RE: Standing position for take off
I find it odd that the debate here seems to be whether the act of standing at the end of the runway behind the plane during take-off is "safe" or not.
As I mentioned earlier (and a couple others have alluded to), the REAL safety issue is WHY does that pilot have to do that? People have stated, "It makes it easier". When did EASIER become "better" or "safer"? I see this trend creeping into every aspect of our society today and I find it disturbing and alarming!
With just about anything that each of us are free to choose to do, there comes a responsibility to act responsibly in order to assure that nobody else is potentially affected or harmed. In order to assure our continued freedoms, it is each of our responsibilities to act accordingly. In this instance, it is NOT fair or safe to the other flyers to "bend" the normal procedures and rules to allow one person a crutch to fly his plane because it is "easier". PERIOD! That pilot needs further training and has not EARNED the right to fly that particular plane until he can do so without special considerations.
If I were to witness such behavior at my field, I would not feel that the pilot had reasonable and adequate control of any of his planes at any time, and would simply pack my things and head home. Hardly fair to me, no?
Basically, that pilot is saying, I REALLY WANT to fly my latest, whiz-bang aircraft, but I do not posess the skills, so I will take a shortcut and do it the "easy" way. It's like the person who repeatedly fails their drivers' test, but decides it's okay to drive since they happen to have a car!
THIS IS NOT RIGHT OR FAIR TO THE REST OF THE CLUB MEMBERS....PERIOD!
Regards,
Astrohog