Practice and humility can prevent bugaboos
by David Gee [email protected]
Practice makes perfect! One of the best things about our sport is that it is difficult to fly RC models well. The challenge of developing "skill on the sticks" keeps us interested and involved. It's been said that proper RC pilot training is roughly equivalent to learning to play the violin. After several decades of lessons, my flying is still slightly out of tune.
At a recent club indoor session, I was practicing with some new indoor RC aircraft, one after another, as each one charged. My mini helicopter actually didn't laugh at me as I tried to master sideways flight, but I could hear it snickering. The fixed-wing aircraft were no better. My friends were hunkered down behind tables and chairs, enjoying the show.
The evening of practice reminded me of the emails that arrived this month from readers. Carlos Reyes, from the well-known website RCadvisor.com, wrote about his personal "bugaboo" of stall/spin accidents. Carlos said that he has "only seen one of those where the pilot actually took personal responsibility. More commonly, everybody is quick to blame a radio glitch, loose connector, voodoo doll, or whatever pops into their head."
A stall/spin is a common full-scale accident, although the pilot has access to an airspeed indicator. Our models are controlled from the ground and we have to visually estimate their airspeed. Practice and experience help us recognize and avoid stalls.
Sometimes, a bit of humility is necessary to abandon a missed approach and go around again. Trying to salvage a bad situation is a rookie mistake, but experienced fliers get tempted, too. In a battle between ego and the laws of physics, the ground always wins.
At one point during my evening of practice flying, I was fumbling with the battery connection on a Fokker triplane. While trying to hold the airplane, transmitter, and battery, I bumped the throttle to full. On such a small model, it was merely embarrassing ("Hey Dave, I think it's trying to get away from you!"), but a larger model could have done some harm.
This is all too common. Pilots should set the transmitter down or hand it off. In an attempt to save time, we sometimes get caught by a runaway propeller.
Propeller Attacks
When a propeller spins unexpectedly, it can be a serious matter. Ed Maynes sent me an awful photo, along with this story.
"I was at my flying field early, to get in a couple of flights before the crowd arrived. I set the aircraft and Tx [transmitter] on a workbench and went about attaching the battery. I had not flown this plane in some time, but the settings had not changed and the Tx was set for this aircraft. I had positioned the model on my left and the Tx on the right. I knew this was asking for trouble but I was careless.
"I got the normal beeps from the motor. The throttle was in the full-down position but it immediately went to full throttle. Even though I was holding the aircraft, it lurched into my right hand. Four hours and 32 stitches later, I left the ER.
"I did not have an emergency kit with me and had to wrap my hand in a napkin. This was not enough to slow down the bleeding, so now I have a complete emergency kit in my trunk. The photo shows my hand just before stitches. I've learned a lesson and hope by my sharing my accident with your readers, they will stay alert."
I seldom publish gory pictures, but poor Ed wanted us all to avoid his fate, and this is great motivation.
Throttle Stabilizer
Hunter Sheridan sent me a couple of photos depicting a simple idea to improve throttle stabilization. I've heard from many pilots who use it. The tension of a rubber band keeps the throttle where it belongs, even if it gets bumped by a klutz such as me. At takeoff, just slip the band off the stick and fly. Hunter says that many of his friends use this trick in addition to an arming device and whatever electronic safeguards are built into their radios.
My friends enjoyed my indoor practice session too much, and offered somewhat helpful advice such as, "Try to fly around the obstacles instead of through them." I didn't hit anything or anyone, but there is plenty of room for improvement in my technique.
Even the best pilots seek out coaches who can help them improve. Someone like me needs all available help. It takes humility to ask for and accept guidance. Smart pilots know that others can see what we may overlook. Without coaching, we might repeatedly do the wrong thing.
Preflight Checks Necessary
Charles E. Castaing wrote to me about a pilot whose skill and determination saved the day.
"One of our club members was flying his giant Big Stik powered with a powerful 36cc gasoline engine. He had made some adjustments to the flaps/ailerons, and had inadvertently reversed the ailerons. As soon as the plane left the ground, he shouted that the ailerons were backward. This club member has been flying only for about a year.
He flew the plane for several minutes and there were many scary moments as several of us rushed to his side to console him. Believe it or not, he missed nosing the plane in, and only with an iron will and plenty of concentration, he brought the plane down for a relatively rough landing right off the edge of the runway.
"The only damage was a broken prop, slightly bent landing gear, and a stripped clevis on the elevator. It was a superb feat of flying, in that he kept the plane aloft for about 3 minutes, getting the feel of the ailerons being reversed. On some occasions, he was far and wide, but made it back okay in the end.
"Before he took off, he moved the aileron stick on the transmitter and observed the ailerons on the plane moving. He did not, however, check to see that they were moving in the correct direction. The obvious lesson here was to be darn sure they move in the correct direction!"
We can get complacent in our preflight inspections. Seeing the controls waggling is reassuring, but not enough. Sharp pilots are methodical and observant. Lacking those qualities, I have sometimes done inadequate inspections, with luck alone saving me from such an exciting flight. I pledge to do better.
Sig Product
I saw a simple but brilliant item at the Sig Manufacturing booth at the Weak Signals Toledo R/C Show: a laser-cut kit for making a surface indicator gauge that helps you accurately measure and set your RC control surface throws. It works on rudders, elevators, ailerons, and flaps. The control throws are easily measured—without the need of a third hand—on the laser-inscribed gauge, in standard measurements on one side or metric on the other.
The Sig surface indicator gauge comes in large and small sizes. This is the type of tool that could save you a big repair job! Sig has been supplying modelers with useful products since before I was invented, and thoughtful items such as this are why the company remains popular.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
