Hello All… My name is Howard De Jong, I am fairly new to the world of RC, About 2 years Since I decided to try a helicopter (some say it may not be the best place to start to learn RC) That is true if you try to do it on your own! Fortunately I was able to meet some guys at my local flyin field that really helped me a bunch! Thanks Jimmy, Dave, John and Rob!

Hello All… My name is Howard De Jong, I am fairly new to the world of RC, About 2 years Since I decided to try a helicopter (some say it may not be the best place to start to learn RC) That is true if you try to do it on your own! Fortunately I was able to meet some guys at my local flyin field that really helped me a bunch! Thanks Jimmy, Dave, John and Rob! I started out with a RTF Blade 400 for my first heli and started to learn bits and pieces of how to fly. I was progressing pretty slowly and was getting grumpy about it. That’s when one of the guys suggested I move up to a 600 size Heli. They assured me it would be much easier to learn to fly on something more stable in the air. So I bought a 600 nitro kit and started to get more involved in build and setup. They were right about the larger bird, It is a lot more stable.  But I still was not progressing like I thought I should. I was holding on to tight. In other words I was scared to wreck my Helicopter.  Last June the club I belong to had a Helicopter Fun Fly. They brought in Todd Bennett for a clinic before the fun Fly.  I was able to see first hand how all of the guys that took Todd’s clinic progressed immediately. I was so impressed with his style of teaching and his personality That i wanted to get into a clinic of his. Well I got my Chance last week end , Todd came back to the Denver area to do another Clinic and this time I was in it! Yaaawho…   The clinic started With Buddy box  setup and then we were ready to fly, When my turn came Todd said what do know and what do want to work on. I said I am on very basic figure 8s, and working on orientation angles, and I’m scared to fly higher then 35′. Todd said Will start with That! Then he asked if I had a problem seeing….  Todd said get it started and lets fly…. I watched my heli get smaller and smaller in the perfect blue Colorado sky, When I heard Todd say…  Ready? take it, before I could come up with a good excuse not to take it, I was flying with Todd talking me through some different maneuvers Before I new it Todd took it back and said lets check fuel. (That was the fastest 10 minutes of my life) Todd landed my heli and said fill it up were going back up. I had no idea it could be so much fun flying! That was just the beginning of the experience… before the Clinic was over Todd had me work on figure 8s, He saw I was real weak on one side so we worked on that till I started getting it. He Taught me Front flips ,back flips, aileron rolls, 1/2 flips to inverted. nose in, nose in inverted, a traveling 360, I think the most important thing I learned was to only give the heli what it needs. plus I got all the teaching that the other pilots were getting as well. Todd is a GREAT teacher.  He understands people and will give you just as much as you can handle.  He makes it fun!! And he will give you as much technical stuff as you need! I may be in knowledge overload right now! I know I have a ways to go with my flyin ! But I Know I have been taught by the Best!!!!    I Wanted to thank you again for the MOST Awesome Flying Experience I have ever Had!                                               Thanks Todd                                                             Howard De Jong