Sometimes people do dumb stuff with model aircraft—really dumb stuff. I’ve seen it happen and even met some of the perpetrators. Generally, it’s an accident. Sometimes it is deliberate, but afterward there are apologies and, “what was I thinking?”
The worst times are when a pilot does something awful on purpose and doesn’t care about the possible outcome. Casually risking the safety of others could be sociopathic behavior, defined as “lacking a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience.” I think that such people should not have access to RC equipment.
FPV Incident
There was an incident where a pilot allegedly misused an FPV system to fly his model throughout a university campus, close to structures, vehicles, and people. The video was posted online and discussed. Not much can be said in support of the flights, which could easily have ended in disaster instead of triumph.
The FAA became involved and the pilot hired an attorney. It looked as though the pilot was going to face heavy penalties, but the case was dismissed by a National Transportation Safety Board judge.
Heli-Strap Hanger?
I hate to mention Tim Holly in this context because he is a level-headed and skilled flier, but Tim sent me a video that fits right in. Some RC helicopter pilots wanted to show how robust and useful their machines are, so they flew two of them with long cables that lifted a stylishly dressed young woman off the ground. The look on her face showed that it may have been slightly higher than she expected.
I have two questions. First, does anyone else think this was a really bad idea, or is it just me? I think stunts such as this move the sport in the wrong direction. Yes, the aircraft are powerful and reliable enough to lift the weight—but a person? Come on!
Second, what made her decide to carry her purse along for the brief flight? Tim said maybe it held her passport, because with air travel you never know when you might be diverted to an alternate airport. I think the purse had first-aid supplies and she was planning ahead.
Rules Are Rules
A ticked-off reader emailed me about “all the rules” that AMA uses to “regulate our lives.” I asked which AMA rules he specifically had a problem with because I couldn’t think of any offhand that don’t make sense.
We had a discussion, and he cooled off and admitted that the AMA Safety Code is actually pretty useful and is thoughtfully written. It just seemed to him at that moment that our society in general is becoming overregulated. That’s a separate discussion, of course.
I’ve been in the room when the AMA Safety Code was being amended and updated, and my experience was that very knowledgeable people take great care in making the best rules possible. And they also tell me to hush while they’re working.
Tim Toutant wrote to me about a related point. He asked, “Is there ever a time when safety and common sense conflict with each other?” Tim was referring to people who feel that if some action isn’t specifically against the rules, then it must be okay. He provided some examples that seemed to involve common sense and courtesy.
Well, Tim, a pilot should only need the basic written rules. Most decisions regarding safety are common-sense choices that don’t require much thought. Sharp fliers think things through, and if in doubt, choose the cautious and/or polite option.
Who would want to fly at a field where every little thing is written down as prohibited or allowed? That’s not why I got into this hobby! If the pilots around me were unable to make correct and safe choices, I would likely choose different surroundings free of hazardous people and their models.
Mark Once, Cut Twice
Here is a story of violence and suffering from Mark Perrelli. He wrote:
“I am always amazed at the idiots who are not careful around RC airplanes. Recently, I became one of those idiots. I fired up my 60-size U-Can-Do with an O.S. .91 swinging a 16 x 6 prop. I taxied out to the runway and wouldn’t you know it, the two-stroke died. Frustrated, I pulled it back to the pits and fired it back up again. I reached under the plane to pull the glow igniter off, and as I pulled my hand away—thump-thump. I put the igniter down and looked at my hand and thought ‘yup, that’s going to bleed.’
“I contemplated flying while dripping blood, but decided against it. I shut everything down, [and] went to my truck to get some paper towels. After compressing the wound for a while, the bleeding stopped, but I felt woozy and started to faint. It was a long walk from my passenger door, around the back of the truck to the driver’s seat. I nearly passed out.
“After regaining my composure, I drove over to the pits and showed a couple of guys my hand. They quickly packed my stuff up, put a couple of bandages on it, and sent me off to urgent care. The worst part is that I had purchased a remote glow igniter a month before and was too lazy to install it.”
Mark says he’s still not on speaking terms with that airplane. I can’t blame him for holding a grudge. This story is chock-full of good lessons for all of us. Most importantly, had he been any farther from help, things might have become life threatening. Had he been closer to other fliers, it all could have gone much easier for him.
Don’t fly alone! And don’t leave those igniters in the drawer.
Playing in Traffic
I stopped by a local RC field to take a snapshot for this column, and opportunity knocked. There was a pilot flying a quadcopter over the parking lot while he stood in the driveway dodging cars. Sweet Diedra urged me to grab the camera before I went over and spoke with him.
She said I could either help one person or entertain thousands of readers. The resulting picture shows the pilot, his quadcopter overhead, and two vehicles trying to drive around him. It was classic comedy, with the possibility of mayhem at no extra charge. One of the drivers must have gently informed the flier of basic field etiquette because he packed it away pronto.
Staying Connected
I received an email from a somewhat embarrassed pilot who wanted to share his sad story. He uses the popular AnyLink 2.4 GHz adapter on his transmitter.
“I placed my LT-40 on the taxiway facing the runway for takeoff. I then picked up the transmitter from the bench peg and all of a sudden, the engine went full throttle. The uncontrolled plane took off and circled before crashing.
“When I got everything home, I discovered [that] the AnyLink cord was not connected. I concluded that when I grabbed the transmitter, the cord got snagged and became unplugged. My worst blunder was failing to activate the failsafe mode like the instructions advised. New fliers should read the instructions and get expert advice before venturing out into this great hobby/sport of ours.”
