Originally Posted by
cmp3cantrj
Which is why the preface to the BMFA GTBA/JMA gas turbine safety rules emphasizes the following point:
Pay attention to where and when aircraft are flown to
ensure the safety of people, property and the environment.
However if you read the CAP and the BMFA handbook you will find that the 50 metres is measured to the crowd line or pit line - not to the pilots' box which may lie inside it.
CAP 658 says:
At least 50 m clear of persons, vessels, vehicles or structures. This can be reduced to 30 m for take-off or landing. Other model operators and any assistants or officials may be within this distance; as may vessels, vehicles or structures under their control
Yes I am well aware of the allowance for pilots etc to be within the 50 meter rule. The question is, just how much inside is sensible ? Having seen, this summer, one pilot taking off between the runway centreline and the pilot box, then at about 10 feet, right I front of the pilot box, rolling to knife edge shows there can some seriously poor judgement. That was not the only case of close in flying, far from it. And just to be clear I am not concerned about the odd transgression, we can all do that, I am concerned at the repeated and deliberate close in flying by a minority.
I see absolutely no reason why some very simple rules, which accord with CAA guidelines cannot be considered the normal standard of operation at ALL jet event, each time, every time: Take off and land on or beyond the runway centreline with all other flying at or beyond the far edge of the runway. Dead easy to judge, dead easy to do, dead easy to manage and gives us all, pilots, spotters and spectators a reasonable degree of safety with little or no compromise to our enjoyment.
These were the rules at my last UK club, Rolls Royce MAC, and when I gave that safety briefing at one RR jet meeting at Hucknall , (sadly no more) I advised all that they would be enforced , we had no dissenters and an excellent meeting.
If if you read the AAIB Shoreham report and the subsequent changes to display distances initiated by the CAA in their bulletin., you will see that safety distances were considerably increased AFTER the event at Shoreham. What I am strongly advocating is that we all, always, conform to current CAA guidelines and good sense in the hope we can maintain our safety record.
I strongly believe, too, that, in the event of a radio fail safe, the engine should be shut down, not just go to idle after 2 seconds. I believe that is the norm in many countries, including the USA. Time we, in the. UK, caught up, and time , too, that, EVERY pilot gained a proper understanding of exactly how to set his fail safe. At a recent jet meeting one scrutiniser told me that almost 30% of pilots did not know how to correctly set the failsafe. That needs to change.
This Saab accident highlights just how quickly and unexpectedly things in aviation can go very wrong.
David.