Here's one for the books:
Years back, one of our clubs 'pattern' flyers got to the field
early on a sat morn to spin her up on the maiden.
No one but him and his cell phone for the possible emer.
While airborne on the flight, the club's president show'd up
with his son. The two of them fueled and got the trainer
on line - upon which immediately the Pattern cat's nice bird
bit the dust. (To the tune of 2 g's!)
When he turned to see who's there, he asked, "Are you
on channel 48?" The pres replied, 'yes'.
It turned out the pattern guy didn't pull up his freak key.
(Gads it was ALL his fault!)
But in reality this is a hobby, and a delightful one at that!
We are Americans! The most freedom blessed and fortunate
kings who ever drew a breath on this earth! It is my personal
consideration of the matter that when the pres attended the
freak board, seeing there was NO PIN up at all, the proper,
moral, considerate thing to do would have been to stroll
the 50 FEET over to the Pat cat and simply ask, "What
freq ya on buddy?" He did not do that nor say a single word
to the other flyer at the field that morning until the event.
He refused to replace the plane because the pin was missing
from the freak board, and in effect, rightly so.
(Rest assured the pat cat do pin all the time now....)
While my fingers are warmed up - Here's one that hap'd
to me in Jan last.
We had a nice afternoon on a warm January saturday.
I had my little new Pizzaz on the flight line and had one
flight in already. I was sitting with the guys chewing cud
for a while and a guy from the south came up and asked me
if I was a heli guy. (Someone directed him over to me.)
He told me he had a LMH with a Norvel .074 in her.
He couldn't get the engine started. I asked him of his experience
level after we shook hands. He had a Rappy 60 and a nexus 30
and flew in 'bama. He assured me he could fly the bird if
he could start the motor. I click the switch on my 12/24 start
batt and spooled him up! Engine on line...15 second warm up...
remove the glow batt...he spools the head right there in the pits!
I yelled, "hold it - Jon!" (Names changed to respect the innocent)
"We don't fly out of the pits dude." I said. "Go over to the heli
take off pad, 50 feet to the south please."
He complied and I waited on the bench for the impending crash.
(The guy seemed rather 'dumbo' to me - ya know?)
Now he's on the pad south and the head has her light on the
skids. At lift she spins wildly to the left. The Arlton Mech gyro
has NEVER been set and he 'don't got the book with...."
Back and forth for a hour from the pad to my starter he goes
and with absolutely no success. I got bored waiting and our clubs
expert in the LMH isn't available. (Without the instructions I
dropped out of even beginning to assist him with the Mech gyro!)
He's on the pad now for the tenth time. I decide the sun is setting
in an hour I'd like to get in a coupla flights. So I fuel up the
Pizzaz and at Radio on, notice the ele bouncing. I slapped on
the tuned rubber duck tx ant and the bouncing stopped.
I took the ant off and the bouncing continued. I off'd the gear
and returned to the bench to 'think'...
He was returning from the pad grumbling. Then it hit me!
"Hey Jon, what freq ya on bud?" I asked. He told me he didn't
know! There are 15 guys flying that afternoon with the warm
winter weather! I asked to see his TX. He was on my freq!
It turns out he never flew at an rc club, but on the dirt
behind his house in alabama. He never heard of the AMA,
and had never been told we have fifty frequencies and the
thing is we 'SHARE'....
He was in town as a swamp fitter on a job since apparently
'bama is out of work. (Sprinkler fitter to those not in the know)
I decided to send him home.
Now I the teacher, in effect, was wrong for not checking his
AMA certification and pinning him up in the first place! Right?
Well in summation, these two simple incidents have taught
me a lesson. I walk up to everyone I don't know now and
introduce myself. I ask for the certifications and ask of flight
experience and a few other important questions.
Hey we're out here at the field to have fun not to get bummed
out with crashes and the like.
I am sure with all these freq incidents that there will be more
wild things that occur. But I am doing all I can think of to
prevent them! Best of luck to all of you and have a great season!
Byron L. Head, Omaha, HP:
http://www.members.cox.net/helihawks 