Model Forum / Radio Controlled / Air Models / May 2004

On 5/5/2004 1:55 PM Ted shuffled out of his cave and grunted these great
(and sometimes not so great) words of knowledge:

An event IS NOT THE TIME TO DO A MAIDEN FLIGHT.  You should do it
several days before.  Yes, inadvertent flight maneuvers can and do
happen, especially with a plane you are not used to.

IMHO, it is not good to fly over the pits (even unintentionally).  I did
have it happen when a servo stripped out.  Luckily, no one was hurt.
The only vehicle to suffer damage was my own when the wing clipped the
bumper (scratch rubbed out).  HOWEVER, it could have seriously hurt
someone or done some major damage.

If this was a sanctioned event he should have signed a form before he was
allowed to fly at all.  The form states that the plane has been flown before
and it is safe.  In effect NO FIRST FLIGHTS ALLOWED!!  If he violated this rule
then the CD, if there was one, should probably have grounded him the rest of
the day, or at least that plane.  It's folks that take safety lightly that
cause the rest of us to look bad.  My flame suit is on and ready.  Eddie Fulmer
CD    AMA  63713

That's a HELL of a big deal!  Your event could lose all coverage if you
knowingly allow things like that to happen.  I know that in the pylon events
I CD'd and attended, part of the registration form was a certification that
the pilot signed stating that the plane had been successfully flown prior to
the event.  New planes were not allowed to compete without a check flight at
an empty field first.  Planes requiring extensive repairs between heats had
to be checked before they were allowed to re-enter the event.

Allowing things like this is not alright.  It is irresponsible.

--
Paul McIntosh
http://www.rc-bearings.com

They don't think what is a big deal?  The rule or the AMA?

Seriously, regardless whose rule it is, it makes too much sense to have a
model proven before being flown at an event.  Or for that matter, any public
gathering which amounts to more than the usual saturday club group.

Maybe it's time to preach some safety at the field and meetings.  If they
don't get the idea then maybe you need to find a way to move them on.  Or
move on yourself!  I have it easy, I'd simply make them 'personna non
gratis' at my field and spread the word to the other clubs in driving
distance.

<<The pilot, who was quite competent, guided it back, properly
trimmed it. The rest of the flight was uneventful.>>

Competent??? or just plain LUCKY????
Personally, I do not believe a "competent" flier would have even done such a
thing. Knowingly, endangering everyone is what he did. Check out my page 4 at
the bottom.  http://hometown.aol.com/aileron37/page4.html
That DR-8 had a handful of flights on it in the week prior to a wing failure
during an airshow. What I do not say in the text is the fuselage (with engine
running) crashed at the feet of a woman that froze and never tried to move out
of the way. In an instant, our club could have had a very very bad day, and
that aircraft had been flown before. You simply never know. It`s bad enough
flying with those who think the rules do not imply to them. It is a violation
of AMA code, and nonsense such as that must also be a violation of any good
club guidelines. At least two of you at the meeting know the difference between
right and wrong. Pity the rest don`t.

rick markel

<SNIP>

Welcome to model aviation, AMA sport aviator style.

I often think the vast majority of members (and non-members as well)
don't have the foggiest notion what the word safety means.  I think
they believe safety is what you do after something bad happens.

I'm also quite sure the vast majority of AMA members are only members
to get the insurance, and for them everything else about AMA is either
an unknown or of no importance.

It is most assuredly a big deal.

Item one in the AMA Safety Code has been item one in the AMA Safety
Code for as long as I can remember.

It's not Rule Number One for no reason, y'know.
Cheers,
Fred McClellan
The House Of Balsa Dust
home.mindspring.com/~the-plumber

No big deal as long as nothing happened.  Otherwise it would have been a
different story.  My opinion is that a planes first flight should never
occur at an event.  No matter how careful and meticulous a builder is, you
never know what the plane will do the first time up.  Anyone ever seen
planes go in on their maiden flights??

John VB