I really need some thoughts on this. I have recently been reading many posts from various folks about flying Rc airplanes in their yards or other very limited areas. This seems to have come about since the introduction of park flyers. I have been in Rc for over 50 years and have never flown or heard of anyone flying in what I consider to be such a hazardous manner. Could be I'm wrong about these being hazardous? Let me know what the consensous is. From my personal experience I have come to the opinion that sometimes thing can go wrong with these missiles. Pilot error, radio failure, whatever? What then might happen? If I'm right in my opinion then something must be done to deal with this situation.

There's really no difference than people getting a new gun and going out in the woods and just shooting! Think about it. Remember you'll never keep stupid people from doing stupid things.

Thank you for replying. Isee this post has been read by 27 people at this time and you are the first to reply. What does that tell me? By the way your reply is so true.

I fly my small electric parkflyers in my front yard. These are made out of foam, they fly slowly, and are easy to control.
However, I do have a large yard area (100 X 40) with no trees, except one telephone pole which I have managed to avoid so far.
I have experienced some anxious moments at our regular flying field when pilots have lost control of their medium sized, gas operated, heavy airplanes. Fortunately, nobody was hurt.
People should just use common sense no matter where they may be flying their model airplanes.

Here is the "safest" of all my foamies. This is a homemade version flying in my back yard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AjKnnV8lZA

I get worried flying my slow flyers at a soccer field because I think it is too small... I couldn't imagine in flying in anything less unless you have an indoor/outdoor bird that can only fly in no-wind conditions.... then maybe (but I don't have one that small.... YET!)

Flying anything, anywhere has risks. You just have to use some common sense. Here's my general park flying safety rules:

1) Only small models of slow to moderate speed should be flown at small fields or parks.
2) You should never fly over people, and avoid flying over buildings, cars, etc. to avoid property damage.
3) You should always keep your plane a safe distance from people (25ft+).
4) Avoid maiden flights at public parks/fields with people nearby.
5) Avoid training or learning to fly at public parks/fields with people nearby.

4 & 5 are best done at an RC airfield, or far away from people or property to avoid injury & damage.

The AMA has a pretty good set of rules for park flyers as well:

Park Flyer Safe-Operation Recommendations
• Inspect your model before every flight, to make certain it is airworthy.
• Be aware of any other radio-frequency user who may present an interference problem.
• Always be courteous and respectful of other users in your selected flight area.
• Choose an area that is clear of obstacles and large enough to safely accommodate your flying activity.
• Make certain that the area is clear of friends and spectators prior to launching your aircraft.
• Be aware of other activities in the vicinity of your flight path that could cause conflict.
• Carefully plan your flight path prior to launch.
• Abide by any and all established AMA National Model Aircraft Safety Code items where applicable and appropriate.

Why lose sleep over it?
Why does something have to be done?
Do you want to stop the kids from throwing baseballs in their yard too? A baseball can really do some damage as well. How about swimming pools? should we outlaw them as well? Flying kites?....bikes....fishing poles.....skate boards... horse back riding..... Basket Ball in the driveway, where the ball always end's up in the street.....come on....

If you have been flying for over 50 yrs, don't waste your time on such a topic. Start one about what it was like , to build and fly model airplanes back then. Tell us about how excited you were to get your first R/C radio.... Tell us about the motors that you had. You must have some great memories to share.. I would be interested in hearing some of them!

I really don't want to reply to what seems on the surface to be a troll... but.... we don't need a darn thing to be done.....Most park flyers are very light and fly very slowly having little kinetic energy in direct comparison to that dastardly baseball referred to earlier.

I can fly my 36" wingspan electric in a 20x30x10 room... but then again, I've been flying R/C since 1964. Each pilot flies according to their skills...The new park fliers are giving this dying hobby a great shot in the arm. They offer high visibility and an awful lot of fun for what is not a lot of money considering what an aluminum Little League bat costs these days.

I find your statement/comment alarmist.... nothing is ever perfectly safe... and unless you cease an activity you are always at some degree of risk...I suggest professional ping pong ball stacking... but then again... one might bounce up and hit you in the eye.....


Deadstik

I posed the item and I agree totally with the park flyers being a good deal to hopefully increase participation in a great hobby. Also agree that some of them are very light and slow flyers but not all. I do not imply that there have to be rules or they should be discontiued. What has to be done is educate those that wish to fly them. sorry to say many are not using common sense on where they fly or what constitutes a hazard to others. What prompted my post is when I read one sent in by a guy flying a Park Zone corsair in a very contained residential area and he flew into a second floor window of a home. After I had chas tised him for flying there he then proceeded to fly in another local taking off from a road that has traffic . Perhaps trying to educate is not possible with some? By the way you must be quite a flier to fly within that size room. I assume you are hovering but is that the best site you can find. I have been flying Rc since the 50's so maybe I should try that.

I'd like to borrow a quote from Dirty Harry:

"A man's got to know his limitations."

I fly my Parkzone Ember in the street in front of my house, but it is tiny and flys really slow. But if there is a little wind at all it gets a kind of scarry because cars going by cause terbulence.

I think that flying a plane in too small an area is just bad judgement. I recently got a epp foamy and flying it in my backyard was not a good idea. If anyone else was there I could have hit them very easily, flying in a small area makes every move eratic and out of control. UNSAFE, I agree. Even at the local park I felt I needed to go to the flying field. I think any responsible person with any sized plane needs to fly at a local flying field no excuses.

I dunno man. That's pretty extreme. Every fly a parkzone vapor?

Do what makes YOU feel comfortable. If that's standing in field all by yourself then that's what it takes.

Good Grief! The sky really is falling.

Flying aircraft has changed tremendously to now include Park flying and Backyard flying as well. If you have been flying for 50 years, I would venture to guess not lately? Maybe you don't have an active club in your area but you would not be asking this question if you were in the loop at the fields these days. Foam, batteries, brushless motors are all part of the new RC industry that is growing rapidly. As mentioned several times in this thread, you just have to use commen sense. I have several indoor flyers that fly in small gyms, etc, even in my living room

I suggest picking up some RC magazines and checking out what's happening. It's fun, join the growing crowd

Steve
Lakeville MN

hmmm. Yes I've seen those little rtf's, parkzone vapor is the hit I guess. I'm only 13, but I'm SUPER oldschool. I just like sitting alone cutting up basla parts and laying them on plans. For some reason I can't (don't want to) adapt to the new era of rc's. I'm sticking with 72mhz and nicads with old enya/fox/os/webra/cox/(old) type engines. Sry but I'm leaving this post because I'm a nitro guy.

That explains everything.