Safety Comes First
Plan for "what if"
I've seen far too many recent reports about propeller-strike accidents. The best number of incidents would be zero.
Most e-mails come with a clear analysis of the "root cause" of the incident (usually a moment of inattention or distraction) and suggestions concerning how to avoid doing it again. These are some hard-won insights from new and experienced modelers.
It comes down to the concept of "what if." Have you ever hurt yourself when a wrench slipped or when knuckles were firmly pushing a handle that suddenly smashed into something solid?
Plumbers and mechanics know the power of "what if" and plan for slipping wrenches and other sudden changes in the situation. Generally only one lesson is required to teach people who work with tools to figure out "what if" before they apply force.
I've seen experienced workers warn youngsters in vain to beware of "what if" and then watched with amusement as the new person learned his or her own lesson.
In our sport that one lesson can be a doozy, so it pays to keep "what if" in mind and try to avoid that awful contact with a spinning propeller. Sharp pilots think ahead and consider what could happen if that propeller nut comes loose, or the steering servo sticks, and so on. They try to keep themselves and others out of the path of trouble by being distrustful of everything mechanical.
I visited the RC field recently and met Martha Horvath, who was relaxing with her husband and waiting for the wind to drop before flying her Goldberg Tiger. She graciously agreed to pose for me in a dangerous position to show what not to do when servicing a model.
Martha is a seasoned flier and knows better than to spend time in the arc of the propeller. Even if someone were holding the tail, she wouldn't kneel in such a way that, if the airplane rolled forward, it could pivot against her leg and bring the O.S. .41's propeller into contact with her body.
Martha kept asking, "Are you sure you want me to be right here?" She instinctively plans for "what if" and felt uncomfortable in her risky pose, although the engine wasn't running. The stance is a classic and frequent accident situation. With or without a helper at the rear of the fuselage, the pilot plants a foot in front of the wing while starting or adjusting the engine. Then somehow the aircraft rolls forward until it bumps against a shin, at which point it pivots toward disaster. Electric-powered models can also do this if the motor comes to life and catches the victim by surprise. Don't let yourself get caught in that situation!
The "prop arc" is an imaginary extension of the propeller's disc, and it is a danger zone. It is unusual for a model airplane propeller to shatter, but if and when it does, you don't want to be in the path of the shards. It is common for a model to nose over, letting the propeller strike the ground and shatter. The pieces might go in any direction, but they usually travel out along the propeller arc and can cause serious injury. I'd hate to trust chance in such a situation. It is better to be watching from a safe angle.
Considering the fast-moving parts of our models, I am surprised at the relatively low percentage of pilots who wear eye protection in the pits. It is a place where your eyesight is at risk. A good pair of impact-resistant glasses could save your vision, but many pilots go without.
I've written about my fine Zurich sunglasses many times. The company's products are advertised in this magazine, and its glasses provide excellent protection from harmful UV radiation as well as impact from flying objects. These are not dime-store sunglasses.
Whether you pick Zurich or another brand of high-quality sunglasses, choose and use a pair that suits your style. Several times over the years I have had my safety glasses gouged by flying debris at work or in the shop. It gives me a cold chill to think that my eyesight might have ended at that moment without sturdy eyewear protection.
Ours is a visual hobby, so remember to protect your vision!
I thought I was having a vision when I saw a sculpture in downtown Los Angeles in the courtyard of an art museum. Remnants of many aircraft were cobbled together and braced by cables to create an eye-catching collage. I had to endure the witty comments of my son, Jeff, who dismissed the giant installation as looking like "just another one of your landings, Dad."
A close look at the piece reminds us of how fragile a flying machine is. Extra weight is trimmed from every possible spot on a full-scale aircraft, and our models are no different. This obsession with airframe weight is in contrast with airborne power plants, which must be as powerful as possible.
Steve Sobel wrote to me about an encounter with a powerful gas engine in a CL model. He claimed that the victim wished to remain anonymous, but Steve was an eyewitness to the incident.
He flies with a group of skilled and experienced CL pilots. They have good routines established for safely starting and tuning their models.
A helper holds the model while the pilot does the starting and preps the engine for flight. Everyone watches each other to double-check for problems or "what if" situations.
On one occasion a pilot started his engine and noticed that the needle valve required some adjustment. If it were not done rapidly, the engine would stall.
Another flier saw the situation and was in a position to safely access the engine. He made an adjustment, but it was soon clear that a further tweak was needed. The pilot, who was on the outboard side of the model, reached in to finish the adjustment and his hand entered the propeller disk.
He sustained several deep cuts on his index finger. The wounds required more than 30 stitches, followed by a painful healing period. Fortunately he made a full recovery with no loss of function or sensation.
Steve wrote that the consensus was that it happened because a safe routine was broken. The fellow pilot who helped meant well and could not have foreseen the accident, but disrupting a standard procedure ended badly.
I want to repeat that this incident happened to some experienced pilots—not a bunch of newbies. There are some inherent dangers in our sport, and these hazards will wait patiently until we have a moment of inattention. Don't become complacent!
Steve's report of this accident makes us all safer, and he did our sport a favor. Shortly before my press deadline, I heard about some RC pilots who did the opposite. Their actions made us all look bad, and they cast a dark shadow on our activities.
These dopes flew a model in New York using an FPV (First Person View) camera rig. They piloted the airplane over and around structures, bridges, and vehicles while depending on every part of the model and electronics to work perfectly.
They risked the safety of hundreds of people. They put legitimate modelers at risk of government action and then posted a video of their foolishness on the Internet.
Nice going, dummies! At a time when we are lobbying the government to save our hobby from being legislated away, you provide ammunition to our opponents.
I know some other pilots who fly FPV. They are sharp and extremely aware of the obligation they have to operate in a responsible manner. The last thing they would do is hurt our hobby by breaking safety rules. And the videos they post are great fun to watch!
Dale Lihl is another modeler who "gets it." He wrote to me about the dangers of publicly posted videos that show unsafe modeling activities.
Pyrotechnics, unsafe locations, and dangerous maneuvers—it's all there for the public to see. People might not realize that AMA members adhere to a Safety Code and that the dangerous stuff on those videos breaks every rule of common sense.
Dale is having a hard time adjusting to the current trend of model flying, as opposed to the model building of our youth. These days there are more ARF pilots than ever, but they are missing half the fun!
Still, the availability of so many great RTFs at low prices is leading to a resurgence of aeromodeling activity, and I'm in favor of that. If this is to be the "Age of ARFs," okay. I even fly some premade foamie models myself. Hey, fun is fun!
Please send me your thoughts about these or any other issues, your best close-call story, or suggestions about what you think should be covered here. E-mail or paper letters is fine. I'll only use your name if you tell me it's okay to do so.
DG
Sources:
- Zurich: (800) 533-5665, www.extremeglassesunglasses.com
- Dave Gee, Box 7081, Van Nuys CA 91409
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
