Park Flyers and Slow Flyers
You've probably heard of the terms Park Flyers and Slow Flyers, but what are they exactly?
Well, the terms really just refer to any electric rc airplane that's small enough to be flown in an area such as a public park, parking lot, school yard or even a good sized backyard. It's important to remember, though, that when considering flying your plane in any public area you need to check whether or not flying an rc model airplane is permitted in that area.
Park Flyers and Slow Flyers can be any number of channels but 2 or 3 channel airplanes are the most common. They can be purchased RTF, ARF or can be made up from plans depending on your preferences. RTF electric airplanes are by far the most convenient, and there are some excellent value deals around right now.
Browse some Park Flyers and Slow Flyers here.
In fact, RTF Park Flyers are very widely available these days and make up a huge number of sales globally. The recent and ongoing revolution in radio control and electronic technology has resulted in a massive increase in the number of smaller size RTF electric airplanes being sold in the last few years, bringing thousands of new pilots into the hobby of radio control flying.
An RTF rc airplane is very convenient because it can be charged and flown pretty much straight from the box, and a very simple 1 or 2 channel Park Flyer doesn't take much learning to fly - the main reason why these kinds of airplanes are so popular.
Park Flyers and Slow Flyers can cover a wide variety of models; shown below are two very different examples, the simple ParkZone Slo-V, left, and the fast delta-wing F-27C Stryker. In fact, these two airplanes are at the extreme opposite ends of the Park Flying scale in terms of design, price and performance!
With electronic rc components ever-evolving, such rc airplanes are getting better all the time. Electric brushless motors and Li-Po motor battery packs are standard issue with many Park Flyers nowadays, giving them more power and lengthy flight times between charges.
Park Flyers and Slow Flyers are an excellent introduction to rc flying, but please remember to check where you can and cannot fly in your local public places! If you're trying to come up with ideas of where to fly your airplane, here are a few:
- Large open public parks
- Sports fields
- Empty parking lots
- Large back yards
- Private fields or meadows (with owner's permission, of course!)
If you are in a public area with your Park Flyer or Slow Flyer, common sense must prevail! Keep well away from people, animals, buildings and vehicles etc., and if there are other rc pilots around go speak with them and find out which frequency they are flying on. This is very important because two rc airplanes on the same frequency cannot be flown at the same time!
At rc flying clubs this isn't a problem because of tight frequency control and club rules, but flying in a public place is different and you need to be sure that your frequency is clear before you switch on. Read some do's and don'ts for rc flying in public places.
Browse some Park Flyers and Slow Flyers here.
Related pages
Ground School - things to know before you get airborne.
How to fly airplanes - RC flight school for beginners.
RC flight simulators - the safest way of learning.
RC flying do's and dont's - some basic safety tips.
Training methods - the main ways of learning how to fly radio control.
RC flying FAQ - some common questions about getting in to rc flying.
