Safety Comes First
Dave Gee | [email protected]
A helicopter beats itself to death, and it's not one of Dave's!
Who says we don't cover helicopters in this column? Audrey Victor sent me a good e-mail about a rotary-winged adventure.
"A group of wives and fliers at the field were sitting about ten feet from the pits watching the flying. One of the fliers had flown his electric model helicopter and set it on the table while he took one of his electric airplanes up for a flight.
"Without any warning, the helicopter blades started spinning and the 'copter flew straight up and toward the group. Luckily it only hit a camper and beat itself to pieces with only minor damage to the vehicle.
"The guy had not taken the battery out of the helicopter after he had finished flying. A stray signal, perhaps from his own radio, was enough to give it take-off power. The lesson learned is that when you are finished with your electric flight, you need to make sure that the aircraft batteries are removed, disconnected, or otherwise disarmed."
I love that colorful phrase: "beat itself to pieces." It describes so many of my helicopter flights.
Audrey has the right idea. Some electric models use a master switch and some do not, to save weight or voltage. We must be methodical and remove or at least unplug the power pack at the end of each flight.
Many pilots use the same transmitter for multiple models, and the aircraft are so eager to take flight that they will go up in groups if we allow it. Flying two models on one radio at the same time is not recommended.
Methodical is a good way to be in our hobby, since there are so many little things that could louse up a nice flight. My friend Tim Holly keeps his transmitters in neat formation on the wall.
This is far superior to my technique, which involves rooting through a big cardboard box until I find the right radio. Tim is an organized guy, and this will help him avoid problems that hit schlubs like me.
One problem I face regularly is how to justify using the safety column to print photographs of kids having fun. Look at the one showing the Luther Burbank Middle School model airplane club. These kids built their own aircraft and then took second place in a worldwide Hangar Rat postal meet. (E-mail me for information about next year's event.) They learned safe tool handling, flying site etiquette, and how to stretch-wind their rubber motors without getting snapped or otherwise injured. Kids soak up this stuff easier than adults do because they are in "learning mode" and realize that others have knowledge they need or want. Grownups seem to acquire a built-in bravado that makes us want to try things on our own, even when (as in our hobby) there are decades of expertise available on what works and what can lead to trouble. Maybe sometimes it is better to be a bit childlike in our attitudes.
Phil Diamond, a grownup, sent an e-mail about two harrowing incidents that connect in a way I had not realized.
"I fly at an excellent, large (about 16 acres), grassy rectangular field which is normally a soccer complex. The soccer goals are withdrawn to the boundaries when not in use. The paved parking area is along one edge of the field.
"The pit area is immediately adjacent to the line of parked cars on the grassy edge and the flying area begins just a few yards into the field. We fly electric airplanes and winch- or Hi-Start-launched sailplanes.
"The first event involved my brand new 30-ounce electrically powered aerobatic airplane on its maiden flight. Immediately after takeoff it pointed straight up and was beyond my abilities to control.
"It arced over and passed over the other flyers on the ground and over the line of parked cars. There was enough time for me to reflect on the potential damage to automobiles or people, and for a heavy sweat to break out.
"I cut the throttle and the airplane disappeared behind the line of cars. To my surprise I saw it next rolling out on the pavement behind the cars. Upon examination no damage was revealed to anything.
"Later thought and measurement revealed that I had made a mistake in locating the center of gravity (CG) position on my CG-adjusting device. The plane was quite tail heavy.
"The lesson is that double- and triple-checking the CG location is mandatory before a first flight, and that a final check with the old-fashioned fingertip under the wings at about 30% behind the leading edge is appropriate.
"The second event, two weeks later, was an even closer call. I was sitting at the front of my car fussing with my airplane. I vaguely noted a small electric foamy airplane being hand-launched about 20 feet in front of me. A few seconds later a shadow passed over me and I heard a loud crash about five feet behind me.
"The airplane had smashed and shattered my car's windshield. A few feet closer and it might have killed me. (When I recounted the incident to my wife she had the punch line: 'For a model aircraft enthusiast, what a way to go!')
"The owner of the airplane later said that he had been going at full throttle and that the right aileron had stuck down causing a wingover crash. I would have liked to do a postmortem on the broken aircraft and check for damaged servos, which are not a rarity. I have experienced hard landings in which a broken aileron causes the pushrod to push on the servo arm, which in turn overstresses and breaks or cracks one or more gears in the servo.
"Upon disassembly, one can usually find a broken gear tooth or empty tooth position. The lesson to be learned is to perform a preflight check for proper, unimpeded servo and flight-surface motion, no grinding sounds or sticking of servos, and no erratic motions. The larger question, which is more difficult to address, concerns the layout of the flying field area."
Ah, yes. Field layout is the critical issue that made each of these incidents dangerous rather than merely entertaining. Not every flying site can be laid out according to the ideal AMA-approved diagram.
Each club has to make compromises and decisions to get the best possible and best practical field arrangement. Even after much thought and care, there still might be an incident that finds a weak spot in the setup.
I encourage all club officers and concerned members to take a fresh look at your flying site the next time you visit. Pretend you've never been there and see if you can spot any weaknesses in the arrangement of parking, pits, and flying area. Is there a change that could improve things and prevent some future problem? Is there some feature or hazard that can't be removed? If so, a regular warning to local pilots might help keep it in mind.
We get used to our home turf and become less mindful of things a visitor might notice, or worse, might not notice!
Field safety is one of the aspects of an ongoing negotiation with the FAA regarding model aircraft laws and policies. Our AMA representatives have been working diligently to make sure that our hobby can continue without a bunch of federal restrictions. As I have mentioned, if anyone ever asks you what benefit his or her AMA dues brings, this is the best answer!
I strongly urge all model aviators to follow this federal rule-change situation closely. My column has a long lead time, so the AMA website is a more timely news source. There may come a time when your calls and e-mails could make a critical difference by influencing some government body; if so, this magazine might only be able to report the results after the fact.
Many readers subscribe to one of the many aeromodeling discussion sites, and that is a good way to stay updated. Some pilots were surprised by the negotiation updates that were posted and distributed recently. Without AMA's lobbying, our hobby might soon be different, if it exists at all!
Material safety data sheets (MSDS), which contain information about products and chemicals we use in our hobby, are much easier to get online for free. Use your favorite search engine and type the product name, followed by "MSDS."
There are many MSDS websites that do not charge for providing this information. Some common hobby products can be dangerous if mishandled, and knowing their properties is a good thing if you don't want to be mentioned in this column.
The MSDS is packed with useful information, including what to do if a product is ignited, spilled, or swallowed. All you paint drinkers take heed.
A Topic for Future Discussion:
RC fields are laid out with the pilot stations separated to avoid radio interference between old-style transmitters. With the new 2.4 GHz systems taking over and some fields not allowing older frequencies at all, is it better to put pilots closer for communication or keep them separated for some other reason?
Please let me know your thoughts and opinions on this question, or any other safety topic that comes up in your neck of the woods. E-mail and letters are always welcome.
Sources:
- Dave Gee
Box 7081 Van Nuys, CA 91409
- AMA
(800) 435-9262 www.modelaircraft.org
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
