The Gift He Will Love the Most- A Helicopter

I had no idea what an impression these gifts would make on my grandsons. In fact, to give them gifts that brought more excitement than video games was no small accomplishment. Not only were they impressed...but remote control helicopters were the hit of our holiday celebration.

There was a huge temptation to take the helicopters out of the package before they were wrapped just so I could test their airworthiness. However, I resisted...mainly because the copters have to be charged before they can be flown. That, by the way, is the only thing that I didn't like about the helicopters. They take about 30 minutes to charge and then only fly 8 to 10 minutes.

When the presents were finally opened there were shrieks of joy from the boys and even more excitement when I announced, "You're supposed to fly them indoors." That also brought a negative response from their mother who wasn't comfortable with that idea. But I assured her that these remote control helicopters are perfectly safe for indoor use and are, in fact, built for that purpose.

What surprised me most was how quickly the boys were able to learn how to fly their aircraft. Flying and maneuvering the helicopters was so easy that the whole family wanted to take a turn behind the controls. Even my 6 year old granddaughter got into the act and she did amazingly well until she crash landed on the cat. Fortunately, the cat survived as did the helicopter. Apparently remote control helicopters and cats have something in common. They both have 9 lives.

Speaking of children and their ability to quickly learn to control the craft...it should be pointed out that the manufacturer's recommended age for their product is 14 and over. No doubt, that statement was crafted by pricey attorneys who are paid to protect the company in such matters. However, with adult supervision, there is no reason that younger children should not be allowed to play with the helicopters. Our grandsons are 11 and 13 and the helicopters and neither one of them had the slightest problem operating their aircraft.

These helicopters are controlled by 3 radio signals. Older models just used 2. The 3 signals result in greater control over the helicopter and makes flying a simple task. Be sure to get a helicopter that is gyro equipped. Gyroscope technology also contributes to greater ease of operation.

When I was a kid my daddy bought me a gas powered remote controlled airplane. It crashed and burned the first day after only one flight. Needless to say, today's models are a considerable improvement over the remote control aircraft from my childhood.

Most remote helicopters come in three sizes. There is a mini helicopter that is between 4 and 6 inches in length. The mid-size model is in the 10 to 12 inches range and the large helicopters are scaled to 13 inches and beyond.

At the end of the day one of my adult sons said to me, "Dad, I would like to have a helicopter of my own." That statement came after the boys' refusal to give him a turn behind the controls. Yes, remote control helicopters also make a great grownup "guy toy." And, maybe best of all, they are surprisingly inexpensive.

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