Dale Singleton

Correction
The Radio Control helicopter Curtis
Youngblood is shown holding on page 61 of
the December 2000 issue was mistakenly
identified as a Raptor. The model is a Vigor.
Our apologies.
MA staff
Park Flier Frequencies
I am deeply concerned with the
proliferation of the so-called “backyard or park
fliers.” I make reference to the advertisement
in the October 2000 issue of Model Aviation,
page 124, and other publications such as Radio
Control Modeler, Model Airplane News, et. al.
These are Radio Control model airplanes
regardless of their size and power. There is
no mention of the necessity for prevention
of frequency interference if flown in close
proximity to authorized flying sites. The
fact that they are Electric hides their
existence from serious modelers.
Last week I was in the Seattle area. My
son and I were at an AMA sanctioned flying
club site. There was frequency interference
on channel 48. One airplane went into the
tree-lined perimeter and two others crashed
in a marsh area adjacent to the runway.
During a walk through the staging area, we
did not find any radios that were turned on.
Further investigation revealed that there was
one of these park fliers approximately 200
yards away, using a soccer field for flying.
When questioned, the flier was not
aware of the potential for causing a crash.
He stated that his airplane had been acting
“funny,” but he did not know why.
The AMA, of all people, should be
watching very closely what the industry is
doing. It would appear, however, that you
are not inasmuch, as you printed their ad
without any mention of frequency control.
Hobby shops do not inform potential
buyers of the hazard, and the magazines print
the ads without any mention of the risks
involved. The results could be disastrous.
Dale E. Singleton
Sun Lakes, Arizona
(Editor’s note: Please refer to the
sidebar in this issue’s “Newcomers”
column by Bob Underwood, which
addresses the preceding issue.)