The problem now a days is the equipment has gotten almost too good. Anymore you very seldom see a crash that really was a radio or equipment failure. As a result pilots are taking bigger chances feeling nothing will happen. Unfortunately when something does happen it's too late and if someone gets hurt it's a really bad deal. I was at 2 events where things happen. One was bad and one could of really been bad.
I was at the Sussex airport years ago on the Thursday before the show. They were allowing the modelers to fly as a preshow. A fairly novice pilot that should not have been allowed to fly under the conditions we were in took off and got disoriented. Before his buddy could get the transmitter from him the airplane got behind the flight line and went through the back of a tent hitting another flyer in the leg. The hit pilot was cut up pretty badly and I know there was a lawsuit over it because I was contacted by one of the lawyers for a statement.
The 2nd incident happened at a primer electric meet. My wife and I were sitting in the pit area with the wife of another flyer and their 6 month old son. Just as the wife picked up her son to give him a bottle an airplane crashed into the stroller where the baby had been sitting. Luckily the baby wasn't in the stroller. The pilot of the plane said he didn't know what happen the plane just turned right in a large wingover and went into the crowd. An examination showed that an servo had failed and pinned the aerolon to the right.
As CD you did the right thing. If the pilot involved can't understand that you were looking out for the safety of not only the spectators but the club than he's a fool. The club should back you 100%.