CLOSE CALLS

[doctormike]

I'm sure all of us have had a close call or two. I'd love to hear about them, not only for intertainment, but for a heads up as to what can happen in this hobby if we're not careful and attentive. Doc

[boomer108]

Hey Doc!

I had one those brain lapses. I was getting ready for my second flight for the day and I got busy talking and didn't realize I put the battery I just used back in and didn't check the voltage like I normally do. Well 1 minute after I took off I was dead sticking a landing. Luckily it was my Sensei. Check those batteries!!

Roy B.

[rc-eflyer]

Funny you should ask, my buddy and I were out today and he was flying his new Dynam C-47. He rolls inverted and is flying happily UNTIL he goes into a turn and the forward hatch departs the plane. So no big deal right but hey wait, what's that big thing hanging down??!!! Yep its the battery!! He rolls upright and now it's hanging between the fuselage and the port engine but the plane is flying fine and he brings it in for a 4 point landing....3 wheels and a battery. For once those danged tight XT60 connectors came in handy.

Steve

[Aros]

I once thought I got a stripper pregnant. Oh wait, we're talking RC, right??? ;)

[doctormike]

Actually...I guess we are talking any close call. This is the lounge. rc-eflyer...I take it your buddy isn't into scale flying. I doubt I'll be flying my C-47 inverted, or doing loops, but thanks for the warning. Doc

[OV10]

I once thought I got a stripper pregnant. Oh wait, we're talking RC, right??? ;)

As a Navy vet, thanx for putting a huge smile on my mug sailor!!!

[Pheonix]

The Iron Ass looks nice. I have one with sound and could not resist the price on the discontinued model, so I purchased one without sound. This is a really good flying plane. I went S-bus with the first one. Will probably do the same with the new one.

[crxmanpat]

So we have this big electric-only event every year here in Mesa called the Arizona Electric Festival. In the 12 years we've held the event, we've had two incidents of models hitting people. The first was 5 or 6 years ago. I was flying from the pilot station on the far right, and my spotter was standing on my left side. Another pilot was taking off in a heavy A-10 from left to right. He had difficulty with the nose steering, came off the ground just to the left of our pilot box, and struck my spotter in the head with the nose gear. All I heard was a loud "pop" (nose gear folding back and slapping the fuse) and my spotter hitting the ground going "what hit me?". He was OK, but had some pretty good stitches.

And then just a few weeks ago at our most recent one, there was a father/daughter in the 1st pilot station (daughter was flying, dad was spotting). A very large (like 20 pounds) scale WWI bipe was coming in for landing, and the pilot lost all radio control. It would up knife edging right into them. The dad saw it just before impact and tried to moved his daughter out of the way, but she was struck pretty good in the head and shoulder area. She had to have staples and stitches, but will recover just fine.

Fortunately during both incidents, we have trained medical personnel in attendance that were able to provide immediate medical care until paramedics arrived on site (we are like 10 minutes away from the nearest fire station). Spotters have an extremely important role, not only in watching their pilot's plane, but also everything else going on. That is why we insist on them at our events.

[rc-eflyer]

Actually...I guess we are talking any close call. This is the lounge. rc-eflyer...I take it your buddy isn't into scale flying. I doubt I'll be flying my C-47 inverted, or doing loops, but thanks for the warning. Doc

Even if you don't roll inverted that hatch will fly off if you don't have a good physical contact between the magnets holding it down. It's right up front and has an airfoil shape if air can get under it. It flew off again the very next flight just cruising along.

Steve

[rc-eflyer]

So we have this big electric-only event every year here in Mesa called the Arizona Electric Festival. In the 12 years we've held the event, we've had two incidents of models hitting people. The first was 5 or 6 years ago. I was flying from the pilot station on the far right, and my spotter was standing on my left side. Another pilot was taking off in a heavy A-10 from left to right. He had difficulty with the nose steering, came off the ground just to the left of our pilot box, and struck my spotter in the head with the nose gear. All I heard was a loud "pop" (nose gear folding back and slapping the fuse) and my spotter hitting the ground going "what hit me?". He was OK, but had some pretty good stitches.

And then just a few weeks ago at our most recent one, there was a father/daughter in the 1st pilot station (daughter was flying, dad was spotting). A very large (like 20 pounds) scale WWI bipe was coming in for landing, and the pilot lost all radio control. It would up knife edging right into them. The dad saw it just before impact and tried to moved his daughter out of the way, but she was struck pretty good in the head and shoulder area. She had to have staples and stitches, but will recover just fine.

Fortunately during both incidents, we have trained medical personnel in attendance that were able to provide immediate medical care until paramedics arrived on site (we are like 10 minutes away from the nearest fire station). Spotters have an extremely important role, not only in watching their pilot's plane, but also everything else going on. That is why we insist on them at our events.

Glad it wasn't worse, although that's bad enough. This is one of my biggest fears when flying at an event or just a busy day at the field. I hate the guys doing screaming low passes over the runway. I think it should be banned and all low passes should be done much farther out. Runways need to be restricted to takeoffs and landing NOT showing off!!! Some of the small electric planes are easily capable of over 100mph and their inertia makes them a deadly projectile and basically impossible to dodge.

Steve

[OV10]

Spotters have an extremely important role, not only in watching their pilot's plane, but also everything else going on. That is why we insist on them at our events.

Pat,
I totally concur but apparently those particular spotters didn't give the general awareness portion of their responsibilities enough due diligence. Hopefully future event CD's reinforce the importance of that aspect with spotters especially because of the prior event history of apparent shortcomings in this area whereas in the one case the spotter never knew what hit him. Both victims are very fortunate to still be walking around today whereas they beat the ultimate close call. Thanks for sharing the story cause it just goes to reinforce the importance of respecting and abiding to the safety practices of the sport.
Best regards,

[Dewey H Lee]

This just reinforces what a spotter is really for. The pilot is suppose to be giving full attention to flying his or her plane so doing that if more than one plane is in the air or taking off the pilot is notified by his spotter. A person taking off should announce there intentions before doing so and so at that time the spotter should be focusing there attention not only the general airspace of there pilots plane but the plane taking off to make sure it's not going to intercede with there pilots plane. They should not just be watching there pilots plane dance around the sky. I know when I'm flying I become so focused on my plane I rarely see anything but it. Ever time I go up at the club when others are in the air I always get someone to spot for me. That lets me be more comfortable with my task at hand. As your statement implies either other pilots intentions were not announced prior to there actions or the spotter was not doing there job. Please don't think I'm criticizing because it is so easy for one to just be looking at there pilots plane and not notice or hear what's going on around them. At that point they become a spectator and not a spotter. I be been guilty mysel😔.

[Dewey H Lee]

Amen OV10. Very wise words.

[crxmanpat]

I just happened to be the Asst CD of this event this year. During our daily morning pilot briefings, the role of the spotter was discussed. Even more so on Saturday and Sunday (incident took place on Friday).

[OV10]

Hello Pat,
I can imagine your exasperation that was in the back of your mind after the Fri incident. Sometimes no matter what you do with all the best intentions you can't prevent the complacency that occurs. It seems to be a very prevalent tendency of our psyche. Google the word complacency and you can find that it is the cause for over 4 million nonfatal injuries reported in private industry. All that can be done as a CD is insure that your part has been done and that the participants don't have an occurrence of rectal cranial inversion. Again, thanks for highlighting your situation that occurred to help us periodically reframe how important safety is in our loved sport.
Best regards,

[crxmanpat]

I will also add this about the Friday incident. It happened very quickly. Surprisingly so seeing as how big and slow the model was. The pilot had called landing, and was cleared by the flight line boss. He came in a little high, and for some reason lost all radio control as he was approaching the flight boxes. The plane banked suddenly to the right, unfortunately right into flight station 1. The daughter was flying a flat plate 3D foamy out past the runway, and dad saw the aircraft coming at them. He was in the process of pulling his daughter out of the way, but the plane was already on top of them. Personally, I don't think this was a case of bad situational awareness, it was a freak accident that happened in the blink of an eye.

[OV10]

I would have to agree with you on that Friday incident being a total freak accident but your spotter 5 years ago was out of touch. Your description of the Friday incident has given me an idea on how I am going to attempt to manage spotter activity at our club in the future. Am thinking along the line of - All spotters are to focus on the aircraft that has called landing until it touches down and then resume the normal all around situational awareness activity. We've had a couple misses at our field also and were due to a landing gone awry so am thinking this certainly can't hurt.
Best regards,

[owyheeguy]

Hi Aros,
Ya know, I thought I read something about a Hobby Squawk Code of Conduct……………..but then my mind has been playing tricks on me the last couple of years. Hee, Hee, Hee.!?

[Dewey H Lee]

No graphic representations.

[Dewey H Lee]

He's in the clear.