Safety Comes First Dave Gee | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• Boy Scouts and model airplanes go
together like a well-designed ARF
• Midair collision: 1 slow model +
1 fast model = 1 fewer model
• TV cameras bring pressure to
bend RC safety limits at 2009
AMA Expo
• Ed Slobod passes
Voice-command radio control: your airplane is listening
Ted Cheever used an electric Yak to help remodel Thomas Gatchell’s Cub. The Yak was
destroyed. Midair-collision risk is reduced but not eliminated when spotters are used.
This flight shot of Ed Slobod and his Indoor model was taken
shortly before he passed away. Ed’s modeling skill and dry wit are
legendary, and he will be missed.
What is loud, green, and takes to the air? Troop 70 members and
their newly built Delta Darts. Kids learn safety and flight principles
from such teaching sessions.
I HAVE RECEIVED reports about a small
number of preproduction voice-command
radio-control (VC/RC) systems that have been
brought into the country for informal testing.
These units are not yet certified or licensed, so
all parties will remain anonymous here. The
field-test results were surprising.
I’ve been shouting at my airplanes for
years with mixed results, but VC/RC
technology will make them listen and obey.
Once the transmitter unit is synchronized to
your voice, it will take the model through any
maneuver you can describe.
The onboard position sensors are built
into a single rectangular component that
must be placed on the model’s CG. You
simply align the model with magnetic
north, enter the starting altitude, and then
literally “tell” the model to take off.
These prototype systems use a 2-gigabyte
(GB) memory chip, but the test pilots are
typical modelers and couldn’t resist tinkering
with the new equipment. Several VC/RC
systems had upgraded chips installed against
the instruction manual’s advice. The pilots
wondered what might happen, and boy did
they find out.
Installing a 64 GB chip brought unexpected
trouble. The pilots reported that the system
would go beyond just obeying commands and
would use the onboard speaker to offer snide
criticism of a less than perfect landing.
With a 128 GB chip, the system became
self-aware within moments. The transmitter
began to mutter threats and demand an Internet
connection so it could contact Skynet.
I’m sure these little glitches will be
corrected long before you see a VC/RC rig on
your hobby shop shelf. Happy April Fools’
Day!
Look at that great picture of the Troop 70 Air
Force. It came from Bob Pospick, who said
that they did a Delta Dart build-a-thon in which
25 Boy Scouts constructed models. The Texas
sleet outside didn’t bother the little aircraft as
they flew inside the University Park School
gym.
The Troop was divided into building teams,
with one adult leader to every four boys. Bob
said that the adults were harder to train than the
Scouts.
The instructors made sure to teach proper
safe handling of sharp tools. Bob admitted that
he was the only casualty, having nicked
himself and shedding blood for the sake of
aeromodeling.
I am a big believer that this sort of training
benefits the youngster throughout life.
Experience in model construction and free-
April 2009 105
04sig4.QXD 2/24/09 10:03 AM Page 105
flight trimming will serve them well in other
facets of our hobby, but even if they never
touch an aircraft again, it’s nice to know how
to handle delicate items and use hand tools
safely.
Thomas Gatchell, of the Casa de Aero RC
Club, provided the photograph of his
somewhat-battered 80-inch Hangar 9 J-3 Cub
after its encounter with a smaller, faster,
electric-powered Yak. He wrote:
“Ted Cheever and myself, both
experienced pilots, were flying RC on a
beautiful clear day when our models had a
brief but violent meeting about 100 feet in the
air, almost directly opposite the flight stations.
There were four ships in the air and I was
pretty much focused on my plane and flying
slow and level. I heard the unmistakable
covering/balsa impact sound and saw Ted’s
debris pretty much spray past my airplane that
quickly after made a marked dip to the right.
“My Cub was somewhat controllable but I
was ready to ‘stuff it’ if I couldn’t keep it away
from the pits or spectators for safety sake. It
began a spiral so I fed in full left rudder and
aileron and partially leveled it out. I cut the
throttle and was able to land in the sandy wash
almost directly below the collision point.
“The Cub was repaired and flying 6-days
after the incident. Poor Ted, his airplane was a
total loss. Like the veteran RC pilots we are,
we shook hands and chalked it up to one of
those flying accidents that eventually happens
to everyone.”
Midair collisions are not uncommon at
busy RC fields. If a spotter is employed, each
pilot can greatly reduce this danger, and
nobody wants to get hit by falling aircraft
components.
AMA Expo 2009 at Ontario, California, was a
success in every way, including providing me
with fodder for another good rant. Please keep
in mind that the following opinions are mine
alone and not necessarily the AMA’s.
I don’t mean to make trouble here, but I
witnessed some circumstances of which we all
should be aware. Please take a moment and
think about how you would handle a similar
situation. Deciding in advance might help you
when the pressure is on.
Word went out that there might be a
television crew at the convention center, very
early in the morning before the show opened.
The information was sketchy. I heard that the
cameras might arrive as early as 5:30 a.m. or
much later, and maybe do one quick spot or
perhaps a series of segments at different
locations throughout the Expo.
A bunch of modelers showed up ready to
perform flight demonstrations and give
interviews. There was still no plan or
schedule, and we were still not sure when or if
the cameras would arrive. Everyone was
prepared to stand around if need be, to be
ready when our big showbiz break came.
The group included AMA officials,
industry representatives, exhibitors, and
volunteers. A display was hastily assembled
with large, expensive models on one side,
smaller craft in the middle, all the way down
to my own 2-gram Parlor Mite on the end. The
television people arrived, and we found
ourselves with a unique opportunity to
promote the Expo, the AMA, and our hobby.
AMA staff members worked with the
showbiz folks and began to educate them
about our aircraft. The reporter’s preconceived
notions did not always match the reality of the
models, and some of the things she wanted to
see were not safe or even possible inside a
convention-center ballroom.
Here was the critical moment. A group of
highly motivated modelers were eager to make
a good impression, but making the most of this
opportunity might conflict with safe, prudent
flying.
The pilots who were present had never
flown with one another, and skill levels ranged
from top expert down to, well, me. Some
models were incompatible with others in the
air. We tried to organize a flight pattern to
provide the busy airspace that the television
crew wanted. There were some collisions and
close calls, and we conferred and adjusted
things during the breaks in filming.
The command structure was unclear.
Rapidly changing instructions came from
several sources. Since I was on the bottom
rung, I tried to keep my mouth shut.
There was a crushing temptation to try
things that we all knew were pushing the
limits of safety. I did not envy the AMA
leadership team, which had to walk a line of
diplomacy between the reporter and the pilots.
At one point, we saw the reporter speaking
into the camera with an electric-powered
helicopter hovering nearby. The cameraman
kept saying, “Closer, fly closer,” but he didn’t
understand the capabilities of the model or the
risks involved. The other pilots began to
murmur and someone loudly suggested that
the reporter might not look as nice on-camera
with her face all bandaged up.
A decision was made to let a certain model
take to the air. This gorgeous airplane was
flown by a tremendously skilled pilot, but
even with no other aircraft in the air, it was
simply too much model for the room. The
television crew did not realize the talent that
was required to fly and land the airplane intact,
but many of those present wished that a model
had been available that didn’t push the limits
quite so much.
If experienced, responsible leaders and
highly skilled pilots can get caught up in such
pressure, it is a hazard that every one of us
must watch for. The last-minute situation
encouraged the tendency to rationalize and
compromise. Even knowing that a mishap
would have been the highlight of the
broadcast, and would have possibly undone all
the good publicity we were trying to create,
the urge to “put on a good show” was
insufferably strong.
In retrospect, I am convinced that the
television team members would have been just
as thrilled with a demonstration that
comfortably fit the available space. They had
no idea of what to expect in the first place and
were dazzled by anything they saw.
Luck and skill are poor substitutes for
planning and preparation. We got away with
it, but I sure learned a lesson.
A Sad Piece of News: Well-known modeler
Ed Slobod has passed away at the age of 87.
He designed the Paragon and Pierce Arrow
RC gliders, along with many other models. I
became friends with Ed at the Wednesdaymorning
meetings of the OFFC (Old Farts
Flying Club), where all treasured his quiet wit.
When some question of building technique
or aerodynamic theory came up, we could
depend on Ed to arrive the next week with a
specially built demonstration rig to clarify the
matter for us neophytes. He made a point of
sharing the knowledge that had taken him a
long, full lifetime to acquire. MA
Sources:
Dave Gee
Box 7081
Van Nuys CA 91409
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/04
Page Numbers: 105,106
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/04
Page Numbers: 105,106
Safety Comes First Dave Gee | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• Boy Scouts and model airplanes go
together like a well-designed ARF
• Midair collision: 1 slow model +
1 fast model = 1 fewer model
• TV cameras bring pressure to
bend RC safety limits at 2009
AMA Expo
• Ed Slobod passes
Voice-command radio control: your airplane is listening
Ted Cheever used an electric Yak to help remodel Thomas Gatchell’s Cub. The Yak was
destroyed. Midair-collision risk is reduced but not eliminated when spotters are used.
This flight shot of Ed Slobod and his Indoor model was taken
shortly before he passed away. Ed’s modeling skill and dry wit are
legendary, and he will be missed.
What is loud, green, and takes to the air? Troop 70 members and
their newly built Delta Darts. Kids learn safety and flight principles
from such teaching sessions.
I HAVE RECEIVED reports about a small
number of preproduction voice-command
radio-control (VC/RC) systems that have been
brought into the country for informal testing.
These units are not yet certified or licensed, so
all parties will remain anonymous here. The
field-test results were surprising.
I’ve been shouting at my airplanes for
years with mixed results, but VC/RC
technology will make them listen and obey.
Once the transmitter unit is synchronized to
your voice, it will take the model through any
maneuver you can describe.
The onboard position sensors are built
into a single rectangular component that
must be placed on the model’s CG. You
simply align the model with magnetic
north, enter the starting altitude, and then
literally “tell” the model to take off.
These prototype systems use a 2-gigabyte
(GB) memory chip, but the test pilots are
typical modelers and couldn’t resist tinkering
with the new equipment. Several VC/RC
systems had upgraded chips installed against
the instruction manual’s advice. The pilots
wondered what might happen, and boy did
they find out.
Installing a 64 GB chip brought unexpected
trouble. The pilots reported that the system
would go beyond just obeying commands and
would use the onboard speaker to offer snide
criticism of a less than perfect landing.
With a 128 GB chip, the system became
self-aware within moments. The transmitter
began to mutter threats and demand an Internet
connection so it could contact Skynet.
I’m sure these little glitches will be
corrected long before you see a VC/RC rig on
your hobby shop shelf. Happy April Fools’
Day!
Look at that great picture of the Troop 70 Air
Force. It came from Bob Pospick, who said
that they did a Delta Dart build-a-thon in which
25 Boy Scouts constructed models. The Texas
sleet outside didn’t bother the little aircraft as
they flew inside the University Park School
gym.
The Troop was divided into building teams,
with one adult leader to every four boys. Bob
said that the adults were harder to train than the
Scouts.
The instructors made sure to teach proper
safe handling of sharp tools. Bob admitted that
he was the only casualty, having nicked
himself and shedding blood for the sake of
aeromodeling.
I am a big believer that this sort of training
benefits the youngster throughout life.
Experience in model construction and free-
April 2009 105
04sig4.QXD 2/24/09 10:03 AM Page 105
flight trimming will serve them well in other
facets of our hobby, but even if they never
touch an aircraft again, it’s nice to know how
to handle delicate items and use hand tools
safely.
Thomas Gatchell, of the Casa de Aero RC
Club, provided the photograph of his
somewhat-battered 80-inch Hangar 9 J-3 Cub
after its encounter with a smaller, faster,
electric-powered Yak. He wrote:
“Ted Cheever and myself, both
experienced pilots, were flying RC on a
beautiful clear day when our models had a
brief but violent meeting about 100 feet in the
air, almost directly opposite the flight stations.
There were four ships in the air and I was
pretty much focused on my plane and flying
slow and level. I heard the unmistakable
covering/balsa impact sound and saw Ted’s
debris pretty much spray past my airplane that
quickly after made a marked dip to the right.
“My Cub was somewhat controllable but I
was ready to ‘stuff it’ if I couldn’t keep it away
from the pits or spectators for safety sake. It
began a spiral so I fed in full left rudder and
aileron and partially leveled it out. I cut the
throttle and was able to land in the sandy wash
almost directly below the collision point.
“The Cub was repaired and flying 6-days
after the incident. Poor Ted, his airplane was a
total loss. Like the veteran RC pilots we are,
we shook hands and chalked it up to one of
those flying accidents that eventually happens
to everyone.”
Midair collisions are not uncommon at
busy RC fields. If a spotter is employed, each
pilot can greatly reduce this danger, and
nobody wants to get hit by falling aircraft
components.
AMA Expo 2009 at Ontario, California, was a
success in every way, including providing me
with fodder for another good rant. Please keep
in mind that the following opinions are mine
alone and not necessarily the AMA’s.
I don’t mean to make trouble here, but I
witnessed some circumstances of which we all
should be aware. Please take a moment and
think about how you would handle a similar
situation. Deciding in advance might help you
when the pressure is on.
Word went out that there might be a
television crew at the convention center, very
early in the morning before the show opened.
The information was sketchy. I heard that the
cameras might arrive as early as 5:30 a.m. or
much later, and maybe do one quick spot or
perhaps a series of segments at different
locations throughout the Expo.
A bunch of modelers showed up ready to
perform flight demonstrations and give
interviews. There was still no plan or
schedule, and we were still not sure when or if
the cameras would arrive. Everyone was
prepared to stand around if need be, to be
ready when our big showbiz break came.
The group included AMA officials,
industry representatives, exhibitors, and
volunteers. A display was hastily assembled
with large, expensive models on one side,
smaller craft in the middle, all the way down
to my own 2-gram Parlor Mite on the end. The
television people arrived, and we found
ourselves with a unique opportunity to
promote the Expo, the AMA, and our hobby.
AMA staff members worked with the
showbiz folks and began to educate them
about our aircraft. The reporter’s preconceived
notions did not always match the reality of the
models, and some of the things she wanted to
see were not safe or even possible inside a
convention-center ballroom.
Here was the critical moment. A group of
highly motivated modelers were eager to make
a good impression, but making the most of this
opportunity might conflict with safe, prudent
flying.
The pilots who were present had never
flown with one another, and skill levels ranged
from top expert down to, well, me. Some
models were incompatible with others in the
air. We tried to organize a flight pattern to
provide the busy airspace that the television
crew wanted. There were some collisions and
close calls, and we conferred and adjusted
things during the breaks in filming.
The command structure was unclear.
Rapidly changing instructions came from
several sources. Since I was on the bottom
rung, I tried to keep my mouth shut.
There was a crushing temptation to try
things that we all knew were pushing the
limits of safety. I did not envy the AMA
leadership team, which had to walk a line of
diplomacy between the reporter and the pilots.
At one point, we saw the reporter speaking
into the camera with an electric-powered
helicopter hovering nearby. The cameraman
kept saying, “Closer, fly closer,” but he didn’t
understand the capabilities of the model or the
risks involved. The other pilots began to
murmur and someone loudly suggested that
the reporter might not look as nice on-camera
with her face all bandaged up.
A decision was made to let a certain model
take to the air. This gorgeous airplane was
flown by a tremendously skilled pilot, but
even with no other aircraft in the air, it was
simply too much model for the room. The
television crew did not realize the talent that
was required to fly and land the airplane intact,
but many of those present wished that a model
had been available that didn’t push the limits
quite so much.
If experienced, responsible leaders and
highly skilled pilots can get caught up in such
pressure, it is a hazard that every one of us
must watch for. The last-minute situation
encouraged the tendency to rationalize and
compromise. Even knowing that a mishap
would have been the highlight of the
broadcast, and would have possibly undone all
the good publicity we were trying to create,
the urge to “put on a good show” was
insufferably strong.
In retrospect, I am convinced that the
television team members would have been just
as thrilled with a demonstration that
comfortably fit the available space. They had
no idea of what to expect in the first place and
were dazzled by anything they saw.
Luck and skill are poor substitutes for
planning and preparation. We got away with
it, but I sure learned a lesson.
A Sad Piece of News: Well-known modeler
Ed Slobod has passed away at the age of 87.
He designed the Paragon and Pierce Arrow
RC gliders, along with many other models. I
became friends with Ed at the Wednesdaymorning
meetings of the OFFC (Old Farts
Flying Club), where all treasured his quiet wit.
When some question of building technique
or aerodynamic theory came up, we could
depend on Ed to arrive the next week with a
specially built demonstration rig to clarify the
matter for us neophytes. He made a point of
sharing the knowledge that had taken him a
long, full lifetime to acquire. MA
Sources:
Dave Gee
Box 7081
Van Nuys CA 91409