Heli accident

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09-14-2013, 11:47 AM

#26

Kaos

Join Date: Jul 2002

Location: San Luis Obispo, CA

Posts: 105

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Quote:

Originally Posted by MIXMASTER

I've been flying RC for over 25 years and this accident has gotten to me. I re-read the AMA safety code and (if I got it right, enlighten me if I'm mistaken)) flying (3D or not) in front of the pilot is not banned. The code mentions not flying closer than 25' from any individual EXCEPT the pilot and helper, excluding take off and landing. So you can hover or fly your plane close to yourself (or 3-D your heli)without violating any AMA Safety Code. However, now its clear that those blades ARE WITHOUT A DOUBT LETHAL, (most likely props too).

The AMA code does, in fact, recommend certain dimensions and distances when it comes to building an RC flying site. Notably, one of their common design recommendations that include a helicopter pad just off one or both ends of the pits shows the aerobatic box to be from the far edge of the runway and on out. Clearly, no aerobatics are allowed over the runway. This distance allows a little more safety for those in the pilot box areas and even more for the pit and spectator areas. In this particular design, it is clear that any 3D flying would be well away from the pilot, unless he chooses to stand on the taxi way or edge of the runway, which is not in accordance with the flying rules.

Frankly, if a pilot wants to fly his airplane or helicopter within feet of himself, that's fine. Just don't put that close to anyone else. So, it appears to me that any pilot flying a few feet out from himself at a properly designed AMA sanctioned field would have to be violating rules to fly that close to himself, i.e., standing on the taxi way near the runway, or on the runway. I've seen pilots do this - it's clearly against AMA rules, but they do it anyway.