Testimonials
Well, it's been 3 weeks since your heli school here in Denver, CO. Work and weather had conspired against me getting in any flying since you were here until yesterday. I was afraid that the time between would wipe out the progress I made, but as soon as I got back in the air, your words of "Just do it!" rang in my head. Here are some of my thoughts on the class.
I had heard from one of my local flying buddies that he had arranged for Todd to come out and teach a heli clinic and stay for our first fun fly of the season the following days. With only one slot left in the class, I snatched it up and am glad I did!
This is only my 3rd year flying helis and had not flown RC since my airplane days as a kid. I immediately became addicted to the fun and challenge helis provide and got into the hobby hard core, including becoming a local rep for a heli company. Like many of the rest of us, my simulator skills far exceeded my actual flying skills and while I was progressing, I felt I should be further along in my flying.
From the moment we all met Todd, it was like running into an buddy. His easy going style just made everyone comfortable. Day one was going over set up, which was good as the weather was a typical stormy Colorado spring day. We had good weather the next day and got right to flying. Todd got us comfortable flying much higher than I was used to and showed just how much time we had to recover from a screwed up manuever. My comfidence grew with each sesssion and now I am comfortable trying pretty much anything and will slowly work my way down in altitude as perfect each new trick. I don't spend forever setting up for each manuever as I know I can recover when I blow it and flow different tricks together. Since I am usually the guy that helps new heli pilots at the field, Todd also taught me to buddy box others and have already been able to help others progress in the hobby.
If you are wondering if you should attend one of Todd's schools, ask yourself if you are progressing as you hoped to or if your real flying skills are lagging well behind your sim skills. If you can answer yes to either one, Todd will get you further along in a couple of days than you would in months or years of practice on your own. On top of that, you will have a blast! "Just do it!" LOL
Don Kinnison
Denver, CO
Don Kinnison
Denver, CO
Todd,
I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciated the excellent training I received from you recently. I found your teaching style easy to follow, and could feel my skills improving with each flying session. I started with the attitude that if all I got out of it was a little confidence to try things on my own it would be worth it, since I was pretty much an "advanced hover and fast forward flight" capable student when we began. To think that by the end of our sessions you had me doing circuits, flips, rolls, loops, inverted nose in hovers, and even tic-tocs! All I can say is WOW! I came home fired up, pumped up and couldn't wait to hit the field.
Back home, during my first flight on my own I was shaking like a California earthquake, but after my first few flips I knew your training gave me the confidence I needed to advance further on my own, at least until I see you for a "tune up" in a few months. Thanks again Todd for all you do for those of us who want to learn, learn the right way, and advance without having to invest thousands of dollars in new kits and repairs due to trial and error mishaps. You are the BEST!
Sincerely,
Jay Fiske
Woodinville, WA
Hi Todd,
I have now sadly returned to the UK and the pissy horrible weather that we enjoy over here :o( Anyway Here are my thoughts about my time with you and Freestyle, use them as you with.
I have been flying for 30 years and helis for the last 7 or 8, I am 51 years old (young) I have been looking at the idea of attending a heli school for the past few years, my progression has become somewhat static, I could loop roll stall turn hover inverted and auto, but I have struggled to progress further. When we organized a family holiday to the US I realised that I was going to be fairly close to the Moorpark site of Todd's Freestyle 3D school, too good an opportunity to miss, and how right I was!
A few exchanged emails between Todd and myself I settled on 3 sessions over a few days with him at Moorpark.
Armed with a Satnav I turned up at Todds place in Moorpark. After a short chat we were loading helis and gear into his truck for the short drive to the 'field'. Those who have met Todd will know what a really nice guy he is, patient, personable and as a bonus he can fly helis much better than most!
Within a few flights Todd had me flying maneuvers that I could only have dreamed of, Piro Flips, funnels, aerobatic auto's, pin wheels, 4 point flips, 4 point rolls, half and halves, inverted flight, death spirals, backward loops, backward rolls, tic tocks in all orientations, and more importantly how to recover when things go wrong, as they inevitably do!
Even when I screwed up (frequently), we just did it again, no drama.
I think the test of a good school is not so much what you do at the school but what you take away from it. I left this review for a few weeks and I have had several 'normal' flying days back in the UK, and I am very pleased to say that I have brought most of the things that I learnt back home. OK it will take plenty of practice until I can perform to complete satisfaction, but I KNOW that I can do it.
Todd, I cannot thank you enough for your time and patience, I hope to be back at some time in the future and show you how much I have learnt, but in the meantime I am proud to tell people ' Todd taught me that'
I would without hesitation recommend Freestyle 3D to any budding 3D pilot young or old.
Thanks again Todd,
Nick Hill
Berwick-upon-Tweed UK
I have now sadly returned to the UK and the pissy horrible weather that we enjoy over here :o( Anyway Here are my thoughts about my time with you and Freestyle, use them as you with.
I have been flying for 30 years and helis for the last 7 or 8, I am 51 years old (young) I have been looking at the idea of attending a heli school for the past few years, my progression has become somewhat static, I could loop roll stall turn hover inverted and auto, but I have struggled to progress further. When we organized a family holiday to the US I realised that I was going to be fairly close to the Moorpark site of Todd's Freestyle 3D school, too good an opportunity to miss, and how right I was!
A few exchanged emails between Todd and myself I settled on 3 sessions over a few days with him at Moorpark.
Armed with a Satnav I turned up at Todds place in Moorpark. After a short chat we were loading helis and gear into his truck for the short drive to the 'field'. Those who have met Todd will know what a really nice guy he is, patient, personable and as a bonus he can fly helis much better than most!
Within a few flights Todd had me flying maneuvers that I could only have dreamed of, Piro Flips, funnels, aerobatic auto's, pin wheels, 4 point flips, 4 point rolls, half and halves, inverted flight, death spirals, backward loops, backward rolls, tic tocks in all orientations, and more importantly how to recover when things go wrong, as they inevitably do!
Even when I screwed up (frequently), we just did it again, no drama.
I think the test of a good school is not so much what you do at the school but what you take away from it. I left this review for a few weeks and I have had several 'normal' flying days back in the UK, and I am very pleased to say that I have brought most of the things that I learnt back home. OK it will take plenty of practice until I can perform to complete satisfaction, but I KNOW that I can do it.
Todd, I cannot thank you enough for your time and patience, I hope to be back at some time in the future and show you how much I have learnt, but in the meantime I am proud to tell people ' Todd taught me that'
I would without hesitation recommend Freestyle 3D to any budding 3D pilot young or old.
Thanks again Todd,
Nick Hill
Berwick-upon-Tweed UK
I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your school. It has helped me to get to the next level in my flying abilities. The help on setup and flying is priceless! I would recommend it to anybody that wants a boost in confidence or take that next step to improve flying skills.
Chris Bloom
Chris Bloom
Freestyle 3D is simply a great Radio Control Helicopter training school. When I learned to fly, there was no need for training gear, little hops, hard landings, etc. The heli went in the air, I was given the sticks, and I was hovering within minutes. Within a couple of lessons, I soloed and was off practicing by myself. Not only did Todd Bennett teach me the skills I needed but he also gave me the confidence to do it. I've continually heard Todd say "Let me take you out of that" and every time I do, I know he has just saved me time and money because I would likely have crashed. I've also cried "Help me" a few times and each time, Todd took control and recovered the heli, set me back up, highlighted the problem, and worked with me so that it won't happen again. I'm looking forward to the advanced training that is ahead of me. I know it will be fun, enlightening, and done right. The hidden benefit of training with Todd is that he is a great guy, fun to be around, knows his stuff, and he is really intuitive when it comes to knowing what a student needs. As others have mentioned, he is passionate about flying helis and teaching others how to fly them. I highly recommend Freestyle 3D. Thanks Todd!
Dan Hempy
Dan Hempy
Several years ago I visited Todd Bennett and spent two days taking classes from him. It was one of the best R/C experiences I've had. Todd spent several hours the first morning meticulously going over my helicopter, from mechanics to set-up. He carefully showed me how it all works, and corrected and fine tuned it.
Next was two days of flying buddy-boxed with Todd. There is no way to learn faster - one can push your limits and greatly shorten the learning curve, and Todd is always there to take over and save you from crashing. I asked Todd if he ever was not able to save it, and he said no, with the exception of letting someone autorotate and there was a screw-up immediately before touchdown.
On top of this great learning experience, Todd and his wife are wonderful people and a pleasure to meet and hang with.
A few years after my lessons, Todd came out to our local field for classes. Again he went over everyone's heli. He found a bolt that had half backed out from my seesaw, and rightfully told me he saved a crash that probably paid for the class.
I encourage anyone who wants to learn to fly better to take the opportunity to fly with Todd, truly one of the best 3D pilots and a great teacher.
Eric H. Norby. MD
I took the Freestyle 3D school and was blown away by their personal attention to me and my flying. Todd and Matt taught me the skills to be a better-quality pilot. Their knowledge of model helicopter setups greatly improved my proficiency. Their gift for teaching is amazing, and it will propel you to the next level. Not only do they do an excellent job while you are in the class, but they also provide you with the skills to continue to teach yourself. Thank you Todd and Matt for making me a better pilot while giving me the skills to learn new maneuvers.
Kevin Dalrymple
Windsor, CO
Kevin Dalrymple
Windsor, CO
I have been out to Todds school 3 times and plan to keep coming back. Todd knows how to put fun into a day at the field. Todd loves to teach and share his knowledge. His relaxed straight forward teaching style will put any one at ease and he instills so much confidence in your own ability. He will teach you to be comfortable flying higher then you ever have before and the proper recover techniques for new manuevers that you want to try. For each lesson I just let Todd know what I was working on and then he tailored my lessons around that. The learning does not stop when you leave either. Todd gave me manuevers to practice at home to help with areas I was having trouble with and is always quick to respong to any question that I send thru email. If you fly helis and want to get better plan to spend a few days at one of Todds schools. Spending time out in california at Todds school has been the most positive experience in advancing my abilities. There is not a manuever i wont try now when out at the field. I cant wait for the next lesson. I reccommend this school to anyone in the hobby.
Darcy Cestnick
Fort Mcmurray, Alberta
For several years, I often talked with my buddies of attending a RC helicopter school as a group and for one reason or another it always ended with maybe next year. Late last year, I said enough of that, I’m doing it and does anyone really want to join me. My buddy Erik agreed to bite the bullet and I called Todd and arranged for us to attend at the start of the rainy season in So Cal.
We watched the weather closely as the date approached because it had been raining for over 2 weeks and I discussed it with Todd. It was improving, so we decided to drive to Moorpark. Todd’s website had some recommended hotels in the area. Erik and I used an internet bidding site and found a really nice place in Thousand Oaks for $55 a night with a real breakfast included and within 20 minutes of Todd’s school. Lots of hotels and great restaurants in the area. Todd is a monster when it is about helicopters and talks about them constantly. A mutual friend of Erik and I had taken the school years ago and said the same. Still has the passion. It wasn’t until after we were all done with training and heading home did he talk about anything else.
Now for the school. Erik and I were excited and met Todd bright and early the first day at the school. We were to use his Synergy N9s with YS.61s, but brought our models for the setup ground school. The class is held in his garage, which is a great venue. The sunshine, shade, cool breeze, good lighting, benches, and a general relaxed atmosphere was like hanging out with your buddies. Todd’s demeanor is very relaxed. He is a great pilot, but he isn’t pretentious. He really wants to transfer knowledge to you. Todd doesn’t make it about him, he wants you get the info he is teaching. We went over my Vibe and right away I got a lecture about the weird setup I had. Somehow I had copied another model and it was messed up. So I licked my wounds and just listened, because I was there to learn from someone I regard as a real authority and a mover and shaker in the industry. That consumed a lot of time, but the Vibe is now so smooth and does it all at a lower rpm (1750) than most use at my field. I get comments about how smooth it sounds and flys. Collective management. After that Todd looked over my N9 and Erick’s Trex 600 and both were good to go with some simplification modifications like fuel line plumbing. The first day was spent on setup. He covers any subject area you are interested in learning, but to break it up, when we took breaks Todd talked about areas of rc helicopters such as manufacturing. For me this was very interesting along with the other aspects of the rc heli industry. After Todd went over Erik’s Trex 600 and my Vibe 50 and N9, we left for the day and headed back to our hotel.
The next morning Todd had his N9s loaded along with his tools and fuel. We followed him to the flying site, which is about 15 minutes away thru Moorpark. The site is magnificent. It is situated on top of a plateau with surrounding valleys and hills, away from homes, with a tall tree for shade and a picnic table. Right away Todd put two folding chairs out and has the second guy that flys, to fuel the heli, while he briefs the student on what the flight will entail. I didn’t want to be the first guy up, but before I knew it, I are sitting down and Todd puts the heli up high and had me flying maneuvers right away such as flips and tumbles and backwards rolls. The second flight more backwards rolls, nose down Tic-Tocs, and then Death Spirals. The third flight was Rolling Tail Slides and inverted autos. The fourth flight consisted of Traveling Flips and a review. I had a plate full of maneuvers to practice when I get home. Erick did the same maneuvers, plus Piro-Flips.
At this point school was out, but the fun was just beginning. I would have liked to have had 2 solid days of flying. So I plan on doing more classes with Todd. One advantage with Todd is if a traveling school is short of the 4 students needed, you can join one that is short if it works out for all. I still can’t get any others to do a school, except Erik because of the same excuses or reasons, so we plan on joining a San Jose group. I can tell I want to do at least 3 more classes. It’s an ongoing learning process. Todd takes each student at whatever level of flying he is at and works from there. You don’t have to be exactly at the same as the other students in your class.
I highly recommend Todd’s school. If you attend a school session, you will learn something new. That will open up your learning curve to broader horizons. The cost of the school is relatively inexpensive. Less than many micro-helis. If travel and hotel expenses are a concern, have him come out to teach your group or incorporate it with a vacation or business trip. It is close to Burbank and LAX if you are using an airline or Van Nuys if using General Aviation.
Rich Karrigan
We watched the weather closely as the date approached because it had been raining for over 2 weeks and I discussed it with Todd. It was improving, so we decided to drive to Moorpark. Todd’s website had some recommended hotels in the area. Erik and I used an internet bidding site and found a really nice place in Thousand Oaks for $55 a night with a real breakfast included and within 20 minutes of Todd’s school. Lots of hotels and great restaurants in the area. Todd is a monster when it is about helicopters and talks about them constantly. A mutual friend of Erik and I had taken the school years ago and said the same. Still has the passion. It wasn’t until after we were all done with training and heading home did he talk about anything else.
Now for the school. Erik and I were excited and met Todd bright and early the first day at the school. We were to use his Synergy N9s with YS.61s, but brought our models for the setup ground school. The class is held in his garage, which is a great venue. The sunshine, shade, cool breeze, good lighting, benches, and a general relaxed atmosphere was like hanging out with your buddies. Todd’s demeanor is very relaxed. He is a great pilot, but he isn’t pretentious. He really wants to transfer knowledge to you. Todd doesn’t make it about him, he wants you get the info he is teaching. We went over my Vibe and right away I got a lecture about the weird setup I had. Somehow I had copied another model and it was messed up. So I licked my wounds and just listened, because I was there to learn from someone I regard as a real authority and a mover and shaker in the industry. That consumed a lot of time, but the Vibe is now so smooth and does it all at a lower rpm (1750) than most use at my field. I get comments about how smooth it sounds and flys. Collective management. After that Todd looked over my N9 and Erick’s Trex 600 and both were good to go with some simplification modifications like fuel line plumbing. The first day was spent on setup. He covers any subject area you are interested in learning, but to break it up, when we took breaks Todd talked about areas of rc helicopters such as manufacturing. For me this was very interesting along with the other aspects of the rc heli industry. After Todd went over Erik’s Trex 600 and my Vibe 50 and N9, we left for the day and headed back to our hotel.
The next morning Todd had his N9s loaded along with his tools and fuel. We followed him to the flying site, which is about 15 minutes away thru Moorpark. The site is magnificent. It is situated on top of a plateau with surrounding valleys and hills, away from homes, with a tall tree for shade and a picnic table. Right away Todd put two folding chairs out and has the second guy that flys, to fuel the heli, while he briefs the student on what the flight will entail. I didn’t want to be the first guy up, but before I knew it, I are sitting down and Todd puts the heli up high and had me flying maneuvers right away such as flips and tumbles and backwards rolls. The second flight more backwards rolls, nose down Tic-Tocs, and then Death Spirals. The third flight was Rolling Tail Slides and inverted autos. The fourth flight consisted of Traveling Flips and a review. I had a plate full of maneuvers to practice when I get home. Erick did the same maneuvers, plus Piro-Flips.
At this point school was out, but the fun was just beginning. I would have liked to have had 2 solid days of flying. So I plan on doing more classes with Todd. One advantage with Todd is if a traveling school is short of the 4 students needed, you can join one that is short if it works out for all. I still can’t get any others to do a school, except Erik because of the same excuses or reasons, so we plan on joining a San Jose group. I can tell I want to do at least 3 more classes. It’s an ongoing learning process. Todd takes each student at whatever level of flying he is at and works from there. You don’t have to be exactly at the same as the other students in your class.
I highly recommend Todd’s school. If you attend a school session, you will learn something new. That will open up your learning curve to broader horizons. The cost of the school is relatively inexpensive. Less than many micro-helis. If travel and hotel expenses are a concern, have him come out to teach your group or incorporate it with a vacation or business trip. It is close to Burbank and LAX if you are using an airline or Van Nuys if using General Aviation.
Rich Karrigan
I have been fly airplanes all my life and have taught many students to fly airplanes. I am 62. Todd and Matt have a teaching manner that is incredible, smooth understanding and will work you through your fears with a heli. I am a novice with the flying of a heli and after the class I could hover better and fly the the bird around with some confidence wial still on a buddy box,----- Heli's are expensive. The class will save you a lot of money from not crashing, by learning to control your Heli. I am taking the class again to further my piloting skills at Brooks, Or September 2010. You will not regret doing this class.
Roy Mottner
Brooks,OR
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