3-D flight school
Chris Mulcahy
cspaced@gmail.com
After watching his exploits online for years, flying his signature-series tuned pipes, and hearing his name throughout the RC helicopter industry, I finally met Todd Bennett. Todd’s helicopter career spans more than 20 years. After working for Northrop Grumman and Texas Instruments, he consulted for Miniature Aircraft, Hirobo, and Thunder Tiger, and even started a small company that you might have heard of: Synergy R/C Helicopters. It’s safe to say that this man knows a thing or two about RC helicopters.
Todd doesn’t just know about helis either; he also knows how to fly them. His unique flying style helped create 3-D flight the way we know it today. He founded Synergy R/C Helicopters with Jason Krause in 2004. Jason designed the original Synergy N9 (released in 2006) before Matt Botos took the reins. The rest is heli history.
Many of you already know that Todd has been holding 3-D flying schools for many years. For those of you who don’t know, I asked Todd to tell me a little about the schools.
He works with other professional pilots to bring 3-D classes straight to your club. If someone contacts him, he will travel for a fee to where that person is and spend a couple of days giving instruction.
Todd currently works alongside Jamie Robertson, and has worked with Jason Krause, Curtis Youngblood, Nick Maxwell, and Matt Botos. Todd and Jamie coach each student one-on-one, going over helicopter setup, learning what the student wants to accomplish, and then spending time with each pilot to develop those skills. More importantly, they teach students how to teach themselves so that students can continue their training after the classes are finished.
It’s usually a two-day affair, and there are typically three or four students. Everyone meets first thing in the morning, when Todd and Jamie thoroughly inspect the students’ helicopters.
They first check to make sure the models are safe then see how they are set up. If Todd and Jamie have any recommendations for the students’ helis, this is when they will share them.
Next, they review the goals of each student. Do the pilots want to learn a specific maneuver? Do they simply want to push their flying to the next level? Whatever the goal, a plan is formed for each student to be ready for day two.
The second day is all flying and instruction. Todd and Jamie spend time with each of their students, helping them reach their goals. Sometimes buddy boxes are used and other times simulators are used, but most of the time the student is flying.
The goal for Todd and Jamie is to get people past their fears and mental blocks when it comes to learning something new, as well as to develop a practice schedule that makes sense for each student.
I saw Todd in action while night flying. He talked a pilot into performing autorotations—something the pilot had never done, but was able to pull off with Todd’s direction.
We all get to a point where we feel that our flying is not progressing fast enough, or we are “stuck in a rut” where our skills are concerned. Getting together with more experienced pilots is a great way to get motivated.
Having one-on-one time with Todd is a great way to achieve your goals! Visit his Freestyle 3D website (listed in “Sources”) to learn more about the school and to see what students have said about their experiences.
SOURCES:
Todd Bennett’s Freestyle 3D
(805) 857-3399
www.freestyle3d.com
International Radio Controlled Helicopter Association (IRCHA)
www.ircha.org
