Safety Update May/June 2010

I would like to ask all members to once again review the 2010 Safety Rules and in particular, Rule #5 which specifies that all flight operations expect for landings and take-offs are to be “east of the runway boundary”.

Why is this important? It’s pretty simple: it is extremely dangerous to operate an RC aircraft close to yourself, other pilots, or spectators.  As a pilot, you may feel that you have perfect control of your aircraft and enjoy doing low passes and aerobatics down the runway, but when you do this, you are putting your fellow pilots at risk and all it takes is a slight misjudgment or an equipment failure and a disaster could occur.

Some of you are aware that I lived in the UK for a number of years during my business career. In 2000, an RC aircraft struck and killed a 13 year old boy at a RC Flying field north of London. The boy was in a pilot box getting a flying lesson from his dad and just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. An experienced pilot flying from the next flight box, lost control of his aircraft and several lives were changed forever in an instant. The aircraft was a low wing advanced trainer powered by an OS 46!

Our Safety Rules follow AMA guidelines and are very similar, if not identical to other large clubs in this area. I respectfully ask that all members abide by those rules and in particular, keep all flight operations east of the runway boundary.

Fly Safe!

Charles Shafer