dubd

I was flying my Mini Funtana at a park and then I get slammed in the leg by a foamie plane. Luckily it was one of those pusher POS RTF $99 beginner planes. The "pilot" was about 150 yards from me. She was about 8 years old. Apparently the plane belongs to her dad, but he gave the sticks to her. This got me to thinking about personal liability and how quick hobby shops are to push these crappers to anyone who wants them without explaining the risks. If this was a nose mounted prop plane like the Park Zone RTF planes + new pilot, I would have been in a world of hurt.

tuwood

One thing the LHS doesn't (at least mine didn't) tell you about is the liability you expose yourself to while flying. I know when I first started flying my Park Flyer it would not have been safe to be within 100 yards of me. At least I was smart enough to go to an empty field with nobody in site.

love those warbirds

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Yeah me too when I was learning how to fly with parkflyers I made sure of that there was nobody around. Even today when I'm flying in the park I don't fly when anybodies around. I thinks The hobby shops believe that the customer is at 100% liability no matter what the age. And I think thats the way it should be IMO. But they way the company portrays that in their instructions is a whole nother can of worms. Just my two cents. I love my pusher planes tho. In my Eye most ant POCs. I do belive that CO's should try a bit harder to make sure for saffty

dubd

It's nerveracking enough to see someone give their child control of a plane when the child has has never flown before. It is irresponsible to allow the child to fly the plane so close to the ground when people are present. At least get the plane up a few hundred feet and be prepared to take the radio when the plane starts to loses altitude. Better yet, don't fly when others are at the park.

I know not all of those pusher beginner planes are crap, I was speaking more out of frustration. They can be a good learning tool. I just wish hobby shops would take more time to explain to the general consumer that these planes can hurt people... and I wish consumers would use more common sense when they buy these planes.

drunkenbushman

I dont see the point of you you posting this thread. are you hurt? Or are you just pissed off that a newb had the nerve to run a plane into you? Did ypu talk to the girl n dad about safty n suff like that? Alot of the hobby zone park zone planes are pusher expecially the beginner ones. so i think youd have a good chance of being safe by being rammed by one of these. This got you thinking bout personal liability did it? I am thinking you would have noticed these people setting up a plane if you thought you where in a unsafe possition im sure you had time to move n maybe to inform this girl n her dad the dangers they posed to you and the public. Im not sure bout your hobby shop but mine when i started told me many a time this hobby isnt ment to fly near the public cause of its danger and the precautions id need to take and what not... i do hope you tried to inform the girl n her dad of the dangers they posed to you n others n not just had a whinge on here.

dubd

I was just sharing an experience with others.................

jamie_duff

I don't think there's anything wrong with that, and almost all of us need to vent off now and then when something like this happens.

Here in the UK liability and the sueing culture is less of a lifestyle than it is to you Americans, but we're catching up fast.

It does seem over here now that there's always someone prepared to sue.

What happened in the park to you was an accident, the little girl probably cried on the way home. It's done now and even if you had been hurt, it's still done now. Whether or not you want to sue everyone is up to you. In the UK, most of us try to keep that out of our society, although the "Ambulance Chaser" solicitors are gradually poisoning our country into sueing for anything.

That aside, I think the issue is the father of this little girl. The public may see rc aircraft as toys. I don't think a $99 RTF helps with this attitude problem at all.

Now before someone pipes up about the virtues of a $99 RTF and how it makes the hobby accessible to newcommers, thats fine, I agree.

I also believe that had the father constructed the model from balsa and had a few hundred dollars worth of equipment in it, then he would have been far more likely to seek expert (ie club) assistance in the safe operation of the model, and far less likely to give it to an 8yr old to stuff into someone standing 150yds away.

I've nothing against people buying ARF/RTF models when they genuinely don't have the time or skills (follwoing unsuccessful attempts at building) to build, but I do firmly believe that they attract people with half an interest in the hobby, who seek instant gratification. With that attitude, there is more often than not, the notion that model planes are toys to have fun with.

How do we get round this??

Well I don't know about the USA, but in the UK we used to refuse to let people fly at our club sites (they could visit as often as they want though to chat and seek advice) until they could produce an insurance certificate. Now I said before that I'm not a fan of the sueing culture, but I will admit that when one buys an insurance policy, the penny drops that accidents can happen, property gets damaged and people get hurt.


This is partially irrelevant now due to the increase in parkflyer type models and owners/pilots - so................
How about extending this insurance idea to hobby shops? What would happen if one could only buy an RTF model aircraft if one could produce an insurance policy there and then?

This is just an raw suggestion, but perhaps with some refinement it could work?? What do people think?

exeter_acres

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Wow..... You were hit in your own private park? I would have had them arrested... I can't believe this people.... trying out something new... Bah!

Did you report them to the AMA....
Kick them out of your club since I am sure you were flying at an AMA field??

This is a travesty.....

I'm calling the AMA myself... I think there should be a rule stating that you must be 25 years old before touching the sticks......


I'm really glad noone was hurt, but if it were me...I would have beat the 8 year old up for clearing putting everyone in a 5 mile radius at such a risk......






/taking my get over it, sarcasm hat off and walking away with eyes rolling

dubd

Was your last line a means to hide being an a-hole?

deltatech

WHAAAAA!!!

jamie_duff

exeter_achres,

You are not funny, I sincerely hope you don't believe you have a good sense of humour. It's people like you with your manner that get all Americans tarred with the same brush in Europe. If you thought the topic starter was blowing things out of proportion then why couldn't you simply have said that rather than that performance above which is not a credit to either the poster or to yourself. You might find people are more willing to what you have to say if you attempt to say it in a more civilised and mature manner.

dubd

I didn't start this thread to complain, *****, or cry (re: whaaa). I even laughed when I got hit and told the girl she had good aim. It was amusing BECAUSE no one was hurt. I guess you can't share without getting flamed.

multicasting

This is the real the real source of the thread here. By the way, if this guy was flying in a local park, his tax dollars pay for it, so I would say "Yes, it is his park".

Seriously, people don't think about the risks involved when they take one of these toy store planes in the air. Liability is the same as if he was hit by a stray baseball. Just curious, did the owner apologize for the incident?

exeter_acres, that was a pretty ridiculous, and somewhat arrogant post. These park flyers are here to stay. For those not blessed to have an AMA field nearby, it is a great opportunity to participate in the hobby. Like everything else, people should practice their hobby safely.

Please see the December 2005 Model Aviation; Dave Brown, President of the AMA says,
"We are not a large enough activity to afford the luxury of becoming a house divided against itself, and given the number of people involved in this new area of aeromodeling which appeals to a wide cross-section of people, we will lose if we do not embrace park flyers and welcome them onto our flying fields and into our clubs"


Bob

shag555

Look at it this way guys... I used to drive motorcycles... I watched out for everyone else in CARS, TRUCKS, TRACTORS, BICYCLES, ETC... in flying RC... YOU HAVE TO THINK LIKE A MOTORCYCLIST!!!

MPB

GerKonig

didn't start this thread to complain, ****, or cry (re: whaaa). I even laughed when I got hit and told the girl she had good aim. It was amusing BECAUSE no one was hurt. I guess you can't share without getting flamed.

After having fun w/my "Wingo" behind a school, when I was leaving (going around the school to get out, I found a father and son w/ a RC electric plane (that had crashed, I must add) on the SIDE of the school (the field at the back is bigger).

Well, it scared the heck out of me, and I parked and walked up to them to talk to them. The accident was their fault (I did not shoot them down), but I realized the side lot is safer because at least if you are there, and someone else comes in to fly they see you (and hopefully check what's your frecuency number).

I have flown with other people in school fields, but it is customary that when you set up you check the other party's frecuency. Normally this is not a problem because school grounds around here are never are big enough not to see the other party (unless, like I said earlier they are on the other side of the school).

I'm glad you did not get hurt.

onlyb

Personally I don't think there was anything wrong with this thread. It does point out something we many times don't even see - what's going on around us - until it smacks us in the face (or in this case, the leg). I'm in aviation as a career, and every time I walk out on a flight line I have my head on a swivel, constantly looking for dangers. When I'm off-duty sometimes my attention drifts, as it does with most of us, but we always need to keep aware of what's going on around us.

I would like to ask riotgear what he did say to the father and daughter. Did you give them any tips on safety? Advice on flying the plane? Stuff like that? What happened sounds like a simple accident (and no harm, no foul, so not that big a deal), and with a little friendly (and I stress FRIENDLY) advice the chances of one happening again are reduced even further.

Youth are the future of this sport. I think it was great a father has his 8 year old out. Last summer I started teaching my 8 year old son to fly. Before we went the first time he was worried about crashing and destroying my plane (LT-40). I told him not to worry about crashing because if he crashed it would be my fault because I'm the one with the transmitter and he's on the buddy box. I also told him even if he did crash, as long as it was a true accident (i.e. not trying to crash or buzz cars, etc) I would not be mad at him. After that he was able to calm down and have fun. I hope the father of the 8 year old girl was as understanding.

Isis

Man LOL. you guys are funny. Should have staked her out in the sun. Glad to know you were'nt hurt. I'm sure the girl and her dad were just as concerned. Hows your leg? Manufacturers do include statments in the included manuals about safety snd liability. Weither anyone reads that far is another question. Common sense seems to be lacking in some people. The field I fly at is out of the way of normal traffic but on occasion someone will stop to watch. Sometimes I see them and sometimes not. When I do notice them I steer away and land the airplane. This way I have no dought about their safety and mine. Remember safety has no compromise. Now if I could only learn how to spell.

exeter_acres

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Geez
I even said it was sarcasm.
The original post was complaining about getting hit..

I was showing the absolute sillyness in that..............
We do this for fun.....
get over it




Ya'll have a nice day now

P-51B

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You know, this makes me wonder. What about the LHS liability? I mean, if someone goes out and has a beer, gets in a wreck, and injurs someone, the bar/restaurant and even the bartender can be held liable. Does this also extend to a hobby shop for not checking that the person is capable of flying what they are buying?

BasinBum

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OMG somebody could have been killed! Fact is, it was a pusher and even if it hit you in the head it probably wouldn't have done much damage. (If it hit Exeter in the head it would probably do even less damage.)

Yes it may be annoying but they had as much right to fly there as you and being a fellow pilot you know there is a chance of getting whacked. Come out to where I fly and see how you feel about planes coming near you. It would make your experiance seem very trivial indeed.

exeter_acres

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it would do lots of damage.........any plane hitting something that dense would be destroyed

DiscoWings

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omg seriously, a little girl hit you and you want revenge?
be like in 10 year missy you gonna go out on date with me to make thing even

BasinBum

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Maybe he is just mad cause she was a better pilot than him.

cyclops2

FEAR, is when a 90" IMAAC comes over everybody heads at 10' high behind the flight line right after takeoff.
Fast thinking men covered kids as best as they could.
The DUMMY was allowed to finish his flight.
No PROBLEMS he stated after the flight!!
I can only assume the CD thought he was right.
After all, no damage , no hurt, all is O K.