SAFE TO THE RESCUE, PART TWO
By Dave Scott | 1usrcfs@gmail.com
To the chagrin of some veteran pilots who consider the only way to learn to fly is to adhere to the same drawn-out processes that they followed, SAFE is making it possible for the average pilot to enjoy flying just about any type of airplane that they want to fly but with fewer hurdles.
PART TWO of my October 2025 “Flight School” column features a story about Pastor Jeff. His motivation for attending my 1st RC Flight School was because he felt called by God to help young people find activities away from their cellphones and video games. He decided that model aviation would be a great way for the kids in his church to learn flight dynamics and engineering skills, so he enrolled in the flight school with the idea that he would learn to fly, and then teach the kids.
Pastor Jeff was doing fine; however, each time his performance was less-than-perfect, he would get very down on himself. I believe he felt that his performance was letting down God! Despite everyone’s encouragement, he became increasingly discouraged, and I could sense that he was thinking of quitting, so I pulled out an E-flite Apprentice and described the SAFE technology function.
I said that we were doing the same thing that is taught in full-scale aviation—that is, to “use all of your tools” to improve performance and safety, such as turning on autopilot. SAFE technology is one of the tools that is available to help you become comfortable flying on your own, and, thereby, he would be able to introduce flying to the kids.
Despite 15- to 20-mph wind, he was immediately able to line up with the runway. By the end of the day, he had made several nice landings. At one point, the other pilots in the class said that they wished their landings were all as nice as Pastor Jeff’s! He humbly gave the credit to SAFE.
I pointed out that he had a big smile on his face after every landing—isn’t that what matters most? I then told him that, together with a flight simulator,
order to be able to safely fly cool airplanes such as warbirds, EDF jets, etc. (albeit they are limited to racetrack and Figure Eight patterns).
All of this brings us to the big question: Why do so many fliers—even entire clubs—care so much about how others are flying, as long as they’re safe and having fun? I can’t count how many times I’ve read comments online from pilots who already know how to fly telling a struggling newcomer not to use SAFE technology, yet the posts make it clear that the person is just one more mishap away from quitting.
I can only presume that this attitude toward SAFE is driven by people feeling validated when others learn the same way that they did. It reminds me of when cars with automatic transmissions first came out. Traditionalists said a manual transmission was superior, but most eventually came around to see the value of reducing the workload to get from point A to point B. Just as people who learned to drive an automatic can go on to learn to drive a stick, pilots who learn with SAFE can go on to learn conventional control.
There are, of course, pros and cons to both approaches. My point is that arguing over “what ifs” or how a pilot might fly in the future is moot if they don’t stick with it. More people flying RC means more product selection and stocked parts, lower prices, more clubs, and a stronger lobby when fighting for our rights to fly. It’s a win-win for all!
I’d like to close by mentioning my YouTube channel, @1RCFlightSchool. The link is listed in “Sources.” I have posted videos demonstrating the flight envelopes of nearly 100 different aircraft types. Each video includes a link to the RealFlight forums, where you can download the models into the RealFlight simulator and experience how each one actually flies. I hope you check it out!
SOURCES:
1st RC Flight School
youtube.com/@1RCFlightSchool
rcflightschool.com
Horizon Hobby
horizonhobby.com
RealFlight Forums
forums.realflight.com
