quint-rcu

My Feedback: (24)

Before writing our club's monthly safety column, I though I'd ask for your ideas. What safety topics do you consider important for a safety column? We've covered the club and AMA safety rules, starting and handling RC planes and the LI-Poli batteries issues. - Any ideas?

quint

Live Wire

Make sure you fallow procedure. Rules bylaws, and griavances, This one of the best you could write about. Could save a lot of problems down the road!!!

Bruce Rolfe

My Feedback: (37)

Personally I think PROP SAFETY is a must. You can never be toooo carefull. I see so many people adjust there needle valve while standing in front of there plane.
Bruce

Righty

I second that

depfife

My Feedback: (14)

I have found that many members called Righty or Lefty are now prop safety conscious.

Eric

Righty

ha ha,


I got all 10 fingers

rfw1953

My Feedback: (2)

Three things come to mind beyond the things already mentioned. Range checks, really looking when checking to see that movable surfaces are connected in the proper order and checking nuts and bolts, especially to the engine mount.

New and experienced pilots tend to sometimes forget or disregard range checks even thought it's a requirement before the first flight.

How many times do people really stop and look closely when checking movable surfaces. It's easy to just go through the motions only to find that, oops.

Parts and pieces fly off airplanes all too often. Sometimes people just fly and forget or disregard routine maintenance.

quint-rcu

My Feedback: (24)

Thanks fellows... We have had several articles on prop and ground safety and I agree it is the number one topic of concern here. I also like the idea of ground range checks and general operation checks before flying. I so often see members just assemble and fly without a second thought.

Guess this month's posting will be on that subject, but please post some others since next month is around the corner.

thanks,
quint

RCJake-rcu

My Feedback: (7)

It is also a good idea to have another experienced modeler check out a new airplane before the first flight. Sometimes the builder is too involved in building and may overlook or forget something. Another pair of eyes looking over a new plane may catch a mistake that may cause a crash or injury.

A checklist for a new model is also a great idea. Control horns attached correctly, hinges glued in, engine mounted tightly, range check, battery check, prop secure and not touching spinner, wings securely attached, etc.

DBCherry

My Feedback: (4)

I think it would be a good idea to mention what to do in the possibility of an "out of control" aircraft flying towards the pits. Experienced flyers always talk of "dumping" it before it gets to the pits, but an inexperienced pilot, and many experienced ones, don't have the presence of mind at the time to do it.

It actually takes a great deal of composure and direct thinking in a crisis to give "full down" rather than deparately attempting to save it. Perhaps reading it will stick in a persons mind should they ever be faced with the situation.

I'm also not sure that it would cross the mind of a newer pilot without having heard it.

I had to do it once and believe me, although it was difficult, I was certainly glad that I did. I was also complimented by a few guys for having sacrificed my plane to prevent possible injury.
Dennis-

depfife

My Feedback: (14)

An often overlooked safety topic is how to summon help to the field. Do all the members know the street address to the flying field. It is much faster to give 911 a street address than trying to explain directions to the field. Simple first aid topics such as how to treat cuts, burns and heat related injuries are worth covering.

Most EMS organizations have personnel that will assist with the first aid topics if none of the club members are knowledgeable in this area.

Eric

J_R

Look through the AMA membership manual. Several subjects, like swapping crystals are not often covered in newsletters. An explanation of each applicable Safey Code rule will also help you fill the column.

rfw1953

My Feedback: (2)

Eric, this was a good one. It made me think of another. We have a bottle of fresh water in a gallon jug near the first aid kit. It's to be used if someone gets fuel in their eyes. If you have ever had this happen then you know how very painful it is. If you don't have fresh water around you could experience serious eye damage from gas or glow fuel.

*Crash*Johnson*

My Feedback: (7)

I'm with the water idea. Been there done that.. it sucks.

Also.... flying over the pits.

*puts on flame suit and runs and hides*

GPutt33

My Feedback: (2)

Some of you mentioned already prop safety. Just for a visual, check this thread out and use it as a hand out at your next meeting. [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_2018981/anchors_2018981/mpage_1/key_/anchor/tm.htm#2018981]RCU Thread - Scott's Arm Get's Prop Bit (Hard)[/link]

This happened to a friend of mine at our field several weeks ago. He went out to fly during the evening and already had 4 flights on the plane for the night. One of the other guys just happened to show up between flights 4 and almost 5, and be there when the prop caught, the plane jumped, and you can see the results. Fortunately they were able to apply enough pressure to get him to the hospital before he bled out.

Don't fly alone if possible. At least let someone know where you are and when to expect you back.
Don't start the giant scales without someone holding on to the plane when you start it.
Wear a good heavy leather glove that covers more then just the hand and wrist.

I'm happy to report that Scott got his stitches out and is flying again. (Actually he was flying the next weekend )

I'll let you guys take it from there.......

This is a good thread, should gather all of the comments and post as a single document when it starts to wind down.

Gregg

dr_wogz

My Feedback: (3)

My point would be flying, and considerate flying.

Some have mentioned 'flying over teh pits' but what about a plane that is 'diving' towards them? We recently have talked about avoiding this manoeuver, or any manouver that puts the plane in a direct path towards the pits.

And also consideration. While the 'trainers are flyign around, it is impolite (and intimidates them) to start up your 'Extra' (Sukhois, Caps, etc.. the 3D plane) and then do your 'anti gravity dance' in front of the pilot stations / over the runway.. We all have to be considerate of who is currently flying , the flying style, and obvioulsy, teh direction of teh 'pattern'. Sorry, but some 'show offs' disregard all this, and zoom up and down the runway, pull up sharply into a 'stall turn', stay in close, hover, etc... Wait your turn! and give teh currently flying pilots thier space!

cstevec

My Feedback: (1)

We have a relativly small pit area and not much of a buffer zone between the runway and the pit area. This year we have aquired several new members and have had a number of "close calls" with them while learing how to fly. A good topic might be setting up an appropriate time to teach the "newbies" how to fly/takeoff/land. A guideline for instructors might not be a bad idea either. The busiest day of the week at the field might not be the best time for flight instruction.

Gordon Mc

My Feedback: (11)

Maybe you could write an article advocating that failsafe systems be set up to kill (or at a minimum, idle) the engine in event of a failsafe occurence. All too often, people leave the default settings of "hold" on all channels. This has been responsible for a number of accidents, as well as at least one death.

Gordon

Runway

I agree with Gordon Mc about failsafes.
Have you considered letting the safety officer do a spot check of failsafe's, say on a busy weekend at the flying field. In my experience those with s-pcm transmitters [I'm thinking of JR, here] sometimes forget to re-adjust the inbuilt failsafe [on the throttle] after changing engines or 'twiddling' with the throttle settings.
Another worthwhile check, on site, by the safety officer is for general model safety. How many of us really do make sure that the hinges on a well used model are still secure - or the firewall is still properly glued to the aircraft frame - or that fuel leakage hasn't softened some of the wooden supports/struts. Not me...no, of course not,... honest injun...!

mulligan

1) Flying the pattern and doing aerobatics in a designated area.

2) Starting a plane pointing away from spectator line.

3) Announcing pattern change (due to wind change).

DaveB

A simple last look at your tranmitter is always a good idea. It is very easy to move a trim tab while carrying the transmitter from the car to pits or from the hanger to car. You get the idea. If you take off and say for instance the rudder trim tab is now located other than center, by the time you figure what the h### is wrong, your plane may be heading for the "dirt" nap.

DaveB

Dangerboy

My Feedback: (1)

This happened when I tried to reverse my ailerons on my first computer radio and mistakenly reversed the throttle with the plane facing me at idle. The plane was not in the blocks as it should have been and I was at the field by myself. I drove myself to the hospital and dang near bled to death. I figure I broke about 6 different safety rules and paid the price for it. I was in the hobby for about 2 months when this happened. I'm now the posterboy for airfield safety taking much more caution when flying. Prop safety is a definate priority. The prop that struck me was a brand new very sharp 12x6 APC powered by a 2 stroke .60 OS engine. The prop broke when it hit my leg cutting to the bone causing 19+ stitches inside and out.

Live Wire

Combat practice no matter what is in the air, or HO.

50+AirYears

At a meeting, something that gets attention is a plane setting up front with a 10" circular saw blade bolted to the prop shaft. Quite a few people never think of a prop in that way till they see it. We haven't had many stitches in our club since one of our former officers showed this. Now almost everybody uses a positive hold down of some kind when starting. I use a couple of cushion handled 14" scredrivers myself.

jongurley

My Feedback: (29)

Thats our DANGERBOY<<<<<