October 2009 169
FOR THE PURPOSE of safe flying, spotters are often required
by club rules when flying. The purpose of a spotter is to increase
the safety of fellow members and spectators. A spotter does not
have to be a good flier; however, the spotter should have some
knowledge of model aviation and have sufficient training that
goes along with responsibility. Communication and teamwork are
the key factors.
I trust you will find the following spotter’s guidelines helpful.
1. Observe the airplane. Is it in good condition? Are there
backed-out screws, hatch security, etc.? When getting ready
for the first flight, assist the pilot with a range check and
testing of the proper response of all control surfaces.
2. The pilot should inform the spotter about his or her
intentions for the flight such as practicing certain maneuvers
and the duration of the flight.
3. Does the pilot have the proper frequency pin? Alert the pilot
to anything out of the ordinary. Observe the type and
number of aircraft flying in the pattern.
4. If possible, assist the pilot with starting the engine. Proper
hearing protection might be needed. Ensure that downwind
of the propeller (the prop wash) is clear, and warn any
people standing in the propeller arc to stand back. Observe
the position of the throttle stick on the transmitter, always
keeping your eyes on the pilot when handling the
transmitter. Be prepared for a fast full throttle.
5. After the aircraft is started, observe the final functional
check on the surfaces for proper deflections. Is the antenna
extended?
6. Check the runway departure end, crosswind, downwind, and
base legs for traffic before calling taxiing out and taking off.
7. After takeoff, the pilot will feed the spotter information
concerning his intentions and planned moves. The spotter
will inform the pilot of all information regarding activities
out of the pilot’s line of sight.
8. After the pilot clearly indicates his intention to land, the
spotter will call out loudly, “landing” or “coming in.” Make
sure the runway is clear. After landing, check the final leg as
the pilot taxis off or is on the field recovering his airplane,
alerting pilots of other aircraft who are landing or taxiing
out.
9. From the time the spotter is on the flightline until the engine
is shut down and the aircraft is removed from the flightline,
he or she must have situational awareness of the
surroundings.
What can a hobby shop do for hobby-shop promotion, AMA
membership, and flying sites? Clarence Ragland, a hobby shop
owner in Lockport, New York, outlines his success:
“Due to my promotion program, there will be several new
flying sites created in our area this year. We moved our hobby
shop August 1 of last year to our new address.
“You see, I ask literally every customer who steps into my
hobby shop if they would like to fly RC aircraft. Many say they
aren’t interested, but once I persuade them to take the sticks for a
few minutes, suddenly they become very interested.
“I don’t take no for an answer and insist that they at least take
a few minutes on the sticks; it doesn’t matter if they say they
aren’t interested or cannot afford it, or whatever reason they come
up with.
“As a result, at least four of those I talked to this year are
indeed interested and plan on [acquiring] or already have
airplanes, own a large amount of property, or are good friends
[with someone] who does. One customer says he is good friends
with someone who owns a small, abandoned airport.
“I am on call to give them flight instruction and they plan on
possibly creating flying clubs in their areas. All proposed flying
sites are enough miles apart for safety. Maybe they will create a
private club, as there might be some who don’t want a lot of
strangers using their field. It’s up [to] the owner of the field who
they let in.
“Possibly what club instructors can do is focus on attracting
and providing specific flight instruction to people who might own
large tracts of land. It will be well worth the effort if a new flying
site is created this way.
“Also, try to get school teachers into the hobby and club.
Teachers are in contact with their students, parents, and other
teachers, and many others on a sometimes daily basis. Who knows
who might own a large amount of unused property? Imagine if the
now teacher/hooked aeromodeler desperately wants to create
aeromodeling classes in his school?
“If anyone wants to know more about how my plan works,
please e-mail me [[email protected]] and/or check out my Web
site: www.abchobbyshop.com.
“If anyone wants to at least witness how my unique teaching
method works, it would be well worth the time, money, and effort
to come to my area for a demonstration. I am ready, willing, and
even eager to teach anyone to use this very efficient promotion/
teaching technique. The quicker someone learns, it will be that
much quicker she or he will become an instructor.”
I invite other hobby shop owners to write to me about their
experiences in support of flying sites.
Flying Site Assistance Joe Beshar | [email protected]
Joe Beshar
Coordinator
Eastern Region
AMA Districts I - VII
AL, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN,
MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, PR, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI,
WV
198 Merritt Dr.
Oradell NJ 07649
Tel.: (201) 261-1281; E-mail: [email protected]
Wes De Cou
Coordinator
Western Region
AMA Districts VIII - XI
AK, AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, KS, LA, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV,
OK, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA, WY
202 W. Desert Flower Ln.
Phoenix AZ 85045
Voice: (480) 460-9466;
Cell: (480) 296-9515
Fax: (480) 460-9434
E-mail: [email protected]
Finding—Preserving—Maintaining
Guidelines for a good spotter—communication
and teamwork are the key factors.
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/10
Page Numbers: 169