The Etiquette of Getting Help

The following is reprinted from "Ricks" Check out their website; http://www.ronlund.com/

We have added an additional line or two.

There are some rules ....
Do your part.
Unless you want to pay someone to have your fun for you, learn about the hobby. Read books and magazines, watch videos and go to the field and watch people fly. Explore the internet for information. When it comes to this hobby, I have a saying " Ask 6 people the same question and you'll normally get 6 different answers. When all 6 agree, it's probably a fact". If you participate in an online exchange of information, please only make comments on things you know to be a fact. Don't repeat something you heard or make something up. If everyone followed that advice, the internet would be a better place. As is, it's up to you to separate the fluff from the facts.

Find the right person.
When you get to the field, watch quietly. You should be looking for someone who flies a lot, has good equipment and seems to have at least some social skills. This might not be the best flier or the guy with the prettiest equipment, but it should be someone who obviously knows his stuff. Take your time. This is going to be your mentor. Ask him some questions about his setup to see if he can explain some simple things. If not, find someone else.

When you find someone, don't insult them.
If he gives you advice, follow it. If he helps you setup your helicopter, leave it setup that way. If you don't like the setup, tell him why. Don't go find someone else and have them change the setup. If you do that, don't ever expect to get any help out of him again. He might be some sort of saint, but generally nothing is worse than someone who flits from person to person, having his mind and setup changed daily. I remember a couple years ago, this kid was lucky enough to get Curtis Youngblood to work on his Concept for about 4 hours one day at a funfly. The next day, I saw him asking someone else if the setup was ok. While I guess there's nothing wrong with asking, I wondered what he would have done if the guy had said no.

Try not to ruin a great flying day.
If you find someone willing to help you out, then try to let them do so on their own terms and don't force your machine upon them when the weather is terrific and they are enjoying some great airtime. There is nothing more frustrating than having to rebuild a heli at the field that you are not certain about. Give your helper a call and find out what they are willing to do to help. You might find out they would prefer you to drop by the house some evening away from all the distractions and you will get a better personal quality service. Or perhaps they would have you drop the machine off for them to carefully go over it before it is flown in public. Remember that it is not just your hobby but others are enjoying it too.

Don't blame someone else if you crash
Simple. It's your helicopter. If someone failed to tighten a bolt, you should have been there to catch it, or you should have done it yourself. You should inspect your machine thoroughly if someone else does work on it. If you ask someone to test fly your machine, it's your baby. If someone asks you if they can fly your machine, the machine becomes their responsibility. If they crash, they fix it. It's a good idea to make that clear before handing over the transmitter.