Safety Comes First
SPLITTING FUEL JUGS: I indicated in my February 1998 column that a modeler wrote to alert me of a problem he encountered: plastic fuel jugs splitting open while in storage. Although not a new problem, several modelers inspected their supplies after reading the story and discovered similar fates-missing fuel. Robert McClure (Byron NY) provided a glimpse of frustrations and a possible solution: "Leaking fuel containers? I've had two. In 1996 a jug was in the original 4-bottle cardboard box, which I stored for two seasons in my home (no handling, no moving, no bumping, constant room temperature, no sun, etc.). I don't know when it leaked, and the jug was completely empty when I noticed the spot on the floor beneath the box. It had a crack in the center of the bottom of the jug.
Safety Comes First
HEAT-DEAD BATTERIES or Polarization? While scanning the Internet recently, I saw an interesting tidbit provided by The Society of Antique Modelers SAM 26 (Bob Angel, editor) which explained why numbers and letters on electronic displays sometimes seem to disappear. If memory serves, I've trashed or quit using a couple of pieces of equipment that didn't seem to be reliable: seems I may have wasted a few bucks! "My stopwatch was laying face-up in the hot sun, and I noticed the display had turned completely black and unreadable. Later, out of direct sun, it seemed to recover from the heat. We never had this problem with a mechanical watch!
Safety Comes First
HAPPY FOURTH of July! Reflecting on a few years ago, I remember looking forward to an annual Fourth of July event put on by a number of clubs with which I used to fly. Without a doubt, it rivaled some of the best fly-ins I've ever attended. Events usually include a fun-fly, night fly, barbecue, and a "blow what you bring" fireworks display, but rarely does one have an opportunity to have as much fun, eat as much food, watch greater crashes, hear as many "bangs," or more enjoy watching all of the skybound fireworks unload their colors. If your club plans to have a Fourth of July event this year, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Council on Fireworks Safety offer the following safety tips:
Safety Comes First
Where Is It? A friend of mine recently wrote to tell me that while flying his model Easter Sunday, he saw a full-scale aircraft coming across the flying site, and he turned the model downwind to get out of the way. While going downwind, he looked back toward the full-scale to make sure the coast was clear; when he looked back in the direction of his model, he couldn't find it. After a brief search, the demolished airplane was found almost 3/4 mile away, just short of the exit gate. Luckily, it came down inside the gate and not across the street, in one of many housing developments.
Safety Comes First
I ENJOY attending a good fun-fly. It's an opportunity to sit back and watch some good flying, pick up a few tips, see some new airplanes, meet new friends, and enjoy an afternoon. No matter what type of event, club fun-flys offer wholesome fun and an opportunity for individuals and families to get out and enjoy some fresh air. During a recent weekend here in Florida, I had an opportunity to attend an event put on by a local chapter of the International Miniature Aircraft Association (IMAA), an organization that represents hobbyists who fly the really big stuff. If memory serves me right, to qualify to fly in this category, the length of a wing has to meet or exceed 80 inches. It's not hard to find airplanes that from a distance almost appear large enough to take a human pilot for a ride!
