It is the stated (in our flying regulations) responsibility of every single pilot at all of our fields to create and maintain a safe environment. That includes educating our brethren when they stray into unsafe activities, be they airborne or chair born.

In fact, if 3 members decide that your (flying or drinking contrary to our lease) infractions were too great for the day, they can approach you and ground you for the day. Their actions are subject to review by the club and may result in the beginnings of a membership termination action.

Our club VP is our elected Safety Officer, but that does not mean he is the only person who speaks. The biggest problem we have with safety is that all our wimps thinks it is the responsibility of the club EC to speak to the bad actors and that is just plain wrong.

In fact I have adopted the style that if you come to me complaining about Frank Flightpack, I drag YOU with me to speak to Frank. I do that for a couple of reasons, the first of which is that the club did not elect me policeman and the second is that every wrong doer should know who the accuser is. Otherwise (and it has been done to me!) the club officer winds up speaking about perceived (but NOT real) infractions to some poor guy just doing his legal thing with NO support and no direct knowledge of the problem.

This is a very serious problem with unpleasant ramifications that are not evident on the surface. If your club does not have the correct set of rules and procedures in place, you might find yourself afoul all sorts of bad things. If you don't follow accepted (previously agreed to and written) procedures, you can get crosswise with all sorts of folks.

This is one reason I am so adamant on AMA Safety Rule #1 and sanctioned events. In those cases it is the Contest Directors RESPONSIBILITY as a REPRESENTATIVE of the AMA to follow AMA rules. Anything less is dishonest in intent if not in fact.


Jim Branaum
AMA Leader Member 1428