Come Fly with Us
If you have ever dreamed of flying and don't have the funds for a "real" plane, then join the eFlyers. Our excellent instructors will teach you how to fly radio controlled (R/C) planes and help you build your skills as a competent pilot. Join hundreds of other Villages, who, over the years, have taken to the skies over The Villages polo fields.
Trainer Planes
The overwhelming choice amongst all of our instructors is by far the venerable Apprentice. This airplane comes in two versions: the Apprentice STS and the Mini-Apprentice. For our discussion, we will concentrate on the STS. Both fly well but the STS will handle wind somewhat better. Here is a YouTube video of it in action. https://youtu.be/pWTi8ubmf40
You can get these at local hobby shops that carry Horizon products, or online at horizonhobby.com. Various members seem to always have used Apprentices that they are willing to part with. I generally have an Apprentice or two that I could sell. Pricing new is $349.99 plus tax, free shipping (if bought online). This price would include everything needed to get you into the air including transmitter, battery and charger. Used prices can vary: with or without battery, charger, transmitter (etc.) but would be in the neighborhood of $50 to $150 or more.
Below: Flight Instructor Mike Milhorn takes a student up for a training flight. Notice that both transmitters are connected with a cable. This "buddy-box" setup allows Mike to demonstrate a technique, transfer the controls over to the student, and then if the situation arises, take back control to stabilize the aircraft. The airplane is the Apprentice STS.
There are many reasons why the Apprentice is so great for training new R/C students.
It flies GREAT.
When that inevitable crash comes, and it will, parts are readily available and are very reasonably priced . For instance, a motor mount, which is generally the first to go, is like 4 bucks. An entire wing assembly is about 35.00 and so on.
After that inevitable crash comes, this airplane can usually be fixed easily with some epoxy or glue.
All of our instructors are well versed in the operation and flying capabilities of this airplane. In fact, most of us trained on the Apprentice ourselves.
This airplane comes with AS3X (Artificial Stabilization 3 Axis) and SAFE technology (Sensor Generated Flight Envelope). AS3X is great for those windy days as it will smooth out flying without taking away from total pilot control. We, as instructors, leave this feature on for our students. However, training and flying this model with the SAFE technology enabled is not considered. One you have soloed, you are free to utilize this function, but for training, it teaches the student bad habits which are not easily overcome.
There are other models which are fine for training. Please consult with an instructor as to which ones are acceptable.
Regarding Training
The E-flyers club is considered one of the premier clubs in training new students. We typically train about 10-12 students per year and we are happy to report that most are still flying on a regular basis. As of this date, current and active instructors are: Ron Kaminski, Phil Deutsch, Vance Lorenzana, Mark Lundeen, Mike Millhorn and Bob Lavarnway. Training is from 8:00 am to 11:00 am, Monday & Wednesday only. All of the instructors generally wear red E-Flyer hats to show that they are instructors.
Come join us and learn to fly a model airplane! It’s not hard, it’s cool and it is a ton of fun!!!
Bob Lavarnway
E-Flyers Chief Flight Instructor