Tips

Sport Mufflers
Transmitter
Engine Maintenance
Radio Range Checking
Dave Brown Flight Simulator Pattern Setup

Take-Off
Straight Flight Out and Back
Half Reverse Cuban Eight
Stall Turn
Immelmann Turn & Split S
Three Loops
One Horizontal Roll

Computer Backups

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Sport Mufflers
For sport engines, always use JB Weld as gasketing material between the muffler and the engine.  This helps the bolts holding the muffler on from working themselves loose.   And, if they do come loose, the muffler will more than likely not fall off.  I have never had a sport muffler come off or lost the bolts since practicing this.

Transmitter
Put your name on the back of your transmitter and cover it with clear tape.  If you have a transmitter case, put your channel number and initials on the outside in (semi)permanent ink.  Clean your transmitter antenna once a year.  An antenna with loose sections should be replaced.

Engine Maintenance
Adjust your engine and it's idle mixture at home, before you go to the field.   You'll have more time to fly.  Plus, other pilots will be able to hear there plane go dead stick much easier too!

Radio Range Checking
It is easier to ground test your radio set up by leaving your transmitter still and carrying the airplane away from it.  This is normally done with the transmitter antenna collapsed.  When you hear the servos start to jitter then you have reached your range limit.

Dave Brown Flight Simulator Pattern Setup (V4.05)
Stall Speed    15 to 30
Roll Stability    0
Pitch Stability    15
Aileron Sensitivity    38
Elevator Sensitivity    50
Rudder Sensitivity    90
Drag    10
Power/Weight Ratio    1.5
Snap/Spin Threshold    4
Snap/Spin Rate    4
Roll Damping    85

Take-Off
Always use the rudder to ensure the plane continues to fly straight after wheels lift from the ground.

Straight Flight Out and Back
Never tip the wings from side to side to correct for heading mistakes (not flying parallel to the runway).  You will loose points for loss of heading, but, you will loose even more points for tipping the wings and loss of heading.

Half Reverse Cuban Eight
Always have a straight segment after the 1/2 roll.  Once you start putting the straight segment in, ensure that the segment before the 1/2 roll and after the 1/2 roll are the same distance.  Here is an example of a Cuban Eight.

Stall Turn
Try doing a tail slide instead of a stall turn some time.  This will show you how important it is for the plane to be traveling straight up to get a good stall in the turn.

Immelmann Turn & Split S
Pick out points 1/4 way and 1/2 through the loop as described in Three Loops before executing the maneuver.

Three Loops
When trying to make 3 concentric, circular loops, try this.  Before you start the maneuver, pick out 4 points in the sky representing start of the loop, 1/4 way through, 1/2 way through, and 3/4 through.  Then, try flying through the 4 points you have picked.  Don't worry about what happens between the points at first, just fly through the points.  After you are successful in flying through the points work on smoothing and making 'round' the rest of the loop.  Just flying through the 4 points will make the loops appear circular even though they may not be.  Here is an example of One Loop.

One Horizontal Roll
Practice 3 rolls and get proficient at this.  Once you can do 3 rolls, one roll is a cinch!

Computer Backups
You have more to fear from a bad software install than your hard disk crashing.   Always backup using Windows95 "Full System Backup" before you install new software. Do this even if you have to backup your files to the same hard disk.  In this way you can restore windows to the way it was before you installed your new software.