We have some great advantages living
here in District X. For the most part, we
enjoy year-round flying weather. The
AMA Expo is in our own backyard, and I
think we have some of the best modeling
and modelers in the nation.
One of our advantages comes with
a serious challenge. Our good weather
typically leaves us with a long stretch
(late spring to early fall) without rain.
Consequently, the areas surrounding our
flying sites can become dry and present
a high fire danger. This, along with the
proliferation of LiPo-powered models,
can be problematic. Whether through
human error or equipment failure,
crashes occur, and when a LiPo-powered
model crashes, the battery may ignite.
I have witnessed what can happen.
An accomplished pilot with top-line
equipment lost control of his model and
the post-crash fire started and spread so
quickly it was sobering.
The fire went from a spot to a 50-foot
circle in about a minute. Long before we
could reach the crash site, the fire had
grown to the point that we called 911.
Luckily in this case only dried grass was
burned, but two weeks later, another
fire caused nearly $800,000 in property
damage.
Currently here in California, there is
a fine club fighting to regain access to its
site, which was closed because of a fire.
We need to step up to address this issue.
What lessons can be taken away from
these events? Assess the models flying
at your field to make sure they are
following the best modeling practices
and adhering to the AMA safety code.
Next, reduce the amount of fuel
a fire could consume. This means
clearing brush and grass, cutting fire
breaks, or having a controlled burn.
Invest in commercial, high-capacity
fire extinguishers and have a means of
delivering them to the site of a crash.
Conduct fire drills to practice your
response.
Post the local fire agency’s number at
your field and provide a clear, accurate
description of where you are located if in
a rural location. Finally, consider limiting
flying during the highest fire times (red
flag days).
We all work hard to enjoy our sport.
Let’s work just as hard to keep others
from limiting our access to flying sites.
The following summary and photos were
provided by Bob Estrella of the Gilman
Springs RC Flyers.
The Gilman Springs RC Flyers hosted
the Sparks Over Gilman Springs All-
Electric event at its Field in Moreno
Valley, California, on June 9, 2012.
The weather was perfect and there
was a great turnout of pilots, airplanes,
and spectators. There were 22 pilots and
58 models participating from the Gilman
Springs RC Flyers (11), Coachella
Valley RC Club (six), Riverside RC
Club (three), and Hemet Model Masters
(two).
Additional photos can be found on
our District X website at www.ama10.
org. I’d love to include your event in our
column and/or website, so please send
me pictures and a write-up and you
could find it here before you know it.
Until next month, may you have
nothing but happy landings.
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/10
Page Numbers: 152
