Quick question. Landing today after a good flight in the wind my right wheel pant fell off. The plane was on the ground after touch down right on the line when it fell off. Would this have zeroed a flight in a contest?
Thanks for your input.
RC

If it was YOUR pants that fell off I'd zero you for the whole contest.
: )

I'm with Scott on on that one.

After touchdown there is a certain length of rollout before the "Manuver" is finished. If this rollout distance had not occured before the pant fell off the landing will be scored a zero.

Would the flight be a zero or just the landing? I know that if something falls off in flight the whole flight is a zero.
Thanks again,
RC

From rulebook. The landing is complete when the plane has slowed below flying speed and rolled out 10 meters. '

Vicente "Vince" Bortone

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I hope you learned your lesson.  DON'T use wheel pants!!!
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From the AMA Rulebook Page 18: (see #8)

The following is a collation of all mandatory zero (0) scores applicable to all Pattern classes:
1. Flying behind flight line during or between maneuvers (see 6.2.)
2. Maneuver performed out of sequence (see 14.1.)
3. Execution of an illegal pass (see 14.2., 14.3., and 14.4.)
4. Touching the plane before completion of the flight (see 14.5.)
5. Maneuver not completed
6. Model ends up on back when landing
7. Any gear retracts or collapses during landing
8. Maneuver in progress and any remaining maneuvers scores zero (0) if any component of the aircraft falls off during the flight
9. Failure to take off (see 10.1.)
10. Landing outside of runway or landing zone lateral boundary

If the pant fell off before you rolled 10 meters (33' or 11 yards) you'd get a zero for the landing. Everything else you did before that would be scored.

Verne

My dad was carrying my plane out for a flight at the 1987 Nationals when his pants fell down around his ankles. Well he put the plane down pulled his pants back up and proceeded to take the plane to the runway! I got good scores!!!!...hahaha

Thank you Verne! It was windy enough that the rollout was only about 10' os so, so the flight would score but the landing would ZERO.
RC

Rick, from Verne's item #8 above, I think you should only have zeroed the landing on your canopy-losing flight at the TORKS contest this year rather than the whole flight.

Scott,

You are correct. The flight should NOT be zero'd when something falls off. Only that maneuver and all maneuvers following it.

Arch

Thanks for all the clarification guys.
RC

Related question:

I landed with one pant upside down.  I was able to keep the plane upright and in the landing area (although it did skid to the right, but still within the landing area boundary and pointed down the runway facing the correct direction.  I know I would have been downgraded for not level wings, but would landing with a pant upside down also be a downgrade?

ps-would make good skis out of powdery snow!


After the op, I think I'll just leave the pants off from now on....

Assuming the plane continued out on a nice smooth "rollout" then there should be no downgrade.

Arch

Do they no longer have the stipulation that if anyone other than the pilot touches the transmitter it would zero the rest of the flight?

Matt,

They do, but I don't believe it is listed in that section.

Arch

OK, just curious, because I'm pretty sure I've had to use that before when the caller reached around and hit a rate switch.

OK, I found it...
5. Number of helpers: Each pilot is permitted one (1) helper during the flight. Two (2) helpers may be present during the starting of the engine(s). Once airborne no person other than the pilot shall operate the transmitter controls. Operation by anyone else shall require disqualification of the flight.

I didn't realize this one zeroed the whole flight, though!

Well, that depends. We've all seen landings, particularly in a strong headwind, where the plane stops rolling almost immediately, or no more than 6 or 10' from touchdown. If I were judging and your wheel pant fell off AFTER it stopped rolling, I'd score the landing. Obviously, the airplane had slowed to less than flying speed and there was a complete rollout, short as it might have been. Otherwise, you'd have to zero every landing where the rollout wasn't at least 33' because by the strictest of definitions, the maneuver wasn't completed. OTOH, if you landed at normal landing speeds and the wheel pant fell off well inside of 33' and your rollout continued well past that distance, I'd zero the landing. I categorize that under the spirit and intent of the rule where common sense should prevail. This is one of those many things that could be cleaned up during a rules cycle via a proposal, though I don't really see the need.

Verne

If the wheel pant separates from the aircraft on landing in FAI then it does not matter as landing is not scored and the rule talks about loosing parts during flight. It was not specified if it was FAI or AMA.

Regards

That's it! no more flying with my pants on.

James

WHAT??? You have no sense of humour. I'd give him 10's across the board. LOL.

Man, I needed that chuckle too. Rick, as luck would have it, my new design caught a rut on take-off at my regular field and took a tumble. Really pissed me off, having spent 4 long years on this plane and just now getting the first few flights in, to have this krap happen. Broke one pant.

Looking on the bright side, the model is officially pre-disastered. Likely to live long and prosper

The big assumption is that at least one judge saw something fall off in flight....Arch is right. The pilot is instructed to land

I never have to worry about stuff like that, I always fly without pants!