Hello yall, this is my second topic.

I had an erlier topic about the T-Rex 450 SA having a tail and battery problems, but they were corrected accordingly.

Well, I was the favorite today at my old school. I brought my BCX and Trex and flew for them. Oh it was great. With the BCX, I was very open, very slow but controlled flying, accidently flew over me and the sun was right there.... but im sure in everyone's flight RC hobby career it happens.

Time for the trex. Well, it started out GREAT! I puiroetted, did some very basic roll and pitch in the small parking lot. See, the area was a small parking lot with a giant gym on the right and a multi-story building behind me, a median on the left and a good amount of space in front. Well, it was great. They loved it. As a very novice pilot, I had the hang of things. Then i pushed myself. The little tykes were chanting "higher, higher!". Well, I did. Then I could barely see it. I brough it down some so I could controll it, and then it happened. I could barely see it, so i actuly pulled the pitch back some, but enough for it to build speed. It flew 1ft above my head.... went twords the basketball hoop where the 7th graders were. I cant nose-in hover yet, so I did a half puiroette, pulled up, missed them. It goes twords the kids, i do the same manuver quickly. Then I immidiately land it softly and safely.

I could not feel my heart. I thought I was gonna vomit. I did one more flight, but Ignored their chant this time.

I feel frightened and guilty right now. I cant belive I could have blinded, severly injured, heck even killed myself, the seventh graders, or the little guys[X(]. I was ready to give up RC Helis for good, but decided that over the summer I will practice like my life or others lives depend on it.

The recover was so amazing, they all thought I did it on purpose, and was a great RC Pilot. No, absolutely not. It was lucky, but only my mother, a preschooler teacher, understood what was going on.

I learned my lesson, when presenting, keep it to the BCX and Air Hogs, theyll be just as thrilled, though they loved the T-Rex.




I would just like to ask, what would be the best instructional books, DVDs, and things I could practice in a big feild or Realflight? I want to be good enough to not get in a situation like that at all, and I have a long distance to go.

Real Flight has some instructional type practice sessions where the teacher shows the moves and it shows the stick movements and you can shadow them. I'd just watch it first then try to shadow.

Yes Yes! I have seen that before, thanks for reminding me. One question, it seems the controlls (stick movements) are strange, Like there is throttle/Roll on one and Pitch/Yaw on the other, can I turn that off or to the standard controler? (Found it, Mode 2 in Veiw)

Hi,
That sounds like one very scary time you had there.
In the UK we must get to a tested standard of flying, focused on safety, before we can fly at a public display covered by the BMFA (British Model Flying Association). As part of every display a site survey is conducted and this must follow guidelines given by the BMFA or else no flying can take place. The size of display area you describe sounds like it would not be large enough to meet the min size required here. If all of the pieces are ok, area, qualified pilots, etc, then we are covered by the BMFA public display insurance which is £8 million, I think. This is free to members of the BMFA and when my club are asked to do a display we always follow this proceedure.
I am currently organising a display where the area is too small for 'normal' models so only indoor electric foam models will be flown, still by qualified pilots only. If on the day something looks wrong I will switch to a static show only. It's just safer that way.

Please don't take this as preaching, I'm just sharing.

You are right not to give up on the hobby, just learn from this and move on.

I hope you have much more enjoyable displays in the future.

Thank you very much for the kind and encouraging words sir!

I will be attending a local club meeting, and will take this into account so I can be better all around.

I will find out if there is equivilent operation, which would be similar to the "BFMA", in America so I can help keep these kids safe.

Yep, it sure was scary times for a 15 year old.

Well, I declare! You ought to be ashamed of yourself!!! Indulging your ego in a situation where you have people YOU are responsible for. A 450 heli probably wont decapitate a kid but it will sure screw em up!

Ya, just be careful of what you do in public, I won't fly around kids ever.

I suggest you join the AMA, do a search for it.

I think you have learned a valuable lesson and the fact you are willing to share your story here
really says something about your integrity. This will encourage others to do the right thing before they fly.

Personally, I feel that everytime I fly my heli, the people around me are at risk. I try to lower that risk
by keeping them away from the heli and am willing to put it into the ground if it gets close to our pit area.
This very thing happened to my Freya 90 a couple of weeks ago but it is worth more to me to be safe than
to risk people's lifes or limbs.

Do you know who the Colorado Rotorheads are? They are based in Denver. They had a fun fly at Chatfield
state park in May.

James in CO

http://www.coloradorotorheads.com/

well, the important thing was, nobody got hurt. I plant to be at the fun fly, JamesRC. I plan to join in order to get my skills sharpened at my novice stage.

As for the AMA, I am also looking into that.

I agree with both. As for the kids situation, at this school, heh, they are quite under controll. Its not like they would go anywhere while I flew, so it made that variable easier. However, the other variable is, what would happen to them if I hurt them, or even killed them? I am very ashamed of myself, and I still cant belive that it flew a foot above my head as well.

I plan to now, If I am to give a demonstration again, to reveiw the standards for such thing, practice repetadly and inexplicatably to thoes standards, so I know I wont skrew up.
............

For almost killing/severly injuring myself or others, dang you better belive thats all I was deraming/thinking last night... I think I have learned a valuble lessons indeed.
1. I will never fly the 450 for a crowd again, that is, untill I am near expert on it, and have the space to have it out a distance.
2. Never let my ego take over ever again. It could be deadly for myself or others.
3. The audience I was preforming for would be impressed even with a chest-high hover. Keep it to that, so if you feel insecure, just kill the motor.
4. PRACTICE. I am now absolutely SURE that I was not ready to deal with a situation like that.
5. When life gives you deadly (yet controllable) helicopters hurling twords your face, make due with the situation and make sure no one gets hurt. Never cower.
6. Know the standeards for flying in front of a crowd, and act upon them inexplicitably
7. When space does not allow, dont be stupid.

After finishing my shock, I more deeply evaluated the situation.

12" High hover. Drifted a little, I over corrected, became out of control. Rest is true. It wasnt the "higher" factor, it was my overcorrection.

It just tells me that I should be more calm in front of a crowd, and more focused on the dangerous task at hand if anything.

And, it tells me I need more practice all around.

The helicopter day was on May 17th. I was a member when I first started flying heli's. They had a chapter in COS but it soon fell apart here and everyone went their seperate ways. They have some good information on their website as well.

Ah ok, There was one on May 31st, thought you meant that one for some reason.

I Joined the Local Aircraft club, I plan to recive training.

Back off pounder! He's quite aware of what he did, there's no need to heap on more guilt.

yeah.... i give the guy credit to come on here and lay it all out!

the guy certainly learned his lesson without anyone getting hurt. and he appears to have thought it out many times since then..... good guy, with a conscience.

Dude! I backed off There is one post, But I mean it! helis are seroius, you have to think about the surrounding situation BEFORE yoy fly. Granyed 450s are probably not lethal a glow .30 or a Rex 600 electric can inflict some serious injury! Park flying is to be considered carefully ( or similar public flying) even if a person is an accomplished pilot, you dont know what spectators may do. couple this with the possibility that if you are flying 72mhz any number of people may show up with out of the box helis possibly on the same freq. sending your heli where you never intended. this is an example of someone not knowing proper proceedure. I may not always agree with the AMA, but the proceedures the have established about model flying are important. I say this because a friend of mine an was severly injured by some one who just showed up and flew improperly and this was at a club.

Yes, all of us know helis are dangerous and should be kept a safe distance from spectators. This had been well established before you lectured cmdrofficer on his ego and the shame he should feel. The guy came here and spilled his guts and there was no need to kick the guy while he was down. He had a lapse in judgement (we ALL have) and won't make the same mistake again.

This is the kind of pilot ( I am speaking generally here) that we all want to aviod. OK, sorry if I came on a little strong, but I stand behind what I said as far as there is not much excuse to exposing people to marginal piloting skills. I think it is great we have such interest in heli flying lately, but unless proceedure, training, and safety are followed, we are all liable to get a black eye. I apologize to the gentleman, I hope he has learned a valuable lesson, if he has, he has learned it the easy way!!!

Amen.