New Apprentice!

[thehaze]

Now with more AS3X and some kind of SAFE technology...

Looks like I won't be needed anymore... This thing pretty much flies itself. 

I figured this was coming down the pipe. AS3X is slowing taking over the entire Eflite line. It was only a matter of time before it got into the trainer.

Looks like a nice model. Definitely a good choice for a new pilot.

http://www.e-fliterc.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdId=EFL3100

[Andy Hoffer]

Now with more AS3X and some kind of SAFE technology...

Looks like I won't be needed anymore... This thing pretty much flies itself. 

I figured this was coming down the pipe. AS3X is slowing taking over the entire Eflite line. It was only a matter of time before it got into the trainer.

Looks like a nice model. Definitely a good choice for a new pilot.

http://www.e-fliterc.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdId=EFL3100

No safety gizmo could ever provide as much entertainment value as our one-of-a-kind CFI. 

Andy

[Ededge2002]

Anything that encourages inexperienced pilots to try flying on there own should not be sold.  What do the manufactures want to happen?  This hobby is just a few bad accidents away from an outright investigation into its safety and this is just a bad idea in my opinion.  There are too many variables that no electronic gizmo could make a 50oz airplane bashing about the sky "SAFE" . 

Yep I'm a grumpy old turd.

[thehaze]

I think they're just realizing that a lot of people don't fly in clubs any more.

[Ededge2002]

So its a 50oz parkflyer..

[Papa]

I wonder what MAAC will do to accommodate such pilots??
How will they attract them and how will we as a club?
My sentiments are along the lines that Ed so eloquently defined.

Mike how would you enhance the Instruction Envelope to make it attractive
to a newbie with a 50oz. Parkflyer?

[thehaze]

Most of the youtube videos I see of these planes show some guy flying in a school yard, soccer field, or partially built subdivision

[imran1042]

im pretty sure there is a way to turn SAFE off, AS3X can be turned off..

[thehaze]

Additionally, the brains at eflite realize the following:

1. Most people who want to fly and not build (which is a whole lot of people) buy an ARF don't know much about the equipment and how it works so they want an all in one box solution. At least until they learn a little more.

2. Any trainer that can claim to reduce the likelihood of a crash is going to sell better than one that doesn't offer them. New pilots worry about crashing more than anything else, which is understandable since nobody wants to spend $300 on a RC plane only to smash it to bits the first time you try to use it.

3. A whole lot of folks learn to fly on their own, or attempt to anyway.

I think it's going to be a great seller. And I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for a good place to start.

However they need to realize that jumping from this model to a more traditional one is a sure fire way to run into problems if they don't progressively reduce the pilot aids before moving on. Personally I would not issue anyone Wings if they couldn't fly the model with the SAFE (not to be confused with AS3X) system turned off.

Right now AS3X is a hot button issue. Some say it's cheating, some think it's just progress. I'm guessing that the same was said when radios starting including expo and mixes, that are generally used to make a model easier to fly. I'm not sure how I lean in this argument. I've flown a couple models with the AS3X and it works as advertised, however I did feel that I felt a little disconnected from the model in terms of control.

[thehaze]

im pretty sure there is a way to turn SAFE off, AS3X can be turned off..

Yes, the model has 3 states:

1. Lots of SAFE integration.
2. Intermediate
3. No SAFE system

[Andy Hoffer]

I wonder if the SAFE technology could keep jets out of the trees!!

Andy

[sihinch]

Watch it, Andy!

That took a lot of skill to hit that tree!

[Bobmic]

Watch it, Andy!

That took a lot of skill to hit that tree!

A lot of "SAFE" skill ... After all beside the plane all of us were safe

I think some of you are worried a bit too much, I personally like technology and as Mike stated it is a normal progression for Eflite. Stupid things can be done with everything from drunk driving to taking of with a plane without knowing how to land.
Getting into bad situations can happen with any system, I agree that more people might try flying without basic knowledge with this system installed but even more were doing it with electric helicopters for quite some time now.
I do understand the effect of a bad accident on the hobby but I don't see any way to control this beside hoping for some common sense from who ever purchases a plane like this.
Taking in consideration that this is not a $100 plane I will assume that the potential customer will have all the intentions to learn how to fly it.
As for learning to fly with it - I think it's Great! and the main reason is that the students with an instructor beside them will enjoy flying from early stages instead of struggling and panicking after any mistake.
They might not experience all the problems from the first flight but as Mike said they will get their wings after mastering flying with no assisting systems.
One thing we should take in account at the field is that the instructor should test the plane and fly it with the system off before handing it over and turning on the system as problems will be masked out by this system.
All in all I personally liked it.

...Don't worry - Be happy and fly (and if I get my replacement retract for the P40 today I will be even happier..

Bobby

[Andy Hoffer]

Watch it, Andy!

That took a lot of skill to hit that tree!

Wow! What lighning reflexes (sort of like what jet pilots are blessed with!!).  That only took you 2 minutes, 49 seconds to respond.  You must have been anticipating something!! And I can only dream of having such skill. 

Andy

[sihinch]

It's SPC (statistical process control) in action - predicting when an incident or event is about to occur before it actually does!