Combat Safety
11-02-2003 | 08:28 PM
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From: O\'fallon,
MO
Combat Safety
Our club has a group of 10 to 12 members who regularly fly combat at the club field. I am aware that during sanctioned events, the flyers are required to wear hard hats. What is your Club's position on hard hats when a group is just practicing at your club field?
11-02-2003 | 09:16 PM
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From: Cumming,
GA
RE: Combat Safety
Mr. Varnado,
You ask a question that the officers of the AMA Special Interest Group, the Radio Control Combat Association are frequently asked, regarding the use of helmets at non-sanctioned practices at a club field.
When RCCA was petitioning the AMA for official rule book status much effort was made to prove safety and provide assurances of safe procedures. One of the last minute discussions concerned the Pylon racing fraternity's use of helmet at their events. It was felt by the RCCA officers at that time that it would help make a persuasive argument to AMA regarding safety if helmets were included in the rules for the event.
It is my personal opinion that helmets do not provide any great degree of safety enhancement. Almost any RC airplane from electric on up to giant scale aerobatic planes would either knock a pilot down if hit, or cut them with the prop. No planes, combat or otherwise, should never be so close to the pilots (or spectators) as to be a safety threat. The more important AMA rule regarding combat safety is that the airplanes must be flown at a defined distance from both the pilots and spectators. This line is called the "combat engagement line" and it must be 500' away from spectators for every cubic inch of displacement. For instance a .25 would have to have 125' feet of separation from spectators. At most fields the pilots feel more comfortable if the .25 size planes are 75'-100' in front of them or for .15s 50' to 75'.
At my field we do not wear helmets when we practicing. We also do not wear them when we are practice racing. We probably should wear helmets when heli fliers squat on the middle of the runway and keep coming in closer to us as we are flying or when the large IMAC planes are doing low hovering torque rolls. Most of our close calls are from trainers that either come in to the pit area on abortive landing attempts or from trainers coming into the pits on incomplete takeoffs.
I think it is a club decision as to whether to wear helmets or not but the rule was not put in from demonstrated need as there had never been an incident requiring a helmet. It was put in to make sure we were consistent with safety rules for other events.
You ask a question that the officers of the AMA Special Interest Group, the Radio Control Combat Association are frequently asked, regarding the use of helmets at non-sanctioned practices at a club field.
When RCCA was petitioning the AMA for official rule book status much effort was made to prove safety and provide assurances of safe procedures. One of the last minute discussions concerned the Pylon racing fraternity's use of helmet at their events. It was felt by the RCCA officers at that time that it would help make a persuasive argument to AMA regarding safety if helmets were included in the rules for the event.
It is my personal opinion that helmets do not provide any great degree of safety enhancement. Almost any RC airplane from electric on up to giant scale aerobatic planes would either knock a pilot down if hit, or cut them with the prop. No planes, combat or otherwise, should never be so close to the pilots (or spectators) as to be a safety threat. The more important AMA rule regarding combat safety is that the airplanes must be flown at a defined distance from both the pilots and spectators. This line is called the "combat engagement line" and it must be 500' away from spectators for every cubic inch of displacement. For instance a .25 would have to have 125' feet of separation from spectators. At most fields the pilots feel more comfortable if the .25 size planes are 75'-100' in front of them or for .15s 50' to 75'.
At my field we do not wear helmets when we practicing. We also do not wear them when we are practice racing. We probably should wear helmets when heli fliers squat on the middle of the runway and keep coming in closer to us as we are flying or when the large IMAC planes are doing low hovering torque rolls. Most of our close calls are from trainers that either come in to the pit area on abortive landing attempts or from trainers coming into the pits on incomplete takeoffs.
I think it is a club decision as to whether to wear helmets or not but the rule was not put in from demonstrated need as there had never been an incident requiring a helmet. It was put in to make sure we were consistent with safety rules for other events.
11-03-2003 | 09:01 AM
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From: SE, CT CT
RE: Combat Safety
From the AMA Safety Code:
"6) For Combat, distance between combat engagement line and spectator line will be 500 feet per cubic inch of engine displacement. (Example: .40 engine = 200 feet.); electric motors will be based on equivalent combustion engine size. Additional safety requirements will be per the RC Combat section of the current Competition Regulations."
As it is written, all of the safety rules apply whenever R/C Combat is being flown - regardless of whether it is a large event, or just 2 pilots mixing it up for fun. This includes wearing hardhats and the separation between the spectators, pilots and combat area.
While I agree 100% with the opinions Lou put forth, please be sure to let EVERYONE involved know that AMA coverage could be voided in the very unlikely event of an accident by not following all of the safety rules.
AMA Safety Code:
http://www.modelaircraft.org/templat...-files/105.pdf
HTH,
D
"6) For Combat, distance between combat engagement line and spectator line will be 500 feet per cubic inch of engine displacement. (Example: .40 engine = 200 feet.); electric motors will be based on equivalent combustion engine size. Additional safety requirements will be per the RC Combat section of the current Competition Regulations."
As it is written, all of the safety rules apply whenever R/C Combat is being flown - regardless of whether it is a large event, or just 2 pilots mixing it up for fun. This includes wearing hardhats and the separation between the spectators, pilots and combat area.
While I agree 100% with the opinions Lou put forth, please be sure to let EVERYONE involved know that AMA coverage could be voided in the very unlikely event of an accident by not following all of the safety rules.
AMA Safety Code:
http://www.modelaircraft.org/templat...-files/105.pdf
HTH,
D
11-03-2003 | 09:40 AM
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From: Cumming,
GA
RE: Combat Safety
Demon,
After reading your post I realized we could be opening up an area of concern so I went back and read your link to the safety code and then went to read the combat competiton regulations. There is a gray area. That gray area regards "practice". At a sanctioned contest the competition regulations require a helmet. Yet the safety code only references the competition regulations. So, it could be argued that non sanctioned practices are not required to wear helmets.
Since we are a litigious society I would rather err on the conservative side.
After reading your post I realized we could be opening up an area of concern so I went back and read your link to the safety code and then went to read the combat competiton regulations. There is a gray area. That gray area regards "practice". At a sanctioned contest the competition regulations require a helmet. Yet the safety code only references the competition regulations. So, it could be argued that non sanctioned practices are not required to wear helmets.
Since we are a litigious society I would rather err on the conservative side.
