Thank you to Geoff our safety officer for the following safety notices.
Just a couple of reminders this month.
1) FPV, Quads and aerial photography: Firstly, and most importantly, if you fly FPV it is MANDATORY that you enlist the help of another to act as watchman. Apart from being a legal requirement it makes good sense.
There are no specific club rules about where to fly quads, but please bear in mind a) that something small buzzing around relatively close in can be very distracting to other pilots and b) If others are in the air, hovering is not allowed over the strip unless all other pilots are ok about it. Ask first. If you wish to hover in order to get footage of models flying please do it at some distance and well away from the take-off, landing and flightpath of the other models. Bear in mind too that there are national regulations in place in respect or aerial photography. Please make sure you are aware of them. (I’m sure John Hoddinott will be able to point you in the right direction if you ask him nicely). There is some fantastic footage around taken from these machines and they are great fun, so we really don’t want to discourage or restrict their use unless absolutely necessary. Just be sensible, and try not to get in the way of fixed wing flyers.
2) The second reminder is that whatever you put in the air, it is your responsibility to ensure that it is airworthy. This is particularly pertinent with the ready built models that most of us fly nowadays. First thing I always check is the engine mount and wing fixing plates. Do they look up to the job? A bit of re-enforcing with epoxy or fibre glass is often appropriate. While we are at it, what about the servo mounts? Are these properly fixed? In 50 flights time the fuselage around the engine and in the tank bay will often become fuel soaked, so give it all a coat of proofer before you start assembly. How about the undercarriage mounting? It is much easier (and lighter!) to add some subtle re-enforcing now, before it breaks! If the control surfaces are already hinged, give them a good tug, and re-glue the hinges if necessary. If the canopy or cowl/battery hatch is removable, are you happy that the method of retaining them is ok? Again, much easier to do something about it now. Lastly, have a good look at the control horns, clevises and push rods; if in any doubt, change them. Things are a lot better now, but it has been known for Chinese manufacturers to alter the original plastic specification if they can find something cheaper!
That’s about it. If you take care at the building stage, the model will last a lot longer, be safer AND stay in one piece. Happy Flying!
