Houston: The Best Place for Remote Control Helicopters

If you are a resident of Texas, particularly Houston, and if you are interested in remote control helicopters, then this is the article for you.  As you know, there are many types of different remote control helicopter enthusiasts in Houston, and if you’re one of them, then you’re in good company.  These people are some of the most hospitable people in the nation—maybe even in the entire world—and they really know their stuff when it comes to helicopter flying, maintenance, and general enjoyment.

Even if you know nothing about helicopter flying, if you are at all interested in learning more, then these people will be incredibly helpful in your search to learn as much as possible about remote control helicopters.  You can be assured that you’re in good hands.  I am from the Houston area, and if it weren’t for my fantastic exposure to remote control helicopters as a child, I don’t know if I would have been able to truly cultivate my own innate interest in remote control helicopters.

It would have been very different, because my parents really didn’t know very much about helicopters, and although they supported me in my remote control helicopter flying ventures, it was the other residents of Houston—helicopter shopowners, maintenance crews, and the like—that were really instrumental in showing me the true joy that is remote control helicopter flying.  I was so thrilled when I first decided to start a collection, and it was in Houston that this decision was born.  I was walking along one summer afternoon when I was about fifteen, browsing the shops and generally window shopping with no intent to purchase.

At that time, I had two helicopters, both of which I loved, but I didn’t think that I would need more right away; plus, I didn’t know where I would put any more of them, and they can be a lot of work to maintain, lots of dusting and oiling, etc.  Anyway, I walked past this amazing shop that was just full of helicopters of all shapes and sizes, from the very smallest to helicopters so large that they could barely be called model helicopters, except for that fact that they were still remote controlled.  It was after seeing this remarkable collection, that I realized that I wanted to start a collection of my own.  And that’s how it all started.

I ultimately walked into the helicopter shop and explained to the shop owner how impressed I was by his collection and how much I desperately wanted to start my own.  And he was kind enough to offer me one of his, on the house, as a gift of friendship from one helicopter collector to another.  I never forgot his generosity, and when I was older and had more helicopters of my own, I walked back to his shop, which was still in the very same place, and donated one of my best helicopters to him.  He remembered me, and was so proud that I had kept with my collection.

It is experiences like that that keep a person coming back to Houston, where the remote control helicopter collectors are better than anywhere else!

Great Information about Remote Control Gas Helicopters

You may already know that sometimes the best helicopters are the ones that you really put a lot of work into.  For instance, the remote control gas helicopters, which require constant attention and care to their every detail—be it cleaning, preparing to fly, flying, and taking down and cleaning before storage—are often the type of helicopter that people are most likely to purchase again.

This might seem counterintuitive to our culture which thinks that anything is best when you can put the least amount of work into and it supposedly get the most return from your investment, but you need to consider helicopter flying not as a business venture or hobby but as a way of life.  I have seen many a helicopter flyer become disillusioned by others because they purchase the cheapest helicopter and don’t take the time to clean it properly after flying it.

This really frustrates people because those of us who really put time into our flying see it as a joy, and don’t want others who don’t really care about helicopters to be clogging the air with their poorly maintained and poorly flown remote control gas helicopters.

That said, when people are genuinely interested in learning more about my helicopters, I am always happy to show them, and to explain why I spent a certain amount on one helicopter that might seem exorbitant.  The way I see it, remote control gas helicopters, and really any type of helicopter is a true investment, and one that you might even have as an heirloom for years to come.  Because when it comes down to it, remote control gas helicopters will always be the classic helicopter that people think of when you mention helicopters, and children will always be amazed by how graceful a remote control gas helicopter can fly, when it is paired with a good pilot.  One of the things I look forward to most, is sharing my helicopter collection with my children someday, because I think that I’ll really pass down my love of helicopters, and they’ll have an innate sense that these instruments are beautiful and majestic.

I think that helicopters are one of the most amazing manmade creation in the world, and the fact that they mimic nature—for instance, think of the hummingbird—it’s obvious that they are going to last forever.  Anyone who is interested in beginning a collection of some sort should consider collecting helicopters.  They can focus on model helicopters that are unable to fly and are just purchased for decoration, or they can go full force and purchase remote control gas helicopters that are more expensive but that you get a lifetime of enjoyment out of.

It’s your decision, but either way, helicopters are bound to bring excitement and happiness to anyone who purchases them.  Who knows?  Someday you might become like me: a well known helicopter enthusiast and professional flyer with years of experience and tons of training and who will always have a special place in their heart for every helicopter I have ever owned.

Finally! A Website for Remote Control Helicopters

Now that we are well into the information age, it’s obvious that helicopter enthusiasts become more computer literate, and that has begun with the induction of a new website for remote control helicopters.  This website has everything you could ever want and it’s really quite awesome, because it has a separate section for people who know nothing about remote control helicopters and need a primer before getting into the real meat of the website, but once people complete that primer, they become certified to go further into the website, and they can even contribute their own stories about their best flight altitudes and speeds while flying their own remote control helicopters.  I recently was able to contribute my own story of my first remote control helicopter, which I purchased when I was only eleven years old.

It was something that I really wanted, and although my parents said that they would get it for me for my birthday, I couldn’t wait the six months until that was to happen, so I asked if I could do extra chores around the house and save up my money to buy one on my own.  Since my parents also had three other kids, they were more than happy to finally have one of their kids offer to do some chores around the house, and they really put me to work.

I spent the next two weeks running around doing errands for my mom and helping with yardwork for my dad.  By the time I had scraped together the sixty dollars for my first helicopter, I was so tired out that I couldn’t walk to the store to pick it up.

I was actually planning to wait until the next day to go buy it, but much to my surprise, my dad came home from work with the helicopter in his hands—and he said that he was so proud of me for working toward a goal, that he got the more expensive one and said that he would cover the difference.  Having that first helicopter really solidified my interest in remote control helicopters, and I was so happy to contribute my story to the brand new remote control helicopters website.  I can only hope that someday my story will inspire someone else who is considering purchasing a remote control helicopter to do so as soon as possible.

Yes they are expensive, but if you ask me, they are one of the best investments you can possibly get, especially if you do your homework and get a really nice one.  That being said, if you are not trained to operate a remote control helicopter, then make sure you do so before taking yours out for the first time, because crashing your hard earned helicopter can be heart breaking.  That’s why the helicopter website is really so great, because it’s got an in depth article about how to fly your remote control helicopter the first time you pick it up, and I’ve asked people who read that article, and they agree it’s the best place to get information about flying remote control helicopters.

Different Blade Types for Your Remote Control Helicopters

As a world renowned helicopter flyer with tons of medals, plaques, and rewards, I know a lot about blades on remote control helicopters, and the problems that they can sometimes cause.  Apparently, like the man who left a good review for a company that he didn’t really know enough about to write an educated review, there are also stories about people who left poor reviews and the product was actually quite good, and then they were never asked to write a review for any company ever again, and this cost them money as well.

So the moral of the story is, always make sure that your reviews are well researched and that you don’t put your name on anything unless you really trust that it is a quality product, but at the same time, it’s very easy to just write poorly about something, but you should also avoid that if you ever want to be sanctioned for another review again.  As far as the remote control helicopter blades go, I was very lucky to take part in a detailed remote control helicopter blade testing session, so I could see what are important things to check when you’re looking into purchasing another remote control helicopter for your collection, and especially when you’re getting ready to purchase your very first remote control helicopter.

Essentially, the blades are very important.  They need to be durable, in case you are not a very good flyer, because it is the blades that will often run into things and become damaged.  At the same time, you don’t want the blades to be too sharp, because you don’t want them to damage any of your other things, especially if you’re flying the helicopter in your home (which I try to discourage in every situation, but people still do it).  So all in all, you’re best off going with a helicopter that has strong metal or plastic blades—although the plastic blades tend to be lighter, so they are sometimes the better bet, but the metal blades tend to be more durable, so it’s really anyone’s guess.  And you also want to look for blades that are rounded at the edges.  This is no only good because rounded edges are more aerodynamic, it’s also good because you can protect yourself and your loved ones from cutting themselves on the helicopter blades when they are, for instance, taking a helicopter down from a high shelf.

I know of a friend who had a helicopter on a high shelf, and she didn’t know to get rounded blades, and when she reached to take it down, she dropped it, and actually cut her hands pretty badly.  She didn’t need stitches, but it was still a scary incident for her that she could have avoided by just getting a helicopter with rounded edges.  In other cases, I hear about people that got metal blades on their helicopters, and the rest of the helicopter wasn’t built powerfully enough to support the heavy metal blades, and these helicopters never fly properly.

Take Care when Reading Reviews about Remote Control Helicopters

Image via WikipediaI have read tons of reviews for remote control helicopters, because I am the editor of a helicopter aficionado magazine that talks about all the types of helicopters on the market and recommends the best one to buy if you are a first time owner or a remote control helicopter veteran.  The magazine is great, and it helps me see what other helicopter owners think about different models and brands of helicopters, and I really must say that people’s opinions vary widely, which is why it’s probably always best to just do your own research and get what best suits you, rather than getting what you think best suits you based on some stranger’s opinion.  That said, many people who are buying their first remote control helicopters don’t really know what they are looking for, and it is these people that these reviews are written for.

But they are not meant to be taken literally, but rather as a framework to find what other people consider valuable aspects of helicopter buying.  Then you need to think for yourself whether you care, for instance, whether the helicopter blades are made of paper or platinum (although your choices would most likely be more like metal or plastic, but I just meant that as an example).  All in all, I like this magazine because it considers people from all walks of life, and it understands that even if you are interested in purchasing a helicopter, you may not be a rich and bored millionaire with any amount of money and no consideration for finding the best deal.

We all know that these days money is hard to come by, and consumers are becoming more and more knowledgeable about their purchases, which is a wonderful thing in my opinion.  Of course, there are other people who just want to get the most money they can for themselves, so they mark up helicopter prices to exorbitant amounts and hope they’ll get a few foolish customers that didn’t do their homework.

And they probably do get a few of those customers, because they stay in business somehow, and I regularly hear horror stories about people who paid way too much for their remote control helicopter, and when I ask them why they didn’t take the time to read the reviews in my magazine, they usually say that they didn’t know about the magazine, or worse, that they didn’t have enough time.  So they had enough time to work their butts off for that money, but then not enough time to read a measly magazine review?  I think not.  Hopefully, consumers in the future will just continue to become more and more careful about their purchases, because I hate to see people in debt.

It’s such a sad thing.  If you happen to be a new helicopter enthusiast, or you know someone who is, please make sure you read the remote control helicopters reviews before making your purchase.  It can literally save you hundreds of your hard earned dollars.

Purchasing Mini Remote Control Helicopter for Indoor Use? Read This...

I cannot tell you enough the fun that I have had with mini indoor remote control helicopters.  And the people that own mini indoor remote control helicopters are often the nicest, most fun people in the entire world.  When I was recently touring with a group of helicopter flyers, it was the mini indoor remote control helicopter owners that invite all the other helicopter owners over their houses, and that allow them to bring their helicopters for a free for all helicopter fight.
  I couldn’t believe the hospitality of this group of people, and I had so much fun at their house.  Luckily, before the first mini indoor remote control helicopter party I went to, I purchased a great set of mini indoor helicopters, so I was well equipped to participate in their fun.  I had such a great time, and we had such great food, drink, and conversation, that I knew I wanted to spend more time with these people.  That is the reason that I began touring with this group.  We travel around the nation, flying our helicopters in fields and in schools or for private parties, such as birthday parties.

We had the most fun at a 3 year old’s birthday party where we brought all of our most brightly colored helicopters for a great helicopter party, and all the children were laughing and clapping, and we all had a really great time.  We even did a helicopter piñata which the kids thought was really awesome.  They hit the piñata with pretend helicopter blades, and when the piñata broke apart, the helicopter was filled with helicopter candies!  Another party we went to was for a ninety-two year old retired fighter pilot, and all his pilot buddies.  He was still very good at flying our helicopters, even though he was so old.

It was very impressive, and he really enjoyed himself.  So, in general, this helicopter touring club is a wonderful thing that brings me much joy.  Of course, there are times when our parties go wrong, like once we were hired for a bachelorette party, and they thought we were something that we were not.  I had no idea that could even happen, but apparently it does all the time.  My guess is the party planners were drunk or something when they hired us, because we never advertised ourselves as anything but helicopter fliers.  And that’s what we still are today.  After about 14 years of hard work, I can now say that my helicopter touring company is off the ground and flying high.  And I am really proud of my hard work, and of all the work that my colleagues put into getting the helicopter touring company from an idea on paper to something that was really tangible.  The original group of 5 that started the helicopter touring company has since grown to 200, but we are still as close as ever, and we often get together for dinners and fly our mini indoor remote control helicopters all around.  What a wonderful experience.

Caution When Using Gas or Nitro Powered Remote Control Helicopters

Image via WikipediaIn contrast to electric helicopters, there also exist gas or nitro powered remote control helicopters that you should really check out, if you think you have it in you.  Of course, the gas powered helicopters can be more work intensive, but they can also be more rewarding.  You see, it is the gas or nitro powered remote control helicopters that are capable of really showcasing the best agility level and the highest, fastest flying capabilities.

At least that’s what I’ve typically found with my helicopter purchases.  Either way, you can really have a ton of fun with gas or nitro powered remote control helicopters and if you don’t mind replacing their fuel when it runs out and working carefully to avoid fire when you’re setting them up for flight, you can really have a wonderful time.

I remember once helping another shopper with a gas or nitro powered remote control helicopter purchase, and they really found that they could have much more fun with this type of helicopter than the electric helicopter that they were using before then, because the electric one just didn’t respond as well to the remote control.  I don’t know for sure if this is the case universally, or if this particular customer found that gas or nitro powered remote control helicopters were better than electric helicopters based on a single, isolated incident, but I do know that when I discuss which helicopter is better with other professional fliers, I typically get the same answer.  Gas or nitro powered remote control helicopters are indeed more work, but they are also unparalleled in their ability to fly well.

For instance, let’s say you want to fly your helicopter further backwards than any other person and make it to the Guiness Book of World Records.  Well, I have typically heard that people find the gas helicopters to last longer—the electrical charge in electric helicopters runs out before the fuel does.  That said, the gas or nitro powered remote control helicopters are also much more expensive, and you do need to know that you have to restore the gas whenever it runs out, and cleaning the apparatus also takes more ingenuity and work.  But of course, if you’re up for the challenge, the rewards are well worth it.  Just make sure that when you purchase gas or nitro powered remote control helicopters, as with any large transaction, that you are buying from a reputable independent or commercial dealer, and you have researched the price trends in your area, so you know you’re getting the best deal you possibly can for your money.

There is little more frustrating that purchasing your first real gas or nitro powered remote control helicopter and finding out that your next door neighbor got a similar one for a lot cheaper, and is happier with it because they had money left over to take a trip out to the country and really fly it around.  The choice is up to you, but if I had to choose one, I would choose the gas helicopter over the electric one!

Dragonfly tt487 Remote Control Helicopters and My Grandfather's Story

My grandfather told me a very interesting story that inspired me to get a dragonfly tt487 remote control helicopter, and I’d like to share that story with you.

So, when my grandfather was a little boy, he lived in the rural parts of Pennsylvania.  His nearest neighbor was six miles away, so you can imagine that there weren’t many kids his age to hang around with.  He told me that to kill time during the afternoons, he would go down to a little swamp in the back of his house and catch dragonflies all day.  One summer, his cousin was visiting from New Jersey.

My grandfather thought that he would show him what he does each day and took him down to that old pond.  Well, my grandfather’s cousin, being from a suburb of New York City, was not was not accustomed to playing with bugs.  His favorite hobbies were matchbox cars, so when my grandfather’s cousin saw the big dragonfly that my grandfather was trying to catch, he screamed and ran inside the house and didn’t come out for the rest of the summer.  Years later, my grandfather enlisted in the armed forces and was actually one of the first trained US soldiers to fly a helicopter during combat.

Between my grandfather’s hilarious dragon fly story (that he must have told me fifteen or twenty times) to honoring his career and bravery defending out country in the air force, when I discovered that there were dragonfly tt487 remote control helicopters out in the market, I simply could not pass up the chance to purchase one.  Besides being a great tribute to my grandfather (who about four years ago, passed away from prostate cancer at the age of seventy nine), the dragonfly tt487 remote control helicopters are a great flying device.  My son never really got to know my grandfather, who would be his great-grandfather, so I always take the opportunity to tell my son about the great man my grandfather was when we’re flying our dragonfly tt487 remote control helicopters in the large dewy meadow behind our house.

My son even makes fun of me because just as my grandfather told me that old dragon fly story fifteen or twenty times, I have already told my son the dragon fly story at least ten times, maybe more.  Hopefully, this helps him realize the importance of family and how our ancestors are to be thanked for the blessings and good fortune that we have in our lives today.  I can only hope that my son will grow up and have a family of his own to love and provide for and that he will tell that same old dragon fly story to his son or daughter as they’re flying their dragonfly tt487 remote control helicopters.

That is, of course, assuming that I don’t get to them first and tell my grandkids the story of the man who I admire the most and who has shaped my life and given me the strength to succeed in my everyday endeavors.

Daredevils and Remote Control Gasoline Powered Helicopters

Image via WikipediaI wouldn’t recommend you purchase a remote control gasoline powered helicopter unless you are really an experienced helicopter flyer and have a bit of daredevil quality to you.  Basically, these machines are dangerous, dirty, and difficult to fly, and you can really get hurt if you don’t know what you’re doing with them.

My recommendation is to stick with the lower priced electric models, and only fly them in good weather, unless you find yourself really growing bored with them.  It might be all right to purchase one of these gasoline powered models, but you should keep in mind that you need to get a permit to operate them, and they can only be operated during a specific time of day and a specific weather pattern.

These restrictions are placed on helicopter flyers because there have been reports of accidents with remote control gasoline powered helicopters crashing and burning because a spark ignited the gasoline.  As in any case, when you are working with a machine that runs on gasoline, you really need to be cautious, and the problem is that most people that are naturally cautious are just not as likely to want to purchase a remote control gasoline powered helicopter.  So you end up with these daredevils that are out flying their gasoline powered helicopters, and when one of them crashes, everyone has to look out because the person that crashed it would probably just think it was funny.  It can really grow to be a dangerous situation if not controlled.  I know about this personally, not because I was the daredevil in the situation, but rather because I was one of the people standing nearby when a daredevil crashed his remote control gasoline powered helicopters into each other one fall day.

Not only did they both burst into flames, but there were dried leaves nearby, and these leaves also ignited.  Ultimately, it turned into quite a scary conflagration, and I really am happy that I happened to be playing in the sand near a water source with my son, because I was able to grab one of the pails we were using for sand castles and fill it with water to put out the fire.  That was one of the very few instances in which I saw the dark side of helicopter flying, but I’m so glad I was there to prevent anyone else from getting hurt.  Of course, the person flying it didn’t care whether he had almost hurt someone, nor did he care about all the money he had lost by destroying two very nice remote control gasoline powered helicopters.  Al he cared about was that he was able to get the humongous crash on video and use it on his website showing that he was the ultimate champion in helicopter flying.

If you are interested in that side of remote control gasoline powered helicopters, then I just hope that you will fly your helicopters in an isolated area, specifically away from children.  I would never want little, innocent children to be hurt by a daredevils carelessness.

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