Beach Dune Flying

by Ian Perks
(Amble, Northumberland, UK)

Hi. I live on the North East coast in the United Kingdom in a seaside town. We have a lovely beach (which is linked to the North Sea). Would you recommend flying gliders from the dunes? Can they catch thermals etc. the same way as flying on a hill over open land? I have an RC plane and glider, which do you suggest being more successful? I used to fly 10 years ago (but I was only 12!) and am wanting to get back into flying again. Would the dunes by the beach be a good idea? Thank you. Ian

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Beach Dune Flying

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Jan 29, 2009

Beach dune flying
by: Pete

Hi Ian, I say go for it! I've successfully flown an rc glider off dunes in North Wales; dunes are often a good place to fly because the wind is constant off the sea, with no interruption.
The thing to watch for is landing in soft sand, and sand getting into the electrics ie servos and rx - not good, you don't want this happening!
A plane should also be fine but, again, don't let any sand get into the radio gear or motor.
One other thing to be careful of is if the wind is strong there may be seaspray in the air, and you don't want any salt remaining on the plane, so when you finish your flying session make sure that you give the plane/glider a good wipe down.
And finally.... check that you're OK to fly rc there, some local byelaws don't take kindly to model aircraft being flown in public places.

Feb 08, 2009

Seaside flying
by: Anna

I was about to ask this same question... Last summer we had a great few hours playing with a little Danbar Aero Jex plane on the beach but after about an hour or so the wheels soon stopped turning once sand got into them and after it had flown into the sea it was totally dead! Could anyone recommend a more appropriate type of plane that might be a bit more 'seaside resistant' please?

Feb 09, 2009

Seaside RC flying
by: Pete

I just had a look at that particular plane (at Amazon), and I'd say that it's as suitable as any - cheap, robust and simple! Probably the only safer type of plane is a glider, because there are no exterior electronics to worry about, and as long as the rc gear inside is well protected (ie the canopy is a tight fit), then that's about as good as you'll get.
The downside with a glider, of course, is that you need a good wind and fairly high dunes to fly from, or a towline system to get airborne.

I would say that taking off any rc plane from a sandy beach is bad news, because the sand will fly up off the wheels and more than likely get into everywhere. Hand-launching is a much better option, along with a very careful landing preferably on hard sand rather than soft.
And yes, stay well clear of any water - no rc plane likes being dunked in water, and salt water is the worst kind!

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