Safety Comes First
A NEW ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER-The monthly magazine, Sport Aviation, produced by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), contains a regular column titled "Sport Pilot Medicine," which is written by Doctor Stanley R. Mohler, MD. In the February, 1985 issue, Dr. Mohler had some things to say about aspartame which I feel are of benefit to model airplane pilots. Aspartame is marketed under the brand name of "Nutrasweet" and is found in a number of diet soft drinks. One of its advantages is that (from my experience) it doesn't have that metallic aftertaste that is associated with some other artificial sweeteners. However, in response to some questions concerning aspartame, Dr. Mohler states that he did some checking and ". . . I found that there are numerous reports by persons who have experienced visual impairment, dizziness, loss of equilibrium, or disorientation following its use.
Safety Comes First
BAD STUFF? In the June 1985 Safety column I included a discussion on whether models containing boron filament should be banned from AMA-sanctioned competitions because of allegations concerning the safety of this product. I also asked for readers' answers to two questions: 1) Should models containing boron be outlawed from all AMA competition categories, or 2) Should models containing boron be outlawed from certain AMA competition categories? If so, which categories? Thirteen readers were kind enough to respond to these questions, and an additional reader, who didn't specifically respond to the questions, sent a letter on how to safely handle boron filament. Of the 13 who cast their vote, nine did not want to see boron banned at all, and four responded "yes" to question No. 1, meaning that models containing boron should not be permitted in any AMA competition category.
Safety Comes First
AIRLESS PAINT SPRAYERS. In previous safety columns I've mentioned the potential hazard of breathing vapors when certain kinds of paint are used for spray-painting model aircraft. However, there is another hazard concerning airless paint spray equipment that could result in a serious injury to the unwary, no matter what kind of paint is used. This came to my attention in a monthly newsletter put out by Howard Crispin, AMA District IV VP. A freiend of Howard's ended up in the hospital and came close to losing a finger after he grasped a high-pressure hydraulic line that, because it had a small leak, injected hydraulic fluid into his flesh. That's not an incident related to modeling, but the doctor who treated him stated ". . . that there are an increasing number of people being seen who are getting into this situation with spray-painting equipment." Although Howard's newsletter did not qualify what type of paint spray equipment was being used by the people whom the doctor had treated for paint injection injuries, I feel sure it had to be the airless type.
Safety Comes First
THE RC MODELER'S 10 COMMANDMENTS. A recent letter from Frank Wood, President of Meade Modelers (Ft. Meade, MD), enclosed a copy of 10 commandments which, if observed, should help avoid accidents related to our modeling activities. Although aimed primarily at the RC flier, many also apply to CL and FF activities. They are as follows: 1) Thou shall never absent thy gaze from thy aircraft while the engine is running-be it motionless or in motion, on the ground or in the air-on pain of death or injury to thyself, thy fellows, or thy aircraft. 2) Thou shall maintain thy aircraft with meticulous care, for the integrity of the whole dependeth on the smallest as well as the greatest of the parts, and failure to do so may cause thy creation of grace and beauty to become a ravening beast capable of great destruction.
Safety Comes First
RC SAFETY. The November 1985 issue of Model Builder magazine contained a letter (see "Bill Northrop's Workbench," page 6) to the publisher from Dave Abbe expressing some concerns about the safety of RC model aircraft operation. Dave cited a number of reasons for the criticism that he aimed at RC equipment manufacturers, the news media, and our national organization. His letter concluded with the following: "I strongly recommend that the following steps be taken: A national radio control safety effort be launched with a committee of representatives from the national clubs (modelers), manufacturers (suppliers), and insurers to develop and maintain acceptable standards for the RC hobby as sanctioned in a publicly-organized fashion and targeted on the 1991 frequency rules implementation.
