects you from most liability in unexpected and rare event that an accident occurs while you are at the controls of your airplane. Click the link to the AMA at the left for more information.

       SVRC's instructors will continue to train with you on an agreed-upon schedule until you are comfortable flying on your own. This will ensure that your experience with radio control flying is the most enjoyable.