FLY BOYS
They may look like toys, but flying radio-controlled (RC) models is no child’s play according to enthusiasts
By Crystal Chan
December 28, 2009
HIS interest took off with the challenge of making a radio-controlled helicopter perform stunts in mid-air.
MrJohnny Tan flying his RC helicopter upside down
That was over a year ago and now every Sunday evening, Mr Ken Wong, 42, an engineer, can be seen flying his helicopters in a field along Anchorvale Road in Sengkang with at least three fellow enthusiasts.
Mr Wong said: ‘I get a thrill from making a radio-controlled (RC) helicopter do flips in the air.
‘But till today, I can only make the helicopter turn upside down in the air. There are other people who can make their helicopters sway back and forth in the air.’
Mr S S Khaw, who runs Flight Science GOV, a training centre for people keen on learning to fly RC machines, said the number of enthusiasts here is growing.
He said: ‘When I started my centre in 2002, I had an average of 300 learners a month. Today it’s over 1,000 a month and I have bookings for lessons until next year.’
SKILLS: RC flying enthusiasts MrSky Chen, Mr Eric Yeo, MrJohnny Tan, and Mr Ken Wong showing off their machines. TNP PICTURES: CHOO CHWEE HUA
Mr Tony Chang, secretary of the Aeromodelling Federation of Singapore, which has over 1,000 members, said the federation has also seen an increase in membership, although he could not give figures.
He explained the rising interest in RC planes: ‘Many people dream of flying a real plane but because of the costs and physical risks, the next best thing is to fly an RC plane.’
Mr Chang cautioned that one should not view RC machines as mere toys as these can cause serious damage and injury.
He said: ‘It’s like driving a car. If you lose control of the plane, it could drop and hit people on the ground.’
Another RC flying enthusiast Mr Derrick Wong, 39, said his interest started 25 years ago when he was in secondary school.
As a student, he joined an aeromodelling club and spent his Saturdays flying model planes with friends.
His passion for RC machines led him to open a shop, Sky Hobbies, in 2005. He has since sold hundreds of planes and has customers all the way from Europe.
Mr Derrick Wong said: ‘I wanted to provide an avenue for local enthusiasts to buy what they needed.’
Every Sunday, he and at least 10 friends will head to Radio Modellers Singapore, a flying club in Tuas, to fly their planes, which have wing spans of over 1m.
He said: ‘Being a member of a club has perks like competitions and annual barbecues. And of course, we’re insured in case of accidents, although I’ve yet to hear of any accidents because club members are proficient in flying.
‘My children are still in kindergarten and they are too young to join me, though I hope to get them into this hobby.’
Challenging
Mr Derrick Wong said flying RC machines is not just about using a controller to direct the planes and helicopters.
He said: ‘It’s also about hand-eye coordination and orientation of the plane’s direction.
‘The controller has buttons on the left and right. The button on the left controls the speed and the one on the right controls the direction. So you must be able coordinate the two.
‘Bear in mind that you’re not piloting the plane, but controlling the machine from the ground. So you have to watch where the plane is heading at all times.’
Due to potential airspace restrictions in HDB areas, enthusiasts recommend flying the machines at no higher than 60m.
Mr Anthony Low, president of Radio Modellers Singapore, said because of airspace restrictions, it is better to fly the machines in flying clubs.
Flying in approved clubs also enables enthusiasts to fly bigger models with wing spans of over 1m and are powered on petrol.
Said Mr Low: ‘There are no legal issues because we have airspace clearance and proper radio licences.
‘Flying in neighbourhood open fields is dangerous and causes noise pollution. If you’re not careful, the machines may hit nearby buildings.’
Complaints
A Punggol resident wrote to The Straits Times forum on 15 Dec, complaining about the noise caused when the enthusiasts fly their planes in the early morning.
Mr Derrick Wong said: ‘I advise customers to fly in the afternoon so they don’t disturb people who are sleeping in the morning.’
Beginners usually start with RC planes or helicopters with wing spans of under 1m. These machines cost at least $100.
More advanced RC flying machines can cost more than $1,000. As these use petrol, the machines can last at least 10minutes, compared to just four minutes for beginner machines that run on batteries.
RC flying enthusiasts can look forward to DSO National Laboratories’ Singapore Amazing Flying Competition, which will be held on 20 Mar next year at the Singapore Science Centre.
These flying machines are not toys
TOY planes and helicopters that you see in toy stores are different from radio-controlled (RC) flying machines.
These toys, which can be bought at around $20, are meant for children aged 6 to 12.
Mr Derrick Wong, an RC flying enthusiast and a seller of RC planes and helicopters, explained: ‘The toy planes and helicopters have fixed components.
‘But RC planes can be dismantled and reassembled and the electronic parts, such as the motors and speed controllers, can be transferred to other models.
‘Those toys can’t fly very high and this makes it safe for children aged 6 to 12. There’s little risk of it causing injury even if it drops.’
He pointed out that flying RC machines requires good hand-eye coordination and total concentration, whereas this is not the case when flying toy planes and helicopters.
He said: ‘There’s no challenge because these toys are not built for stability. These are just meant for zipping around so you don’t need precise control.’
Agreeing that it’s less risky to fly toy planes, Mr Anthony Low, president of flying club Radio Modellers Singapore, said: ‘Toy planes fly short-range heights while RC planes run on engines and fly to greater heights, so you need some skill to control the latter.’
The NewPaper