RCU Forums - View Single Post - When you CAN'T use a pilot's station for takeoff...!
Old 02-14-2006 | 05:15 PM
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k3 valley flyer
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From: Bourbonnais , IL
Default RE: When you CAN'T use a pilot's station for takeoff...!

Pipe I don't have any ideas how to help you, but at our field it would not be an issue. We do not have flight stations, or taxiways, or runways. We have had our field since 1971 and have practiced the following procedures without ever a serious accident. Our field is a 5 acre square with trees on the east and south sides and open fields to the west and north. We drive on the field, except in early spring when ground is soft, and establish a vehicle line, pit row, and flight line based on wind and sun conditions. Vehicles face the outside edge of the field, and we unload out of trunks and pit row is diredtly behind rear of vehicles. Planes are stated out in front of pit row facing towards center of field and a restraint must be employed, while flying pilots stand about 10 feet in front of the pits in a parrallel line. All take offs and landings are into the wind and away from the pilots, pits, and cars. For example, if wind is from southwest we park on the east side toward the north edge and take off to the southwest and land from the notheast. On calm days we fly from the east side in the am, sun at our backs, and then in mid afternoon everyone picks up and we will move to the west side so sun is again at our backs. Key to this is field is mowed weekly and grass kept short. Because we never have to do crosswind landings, we never have a plane fly in to the end of the flight line or pit row because someone can't execute the crosswind landing, which per AMA is the most common cause of serious injuries. The need for RC to emulate scale airports with fixed runways and flight stations, remote parking, etc we believe causes more problems than it cures. Clubs can make all the rules they want, but someone someday needs to study this compulsive desire for flight stations, promoted by the AMA for years, and see if it really makes things safer or not. We say not. Flight stations and runways often are the result of having too small a field or a field with rough ground or unmowed grass or not being allowed to drive on the field. Find an RC field out in the country where they have more room, we belive it is about having fun and helping each other, and not about enforcing rules to inhibit the less skilled or less practiced pilots. Our method lets everyone fly safely without all the bickering. That little fence box won't help much when a plane comes from above and hits you in the head, it might protect someones ankles from a plane lose on the ground, but most of us would rather just be able to move out of the way. Can't wait for all the rule makers to respond.