Who would have thought that the very best way to learn to fly your radio controlled helicopter would be by spending a bucket-load of time sitting on your sofa? Well, it's true.
The one thing that every RC helicopter enthusiast has in common is the fact that they have crashed their model time and time again - and that gets pretty frustrating if you are spending your precious flying hours having to make costly repairs.
So how can your sofa help you avoid all that? Simple - invest in a flight simulator and use it to master crash-free flying whilst sitting on your sofa! After all, real pilots can't afford to make serious mistakes when they are learning to fly andflight simulators have become an essential, real-world training aid.
Just because you are dealing with a scale model doesn't mean to say that simulators are any less useful when you are learning to avoid wipe-outs.
But before you dismiss the idea of investing more of your hard-earned cash in yet more RC helicopter kit, spend a few moments considering the economics of the situation.
Yes, decent simulator software will set you back $40 - $200 but the advantages that it brings can far outweigh its initial cost.
Each time you crash your model you lose two things - time and money.
The financial cost of replacement parts is bad enough but flying enthusiasts pursue their hobby primarily because they enjoy thrill and pleasure of flying.
Every time you need to spend hours effecting repairs following a crash you also lose available flying time and that's the real benefit of using a simulator - it maximises your available flying time by minimizing repair down-time.
It almost goes without saying that by improving your skills on a simulator, you will inevitably be able to spend more time successfully flying your radio controlled helicopter when you are out in the field.
And you'll save your cash because you'll crash less often - fewer repairs, less expense.
Before too long, the cost of your simulator will have been recouped over and over again.
Hopefully, you are nowbeginning to see why spending time on your sofa, polishing your flying skills, is actually an indispensable part of flying your RC helicopter but the good stuff doesn't end there.
Whilst you are sharpening your control skills and learning to avoid crashing and burning your valuable model, your homework will actually be more like fun - and we can all do with a little more of that in our lives.
Now, whilst practising flying using your simulator is not meant to be like playing a computer game, it is, in essence, just that.
Whether you are a complete novice or whether you already have a degree of skill, 'playing' on a simulator will always help you advance the mastery of your hobby.
And if you choose the best simulator right from the outset, its capabilities will challenge you right through to expert status.
Not only that, you can be 'flying' inside when weather or light conditions outside mean that your model is grounded.
So far from being a waste of time and an added expense that you would rather not have, investing in a good simulator is probably the best thing you can do.
You'll maximize your flying time, minimize your crashes, keep repair costs to a bare minimum and still be having fun whilst increasing your flying skills.
And when your fellow-flyers ask what the secret of your skill is, you can honestly tell them that it's all down to spending time on your sofa!