What was the worst CRASH you ever had? Let us see your photo.

[starcop]

G'day Dewey,
Safety is one thing I do bang on about at my club. [I am a safety officer] While I am pretty easy going, I get very frustrated when I see things that can injure someone and it can be avoided.
Look at old mate who took his head off in New York with a helicopter. I read in our newspapers how shocked first responders were to the fact a 'toy' helicopter had done this much damage to a human being. And he was considered to be tops at what he was doing.
This becomes the point. Model aircraft are not toys!
There have been several people killed by model planes around the world and, mostly, they are onlookers and not the pilot.
I have been to a couple of other clubs where 3D pilots have been given their own day to fly and a not allowed to fly with the general population of the club because they tend to not think of others.
Taxiing back into or along the pits makes me shudder.
I had to stop one pilot, at our number two field, one day when he was taxiing at high speed in the pits because he had 'steering problems' and was trying to sort it out. Steering problems...high speed.... in the pits....?????
I asked him what part of that, did he not consider dangerous. He blinked at me and asked, in reply, 'what do you mean?' As I said before, the mind set of some people!
As I rarely visited our number two field, the safety culture had gone out the window and it had become every man for himself. It was so bad we had to close the field before someone did get hurt.
If you do the numbers on a FMS P-51D 1400mm Mustang with a 14" prop. That is 1.1 metres [roughly] in circumference At 10,000 RPM, if it were a wheel [and all other variables not counted], that wheel would be over ten kilometres away in one minute.With a four blade prop, that is 666 bites per second if I have done the math correctly.
That is going to hurt if it hits you.
Perhaps I see things differently to others due to my background of competing in dangerous sports. My first job was a jockey and I have seen many friends killed and maimed. Then I raced cars, with pretty much the thing. My brother was killed by a drink driver 33 years ago. Some of these things could not be avoided but the ones that could have been make me angry. Especially the last one.
The big thing is being safe is often easier then doing it wrong!
Thanks for letting me vent.
Regards and respect
Daryl

Thank you, for sharing your story. I'm truly sorry to hear about the loss of a loved one. I'd say that is the worst thing that could ever happen. Again, thank you for the reminders, we ALL should consider safety, job one. Cheers! Matt C/S

[MesRcPilot]

Dear wrongroad, I'm really sorry because you act like a nice and raised man but...but...but ''Ugly things happen to good people. '' I'll be short:
1. The owner of Sticka was obliged to pay off and pay the full amount for your P-51 from the bargaining and future good relations....at least ! (I guess you both have insurance)
2. Sometimes we can not prevent happening in life because ''The way to hell is tiled with good intentions''.
3. Remain the psychological problem, you are facing (one on one). If you want to be a RC pilot, you have to overcome this barrier ... even if you broke several more models.
I wish to you a lot of luck and health.......Chin up ...colleague.

[wrongroad]

G'day MesRcPilot,
I agree with you about the other pilot. He should have offered to pay but he did not. I have watched him crash many more models than I since, some for no apparent reason except for Karma!;);)
Unfortunately, there is no insurance company in Australia that will cover model airplanes for crash damage or, to my knowledge, accidental damage. There are some companies that cover public liability to individuals but I have not ever heard of a claim being successful. [I will be interested to know if that is not the case]
I am a member of a club that is associated with the National body here in Australia and would not even attempt to fly if I was not.
I believe in living life as it comes. I love the good times and roll along with the bad. Things always work out for the best if you are a good person. And I am fortunate to be surrounded by good people and I count you as one of those people.
I thank you and Matt for your good wishes and wish good times and fortune for yourselves.
Regards and respect
Daryl

[MesRcPilot]

Hello Daryl , Australia is largely reliant on the UK judicial system so that through the club you can get basic insurance from most unpleasant situations on the ground .... that's my thinking and maybe I'm wrong.
I was in NSW and for Sydne and Newcastle I had some wonderful memories. Once again I wish you every good and many successful flights.
Josip

[wrongroad]

G'day Josip,
If you ever come back here, let me know and you will have a bed and a feed ready for you. Who knows, we might even fly a couple of models.
As far as insurance is concerned, the MAAA [Model Aeronautical Association of Australia] covers clubs and members for Twenty million for public liability.
They also cover clubs against vandalism and theft of equipment from club grounds. Sadly, a good number of flying fields get thrashed and broken into every year by small minded fools.
My club is around forty strong and we have quite a lot of equipment at the field, like ride on mowers. We are also very isolated as such [only a ten minute drive back into town] as there is only one house on the road that takes us to the field and there are no street lights and the road is dirt for the last three kilometres.
I will pay $100 for insurance [a few cents a day] just in case I hit a Rolls Royce or, God forbid, a person.

Now, my worst crash....I rolled a race car three times end for end at a dirt track speedway back in 2011.....does that count?
It did ring my bell a bit!

Regards and respect
Daryl

[MesRcPilot]

Hi Daryl ,thank you for the invitation indeed but now I have 70 and I doubt I will go so far. Happiness is a relative term but the fact that she also changes(speedway) ... at least Murphy's law says so.
I'm glad we talk because it's rare in today's "crazy" world...so ...
All the best
Josip

[crankestein]

The same happens in our field, all the wind devices have either been stolen or vandalized. All the time they leave behind trash from their hangout the they before. Its farm fields, not sure whats the magnet on visiting that specific spot in the middle of nowhere.

Here are some crash photos.

While testing vertical it looked like the batt cable moved around and jammed w the aileron servo. As soon as I took off and corrrected w aileron it disconnected from the rx, banked left and hit a pole. The other pic is in the process of fixing it. It flies true and is super balanced as it is, flying inverted takes maybe 1/8 of elevator.

The other is a VH Acrocub, fail. Its a POS kit, way too much hassle to make it fly well. In other forums they recommend a gyro, lighter servos, reinforce this that, naaah, got bored and is silly stupid so much effort in a alleged beginner kit.

[Dewey H Lee]

The first one looks just like my first old nitro trainer that i started back with. It flys alot better with all the repairs ive had to make. Really simple stuff but it has so many different colors of monocote on it i nick named it patch. Our field is farmland also and we have a cable with a lock across the road leading in. We also have a large metal box that we store club iteams in such as the wind sock and buddy boxes ect. Each member has the combination to the locks of the gate as well as the box and its changed every year. So far we have been lucky. I dont know what people are thinking these days.:Confused::).