President's Perspective
Dave Brown, AMA president
HOUSTON, we have a problem. Well, actually it was Austin, TX, but the effect was the same, and like the problem on Apollo 13, no one got hurt in the accident. Nevertheless, it had a traumatic effect on the Pylon program.
In our case, unlike that of Apollo, the media wasn't focused on every move in the aftermath, and that is a good thing. In what might best be described as the thud heard 'round the world, a Q-40 Pylon racer hit the safety cage at a sanctioned Pylon race.
"So what," you say?
Well, it didn't stop! In this instance, the model — or at least the heavy parts of the model — continued through one side, and almost out the other!
This isn't the first time this has happened, but in the past it has been the cage that was inadequate.
If you remember, we had a fatal accident a few years ago involving a poorly constructed cage. (In that instance, no cage could have prevented that accident, as the victim was leaning against the side.) Nevertheless, this one was different.
The fatal accident forced us to take a hard look at cages. After considerable testing, expense, and hard work, we came up with a cage design considered adequate for the task. These are very stout cages, and we were ridiculed by a lot of people who thought it was overkill.
At AMA expense, we built 11 sets of these cages and distributed them throughout the country, mandating their use for Pylon Racing events. The construction of the cages cost a considerable amount — roughly $85,000 for the 11 sets — and we spent approximately the same amount for the testing and research to determine what was needed.
When the program started, it was met with a considerable amount of resistance from the racing crowd. Slowly, as more were exposed to the data we developed, they afforded support to the program. Frankly, they realized they had two choices: get behind it, or stop Pylon Racing.
We were in a position where we could not afford to take the risks involved if we didn't do something of that sort.
That was then, and this is now. The cage in the accident in Austin was one of those that we built!
What happened? Well, the cage did its job in that the occupant was not injured, but it surely did not repel the model.
The model hit the most vulnerable area of the cage. Any square strike at the edge was likely to be a problem, but assuming the occupant followed the big warning placards, he would be in the center of the cage and should still be protected.
It worked! In this case, the model hit in the top corner and broke three wires in the chain-link mesh. This resulted in a one-foot-diameter hole in the cage.
We are all convinced that if the model had hit nearer the center of the cage, it would have been repelled, but it didn't.
This leaves us between a rock and a hard spot. If anyone is hurt in a Pylon cage in the future, knowledge of this incident will certainly be a factor in evaluating fault.
While we feel reasonably sure that the occupant would be protected, this incident makes that a bet we simply can't afford to take.
After working closely with the Pylon Special Interest Group and the National Miniature Pylon Racing Association (NMPRA), the Executive Council voted to mandate the removal of all Pylon judges from the course. This is effective immediately.
The final draft of the full set of rules is not finished as I am writing this, but the basics are:
- Pylon judges will be moved to a point at least 300 feet from the edge of the course.
- The only personnel allowed on the course will be the pilots, one caller per pilot, a starter, and an assistant starter.
- Cages must still be provided for the starter and assistant starter.
We realize that this will not be possible at all sites, and we have instituted a process where a waiver from any of these requirements can be approved by the Technical Director and the Pylon Contest Board Chairman. A waiver will be granted only if both are convinced that the operation is safe.
Expected speeds, physical barriers, site layout, etc., will be factors in those decisions. I would not expect many waivers to be granted for the fastest classes, but getting approval for slower classes should not be too difficult.
We had to react rapidly in this case. As this is being written, it has only been five days since the thud. I am reasonably sure we have done the right thing in taking this action, but I fully expect that it will require some adjustment as we get more experience with the system.
Want to do something great for kids and for aeromodelling? Look up Science Olympiad on the Internet, and in particular the Wright Stuff portion: http://www.macomb.k12.mi.us/ims/cr/science/solv/events.htm#TIPS.
This is a terrific program that has attracted approximately 60,000 kids. They need your help as coaches or mentors. The kids with the best coaches are maintaining flights of three minutes or more, while a lot of kids languish at 30 seconds.
Any aeromodeler can help these kids. It can be a very rewarding experience and could have a profound effect on the development of our future.
If you can't find the site on the Internet and want to get involved, call me and I'll put you in touch with the people who are coordinating the events. If all else fails, a telephone call to your local middle school might find a team needing your help.
No indoor experience? No problem. Many indoor modelers have pledged to help other coaches.
Do it! It will be something you will remember forever.
MA
'Til next month.
Dave Brown AMA president [email protected]
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
