The Inside Loop - 2008/03

ne of the thrills I get from flying
model airplanes is that I can
perform outrageous stunts and not
have to endure the physical stress. Because
I’m remotely controlling the model, my
stamina for risk can become perceptively
unlimited. That is when I get “cocky” and an
accident happens. I should know better.
It would be nice to have a device that
would tell me an incident was going to
happen beforehand so that I could prepare,
prevent it, or duck out of the way. AMA
safety officers are handy for that task, and
instead of griping about them under our
breath, they should be offered a handshake.
Daring maneuvers and stunts are often
popular at the flying field, and they’re a part
of learning. It’s all in fun. The feeling of
invincibility is common because we can flip
and push our airplanes to the near breaking
point without physical penalty. When a
crash occurs, the price of pushing the
envelope is finally paid, but it typically
doesn’t involve personal physical injury.
This lazy attitude is something I’m not
proud to admit having from time to time.
That’s when accidents happen and the risk
to people and property is far too great.
Every now and then I experience a near
accident, and the life of my model flashes
before my eyes. As the model is brought
back into control, I am grateful, and I take
the opportunity to shake the hand of the
safety officer within myself.
Once I land, I’ll take the warning
message a step further and go over the
airplane thoroughly, checking every nut and
screw. Not because I think the awakening
incident was caused by a mechanical
problem, but because it’s what I should be
doing anyway: paying closer attention.
It is also a way of saying “thank you” to
the model for the joy it’s given me. It’s a
sign of respect when we take care of our
models, and it’s good practice for taking
care of ourselves.
Paying better attention is just as
important in the workshop as it is in the
field. It seems as though every time I work
on a model, it requires the handling of some
kind of material that has a warning label that
reads “Handle with care.” For the most part,
I’m so used to working with these materials
that I perceived myself to be immune to
danger, just as I had done at times while
flying.
We should always take precautions. I
consider Bo Lovell’s article about shop air
pollution to be my wake-up call to stop
being so lazy about handling chemicals and
breathing in particles and fumes that have
the potential to seriously affect my health.
Like Bo, I’ll admit that I’ve sprayed
paint in the house and stirred up enough
epoxy that the fumes cause my family to
evacuate the house to spend an afternoon at
the movies. “What’s that smell?” is more
Editor Michael Ramsey
O
common to hear in my house than “How
was your day?” It’s embarrassing when you
think about it, and it shouldn’t be that way.
The safety officer on Bo’s shoulder
helped him build a simple indoor aircleaning
system from common and
inexpensive supplies. The result of his
experiment created something similar to a
central air-conditioning system that also
offers the benefit of acting like an automatic
vacuum, sucking up many of the light dust
and chunks of foam on the floor right into
its container.
Bo told me that after noticing his health
return to normal, he also noticed that his
shop seemed to be a lot cleaner. The first
time he opened the Shop Air Filter to see
what it had collected, just how much “junk”
the system had collected surprised him.
I’m building one of these systems for my
shop. Besides the better air it will provide
me to breathe, I’m hoping that the dust from
woodworking will find its way into the
filtration system rather than all over my
models stored and hung on the ceiling. How
much of an insult is it to put your airplanes
away clean, only to find them dirty when
they’re taken out to fly again?
Bo was lucky to have a friend who had
large cardboard boxes left over from
shipping. I’ll either tap on a friend’s
shoulder for that favor or perhaps make
something else out of thin plywood and
supplies from the hardware store.
I could get fancy with the project if I
wanted, but the better idea would be to keep
this project simple. The more quickly it is
done, the sooner I will be breathing easier
and making it out to the flying field. MA
The Inside Loop
Published by The Academy of Model Aeronautics
Rob Kurek
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... shake the hand
of the safety officer ...
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