LOOK OUT for Full-scale: When
you’re flying, it’s easy to focus on a
model and forget that the sky is
inhabited by more than RC (Radio
Control) aircraft. There’s always some
type of full-scale aircraft buzzing by,
often at the same altitude at which you
enjoy flying models.
The value of a spotting buddy is worth
its weight in gold wherever RC and fullscale
aircraft fly in close proximity. A
spotter not only lets you know which RC
aircraft to avoid, but when—and which
direction—to fly to get out of the way of
full-scale airplanes.
The use of a spotter is probably
mandatory if you fly in a club with much
RC activity, but the concept may be new to
those of you in smaller clubs.
I hope you never fly alone. Take the
time to introduce yourself, and ask if
someone will spot for you while you tear
up the sky! You’ll probably make a new
friend and avoid an encounter with a fullscale
aircraft.
Unpleasant creatures: No matter what
time of year it is in the South, I’m on the
lookout for snakes, fire ants, hornets, and
alligators whenever I go into deep grass or
woods.
Many of you fly at sites that require
mowing. When the grass is kept low, life is
good; when it gets high, or if a model goes
into the deep brush, life gets tough.
More than once I’ve been told stories of
snakes near crashed models, causing
would-be retrievers to retreat. Fire ants are
equally awesome; their mounds appear
overnight, and any bites on exposed skin
cause a dance unique to this part of the
country—their sting really hurts!
My least favorite is ground-nesting
hornets, which swarm anything that gets
near their hole. I feel truly sorry for those
unfortunate enough to receive their wrath.
No one deserves to receive numerous
stings, and many—if not all—who have
experienced this first-hand search very
cautiously.
Water-crash rescues need to be handled
with expertise because of alligators. The
farther south you go in the US, the more
important this becomes.
I had an opportunity to go fishing at
night on Lake Apopka, near Orlando FL.
While on the water, a friend turned on
his spotlight and shined it around the
lake; the number of eyes staring back at
us gave me a creepy feeling that was
hard to shake. Some of those eyes looked
traveling in California. Sitting down to
enjoy a soda, I heard the sickening sound
that can only be made when two models
collide in midair.
Looking up cautiously, I saw debris
coming down; there was so much, it
looked like a ticker-tape parade in New
York City.
It wasn’t long before two modelers
with transmitters in hand met in the pits,
yelling at one another. It looked as
though a helicopter on low approach to
the runway collided with a 1⁄3-scale
“something” that was also coming in for
a landing.
The crash seemed to be caused by lack
of communication between the pilots. In
this particular club, helicopter takeoffs and
landings are to be made from special pads
and aircraft use the runway.
The helicopter approached the end of
the runway, and hovered at approximately
100 feet. The model came in right behind
the helicopter, and splat—confetti in the
sky.
The crash was incredible; the airplane
literally disappeared, and the helicopter
fell to the ground. The helicopter autorotated
to a sliding stop and a tip-over.
I stood there, looking up at everything
that was coming down. The airplane’s
engine fell on the runway, a battery pack
hit a parked car behind the pits, and what
looked like a servo tray attached to pieces
of a tail slapped onto the clubhouse roof.
Everyone picked up pieces for an hour
before giving up. Some modelers ventured
into an adjacent field in search of servos,
but found nothing.
What was recovered amounted to the
off/on switch, one servo in a five-place
servo tray, the fuel tank, and assorted
pieces of fuselage. The receiver, four
servos, and the wheels have not been
found.
It’s a good testament to the power of
composite blades. It was one of the most
spectacular midair explosions I’ve ever
seen. I hope helicopter blades of this
variety never hit you.
I’m told damage to the helicopter
consisted of a bent main shaft, cracked
rotor blades, and a bent canopy—all easily
repairable.
The moral of the story? Make sure you
communicate your intentions to other
modelers, regardless of what type of
aircraft you fly.
I fly helicopters, and I know that
fixed-wing pilots hate it when we hover
over the runway. Aircraft can’t safely
as though they were the size of silver
dollars! Imagine what they were
attached to!
You don’t usually see alligators during
the day, but be careful around water and
proceed with caution.
If you have to go into the woods to
retrieve something, make sure you wear
long pants and shoes that protect from
bites. The more skin you have covered up,
the least likely you are to be injured should
you encounter something.
Fixed-wing Meets Helicopter: Not long
ago, I visited a flying field while I was
February 2001 75
Gary A. Shaw
S a f e t y C ome s F i r s t
Box 4520, Milton FL 32572; E-mail: [email protected]
perform flybys or land when a helicopter
is there. Hovering is normally only
allowed in designated areas, to minimize
confusion between pilots.
Use a spotter whenever two or more
models are in the air. No spotters were
accompanying the pilots that day.
Perhaps the two would have met under
different circumstances if there had been
spotters.
Flying cow: Every now and then it’s fun to
put a little humor in the column.
To brighten things up, a modeler in
Virginia sent me this E-mail. I’m not sure the
story is true, but it makes for good reading at
the end of a safety column.
“Earlier this year, the dazed crew of a
Japanese trawler was plucked out of the
Sea of Japan, clinging to the wreckage of
their sunken ship. Their rescue, however,
was followed by immediate imprisonment
once authorities questioned the sailors
about their ship’s loss. They claimed that
a cow, falling out of a clear blue sky, had
struck the trawler amidships, shattering
the hull and sinking the vessel within
minutes.
“The crew remained in prison for several
weeks, until the Russian Air Force
reluctantly informed Japanese authorities
that the crew of one of its cargo airplanes
had apparently stolen a cow wandering at
the edge of a Siberian airfield, forced the
cow into the airplane’s hold, and hastily
took off for home.
“Unprepared for live cargo, the Russian
crew was ill-equipped to manage a nowrampaging
cow within its hold. To save the
aircraft and themselves, they shoved the
animal out of the cargo hold as they crossed
the Sea of Japan, at an altitude of 30,000
feet.”
That’s all for this month. I hope you’re
enjoying the winter months and keeping
warm at the field.
Remember to keep frostbite to a
minimum by covering all exposed skin. Use
long johns, gloves, warm clothes, dry socks,
and drink plenty of hot chocolate! MA
76 M ODEL AVIATION
