90 MODEL AVIATION
WE ALL HAVE pet peeves, and one of mine is the phrase “If it
saves just one life, it’s worth it.” Maybe I agree with whatever the
proposal is or
maybe not, but it
seems like those
words are trotted
out when someone
has run out of good
reasons.
Just getting out
of bed in the
morning is
dangerous business,
never mind visiting
the bathroom (where many home injuries
occur) and then going for a drive. Most of us
agree that the many benefits of motor
vehicles outweigh the chances of being
struck by one, but we’re still taking our
chances.
If we really wanted to save just one life,
we’d all do much more walking and our
world would be different! The save-one-lifeat-
any-cost people often seem to be pushing
fairly unpopular ideas and need to sound
like they hold the moral high ground.
This rant was inspired by an activist
trying to stop other people’s recreational
activities. As with any outdoor pursuit, there
had been occasional minor incidents at a
public facility. Those were blown out of
proportion and used as arguments to end
everyone’s fun to prevent the fatal accident
that was “bound to happen.”
Hearing that I realized how vulnerable
we, as aeromodelers, might be to a similar
attack. To an outsider our airplanes and
helicopters look like they could be
dangerous—unless they look at the facts,
that is. There are very few serious injuries
An old axiom could lead to a loss of flying venues
Safety Comes First Dave Gee | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• Improve your learning ability;
act like a kid
• Tuf-Grind is, well, tough!
• Check that tie-down rope
John Ryan set the Sky Streak duration record at a science
teachers’ convention. How did he beat all the adults? See text.
Brianna Keller learned the proper MiniStick launch technique from
her dad. Kids learn and use new information better than adults.
Tuf-Grind makes rugged grinding wheels for people who don’t like their cutoff discs to
shatter while in use. Who does?
07sig3.QXD 5/23/07 10:44 AM Page 90
for the thousands of hours modelers spend
building, flying, and repairing their
aircraft.
Most fliers take great care with their
models and pride themselves on being as
safe as possible in every aspect of their
sport. Statistically we’re much less likely
to be injured at the flying field by a model
helicopter or airplane than from some
mundane accident involving a gopher hole
or lawn mower.
I’m not kidding about that! Accident
reports show that we are in much more
danger from everyday hazards that are
common to outdoor recreation than we are
from the larger perceived dangers of our
models.
I’ve received E-mail from many AMA
members who understand this and took a
careful look around their flying sites
beyond checking flight safety. They found
and eliminated potential problems that
were unrelated to models but just as bad
for whoever might get hurt. Has your club
done this?
For instance, there are different
standards for such things as lawn-tool
storage. The haphazard way I do it in my
garage might be inadequate for a well-used
RC field, where unsupervised kids might
find their way into the shed.
Yeah, I know youngsters shouldn’t be
running around loose at the field, but it
happens sometimes and we should make
things tamper-proof if possible.
While on the topic of sharp kids, I met
quite a few recently at the National
Science Teachers Association convention
in Saint Louis, Missouri. AMA’s
Education Committee had a booth there
to promote a program for using model
airplanes to teach middle-school physical
science and math.
We had plenty of rubber-powered
models for the teachers to fly, and every
kid in the place was there too. As I spent
the days teaching teachers to wind,
adjust, and launch the simple little
airplanes, an interesting fact became
clear: the kids picked it up much quicker
than the grown-ups.
AMA held flight-duration contests for
the conventioneers, with models and
classroom materials as prizes. Young
boys and girls consistently finished ahead
of the many highly motivated, welleducated
adults! Several science teachers
ended up cheering for their sons or
daughters, knowing that their kids stood
a better chance of winning than they did.
This phenomenon of kids
outperforming adults with model
airplanes seems related to the fact that
many parents must ask their kids to help
them through high-tech computer
problems. I have two theories to explain
this, one of which is that youngsters have
more time to fool around with things and
gain expertise. While dad is at work,
junior spends the afternoon mastering
video games and Internet jargon.
At the convention several kids spent
the whole day at the flying area because
they were fascinated with learning how
to get the longest flight possible under
the convention-center rafters. They put
up dozens of flights, experimenting for
hours and gaining knowledge while their
parents were busy with other things.
My other theory is something from
which we can learn a lesson. I think the
kids were better at learning to fly models
because they are more open-minded
toward new ideas and information. They
are in a “learning mode” at school and
carry that attitude into other areas of life.
If you are reading this magazine, you
know that hand-launching a model
airplane requires a particular motion and
feel. If you do it wrong, your aircraft
ends up crashed at your feet.
When shown how to launch a rubberpowered
model, the convention kids
accepted the information immediately
and tried it. In contrast, the adults filtered
the demonstration through their
preconceived notions and then often
ended up making several awkward
launches.
As this situation played out
repeatedly, I began to see myself in
similar situations. When given the benefit
of wisdom and experience, I try to
shortcut it and often end up learning a
hard lesson anyway. My built-in ego and
that “learning
mode” when appropriate. Being too set in
our ways to accept good advice is a hard
way to do things!
All this leads into this month’s pictures.
The boy holding a Sky Streak is John
Ryan—a science teacher’s son—and his
34.2-second flight set the record for Indoor
Rubber Duration in the Saint Louis
convention center.
John flew an off-the-shelf model with an
upgraded Tan Super Sport motor. A fine
launch technique, good flight trimming, and
some luck with the ceiling girders
contributed to his superb flight. His mom
took home a classroom-materials prize
pack, and I advised him to remind her of
that fact whenever they passed an ice-cream
stand.
Brianna Keller is shown flying her
MiniStick Indoor model. Dad has taught her
well, as you can see by her expert hand
launch. John and Brianna are examples of
how kids are open to learning new skills
and take instructions to heart, unlike many
of us stodgy adults.
I photographed the Tuf-Grind display at a
model trade show. This is an excellent
product, designed to have high resistance to
shattering and breakage.
Working in tight spots while building
and repairing our models can put odd
stresses on these tools, so it’s nice to have
an extra-strong wheel. I have broken many
discs, but never one of these. Tuf-Grind
products are available from many hobby
suppliers.
I get a lot of great E-mail, but not too many
old-fashioned paper letters—at least not
until I offered plans for the Creature MK IV
asymmetric rubber ROG (rise-off-ground)
model a few months ago. I was deluged
with letters containing SASEs and had to
make three printings of the plans to cover
the demand. All this for a horribly ugly
model!
I’m still glad to get letters with your
stories and suggestions at Box 7081, Van
Nuys CA 91409, and I even have a few
copies of Creature plans standing by.
Bob Mandeville of Brockton,
Massachusetts, E-mailed me about an
adventure he had. See if Bob’s story
doesn’t give you the willies! He wrote:
“I just dodged a big bullet, so I thought
that it might be a good idea to write while it
was still fresh in my mind. It was a simple
error that I got away with, and it was a little
dumb, but I thought it might be of interest
to you.
“I was breaking in an engine on my tried
and true LT-40, right in my back yard (with
understanding neighbors). I lashed the tail
of the LT-40 to a fence with some nice,
strong 1/4-inch line and set about making
several short engine runs over the course of
the afternoon.
“After the last tankful I went to untie the
airplane, and guess what? It was already
untied! It must have just finished loosening
up when I had stopped the engine for the
last time. The knot was underneath the
airplane where I could not see it and the
vibration and propeller blast must have
conspired to undo it while I wasn’t looking.
“‘Wasn’t looking’ was the key here, I
think. I had tied the model off, and then
never gave it another thought as I
concentrated on the engine runs.
“Thankfully I stayed behind the airplane
each time (except for starting), so the worse
thing that could have happened was that it
would have chased one of my wife’s cats.
“The moral of the story is that if you use
line to tie down your airplane, keep those
knots where you can see them and check
them before (and during) each run. A quick
glance is all you need.”
It was great of Bob to share this tip, and
I’m glad it was only a close call for him and
the cats!
He also mentioned the fact that even a
sturdy tie-down depends on the stabilizer
glue joint, which can work loose without
much of a visible sign. That’s another good
reason to preflight our models!
Bob is a versatile flier who uses electric
power during winter and gas in the warmer
months. MA
