Don’t ya just love statistics? We are in a hobby with all types of potentially dangerous equipment, but the numbers show that if a modeler gets hurt at the field, it probably didn’t involve a model.
Whether it’s traveling to the RC field or a park, an outing involves driving, parking, unloading, walking around, and other supposedly safe activities. We take such things for granted, but people get hurt in mundane accidents at or near the flying field. Tripping, vehicle incidents, mowing the grass, barbecuing—you name it. Most pilots don’t consider those things part of the sport, but an insurance adjuster would. It seems odd, but it’s true.
This is why well-organized clubs evaluate their fields from a variety of viewpoints, and try to eliminate hazards beyond the obvious flight-related issues. Less-obvious hazards can sneak up on us when we’re busy dreaming about our next flights.
Mailbag time
I enjoy doing the Mystery Airplane game because of the great email messages I receive from readers. Old friends and new acquaintances write in, mostly saying it was too easy or too hard and how did I ever make it through sixth grade English composition (answer: I wore a disguise). Plenty of great comments and stories come in along with the guesses. Here are a few.
James Liska is an old-school RCer who started in the 1960s with single-channel equipment. At the age of 75, he switched from gas-powered to electric-powered models.
“All my modeling experience and 50 years as an A&P [airframe and power plant] was of little value with the new computer-style radios. One day, I grabbed the wrong transmitter to adjust blade tracking on one of the helicopters. I didn’t disable the motor on the heli first.
“I turned the transmitter on and plugged in the battery to the helicopter, which immediately went wild. I was lucky to escape the rotating blades until the ’copter shut itself down. Now, each time I pick up a transmitter I have to stop and assure myself that the model and settings are correct.”
This hobby always has some new tricks for us old dogs to learn, James.
Henry A. Smith IV wrote:
“I always enjoy reading your column. Stories of people getting hurt are never boring. I’ve been noticing over the years that etiquette at flying fields sometimes is lacking. Old rules like not taxiing in the pits aren’t taught anymore.
“I sometimes think this is from flight simulators. Students progress so fast on the computer that being with an instructor isn’t so important anymore, but they miss out on key safety parameters like taking off and landing into the wind, announcing intentions, and no taxiing in the pits. I’m always working with people to try and teach these things, but the hardest habit to break is a bad one learned first.”
Henry sure has a point! When using potentially dangerous equipment alongside strangers, nothing beats politeness and courtesy. I hear too many stories of incidences that could have been prevented by pilots knowing and following proper field etiquette.
It boils down to not doing anything that puts nearby modelers at risk. Some people don’t know when they’re doing it, and a few don’t care. Taking chances with someone else’s safety is the height of rudeness.
Lance Novak wrote me about how modern technology for our sport brings new ways to get hurt if we’re not careful.
He wrote, “After 20-plus years of staying clear of spinning blades, I was testing my heli controls while holding it by the skids. [It] turned out that back cyclic was just right to let the blade tips hit my inside forearm below the elbow. Two nice little cuts.”
Thanks for sharing, Lance.
Okay everyone—don’t hold your models by the skids while testing the controls or you might find out why they’re called choppers.
Self-confessed “avid reader,” George Hamby, wrote about a TV sitcom that showed modeling in an unflattering light. The characters tried an unsafe stunt and someone got hit by a model aircraft.
Funny, right? Nope. Stuff like that makes us all look bad.
Shows live and die by the sponsors’ impressions of public opinion. A quick email, especially if 1,000 modelers each send one, can make the producers decide to do more research the next time they want a quick laugh at our expense. There’s enough humor in our hobby without portraying it that way.
This Little Piggy Went Flying
On the subject of funny vs. unfunny, a reader wrote about his four-stroke engine backfiring, throwing the propeller nut and propeller. The still-spinning airscrew arced and amputated the sandal-wearing pilot’s second toe.
Doctors reattached it—more or less. He said he wasn’t standing in front of the model, but the loose propeller found him anyway. If it had been a tail-dragger, the angle could have sent the propeller toward his head.
Impromptu amputations are no joke, but thankfully propeller ejections are a rare occurrence. We take great care to keep things secure at the front of the model and to stay out of the likely paths if something goes wrong despite our efforts. It’s a great story anyway … as long as we can read about it and not star in it.
Mike David wrote about how a big four-stroke engine caught him in the knee. He thought he had it secured to a test stand, but as he moved to where he could operate the throttle, things went wrong. Mike said he now uses a device to remotely hold the throttle so he doesn’t need to get so close, and he moved the stand out into a clear area.
Seven stitches can be a powerful teaching tool! He nailed the broken 18 x 6 propeller to the wall as a reminder to be careful.
Some models have powerful engines and motors, and they do their thing whether we are in the way or not. A single, careless moment can lead to a trip to the emergency room.
We must also remember that countless pilots find safe enjoyment with their flying machines. These stories are rare exceptions, and the victims/perpetrators share the information with us to keep us from joining the ranks of sadder—but wiser—modelers.
Guess Again
The new Mystery Airplane this month is so distinctive that you only need a peek at the tail to identify it. Email me your guess and, right or wrong, you get free digital plans in return. The prize is plans for a NoCal PBY Catalina that I drew for my club’s annual Pearl Harbor contest. It won’t set any records, but you’ll get nice flights indoors or outdoors. And yes, I admit that I’m trying to encourage old-fashioned model building and even older-fashioned FF. This RC fad has to blow over, eventually.
The PBY is visible in the photo of the display case my club set up in a local recreation center lobby. We wanted to show nonmodelers the variety of fun that they could have. Big airplanes wouldn’t fit, but we got several smaller types in there. It has paid off by attracting spectators to our indoor sessions.
Jeff Higginson flew his AMA Racer at one of my club’s indoor meets, so he gets his picture in the magazine. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.
