Doftya

Hello everyone! I spent some time searching the forum, only to get a couple of partial answers. I was wondering if you could help me by offering some wise counsel.

I'm a complete newbie, with a very strong interest in hand launch RC gliders. I'll give you a quick summary of what I'm planning, then I'll get to the questions. I've ordered a simple 4ch radio set that will do mixing. I'm going to build from coroplast, so that the startup costs are minimal while I'm learning. That way if I make a mistake and crash, rebuilding will be cheap and easy. I'm planning on building a Beetle (plans from www.rcsail.com), or maybe a Mugi (with the controls dumbed down so I don't make any uncontrollable movements). Just for reference, I live in the GTA (for those that don't know, near Toronto, ON) so local advice would be great if available.

Now to the questions:

1. I've found various answers to this question, but in regards to hand launch gliders, can a just go to a local empty park and fly around or are there liability issues that are prohibitive?

2. What about slope soaring? The local RC clubs don't have slope sites, and there are a couple of places where sloping would be possible. Can a go flying there?

3. What about MAAC membership, I've seen a lot of discussion on both sides, if park flying a glider is a viable option, what advantages are there for MAAC membership?

4. If club and MAAC memberships are strongly encouraged for legal and liability reasons, what and the implications of flying out somewhere on my own and in secret to simply enjoy the hobby? Is there liability insurance available for HLG's?

Just wondering, if anyone could help me out with this, I would really appreciate it, thanks.

Doftya

cwrr5

My Feedback: (32)

Here's my .02 that pretty much covers all four questions:
You can fly where you want, but keep well away from established flying sites. If you have your radio on close to someone else on the same channel, you risk "shooting them down", loosing control of your model, or both. It may seem like no big deal if you crash when flying a small & cheap plane, but what about the other guy? Would you want to be responsible for a very expensive large, dangerous(if out of control) plane that causes damage or hurts or kills someone?
This is where joining MAAC or AMA or equivalent helps you out. It gives you some protection against this possibility, both insurance and pre-existing flying sites that are SAFE(er). I say safer, because the distances between sites has already been determined to eliminate any frequency interference issues. Secondly, There are experienced modelers at the clubs or sites that can help you when needed (as a beginner, you're going to need at least some help.) Best bet is to join one of the clubs.

All of this being said, parkflying is ok (I'm a parkflier also), as long as you do your homework first. Make sure the city/county/whatever doesn't prohibit it, make sure there's no other flying site nearby (I usually use a 3-mile radius as a safe distance, like AMA), be careful (watch out for bystanders if any), and lastly, be sure to have FUN. [8D]

BMatthews

RC handlaunch gliders fly fast enough in the launch and certainly in a dive if control is lost that they can easily hurt someone. Even the little all balsa chuck gliders will easily cause an injury if they death dive into someone's head thanks to the clean design and small size of the front end.

MAAC (and AMA for the Americans) protects you from liabilty suits in the event of such injury to other passerby folks or if you cause any property damage.

If you're lucky enough to have access to a remote field where public visits are rare or unheard of then you could get away with flying without MAAC coverage. If you plan on flying where there is a chance of passerbys that could be injured then I would suggest that to NOT become a MAAC member is foolish. Certainly almost every club requires it so if you want to fly with such a group you need to go for it anyhow.

About the only models that I would consider flying without insurance coverage are the little sub 25 inch super light rubber powered jobbies like the 10 gram 16 inch span one in my avatar. Even then if it were to hit someone in the face it's possible that some eye damage could result.

Doftya

Thank you for the excellent responses.

Barring getting a frequency scanner, is there another way of checking for interference? Would turning on the receiver without the transmitter be adequate? Watching/listening the servos for movement for a couple of minutes while I set up, would this be an adequate means of doing a frequency check?

cwrr5

My Feedback: (32)

Nope. Recievers will pick up other stray signals besides from the transmitter, and you are taking a big chance of having a servo drive too far and cause it to basically "break" itself. It's not a good way to determine if someone else in the area is on the same frequency, as you don't know the source of any signal, or even the type of signal.

Best bet is to contact clubs in the area, even if you don't fly with them, to find out where the existing flying sites are. In my experience, clubs are always willing to help with info, especially when it keeps you (and them) safer&happier.

There's several cheap frequency scanners available, the small Hobbico one comes to mind (~$60 USD). No need to get too fancy.

I echo what Bruce said about the safety aspect above - even a small glider can do big damage in the right circumstances. (Think lawn dart.... [] )

slopemeno

My Feedback: (2)

I would hook up with your local R/C sailplane club anyway. The advice and support you will get early in the game will help. I see quite a few "go-it-alone" types who are beating their head against a wall and reluctant to accept help. I was one of them too. A local F3F racer was watching me get my cheapo foamie ready to fly at the slope and said, casually "oh, yeah, I LIKE 90 degree elevator throws..." and the comment went totally over my head. Now, I'm helping beginners and I hear it in myself when I say "add an ounce of nose weight, and reduce the elevator throw by half, for starters".

Also- why not pick an existing design thats proven? The Mugi is a known flier, but since you want to try some handlaunch too, why not a Mountain Models DL-50? Its a simple, light handlaunch that will work in light slope lift too. Barring that, get a Gentle Lady and fly with the thermal guys for a season to get your feet wet.

Slope soaring, by the way, is SO much fun you wont believe it. Screaming passes up and down the lip of the hill, combat, DS'sn, it all ROCKS. A Zagi 5C is great slope tool that will get you through the first year of crashing. Then check out a 60" racer like a Mach Dart, a Destiny, etc. You'll love it. I bet someone in that Thermal club knows a spot to slope, by the way.

da Rock

One problem with flying a hand launch glider in a park is where most parks are.

If you have any trouble at all, you're going to have a major problem recovering the little sucker. Urban parks are surrounded by... well... lots of "urban". And streets with moving traffic.

Come down in a busy street, or any street for that matter, and cause any kind of problem for some soccermom in her SUV while she's on the cell phone 10mph over the speed limit and buddy, you're toast. Come down on somebody's roof and then try to recover the glider when nobody's home. etc etc

BTW, aren't the affordable frequency scanners very short range? They're designed to see if another flyer at your RC club field has mistakenly left on his TX, not to see if somebody beyond the trees or over the next hill is flying RC.

cwrr5

My Feedback: (32)

True, those are short range, thanks for pointing that out. The best bet is to contact local clubs and/or hobby shops as I mentioned earlier. Freq. scanner is a good last check before switching on(unless you're in the middle of nowhere) [8D]