We all know our hobby has some dangers. It's very unlikely that any of was surprised yesterday to find out how bad a situation could be. We all have been smacked by a prop and we all know to treat the prop like the spinning knife that it is. I've been modeling since childhood and have never been cut by a spinning prop (knock on wood). This may be because my father cut himself badly the first time he ever showed me how to start a model engine. I've been extra careful since day one (thanks Dad!). I still treat props with them are "life threatening," though I exaggerated respect and stay well clear of them. I always tuck my neck strap in my shirt before starting the engine, etc. My accident yesterday was prop related. but without a running engine. This is something I had never considered might happen at the field. I decided to change to a wide-based nylon prop. The spinner didn't fit, so I grabbed a hobby knife and started trimming. The knife blade had a brand new double-sided blade. I wasn't paying too much attention as I was doing it, chatting with the guys, etc. It turns out that the knife was sharper than I thought.  You know how you always have to push hard to cut a spinner? I didn't have to push as hard as I did. The knife slipped off the spinner and stuck into my right hand (I'm a lefty) between the thumb and wrist bone. When I say stuck in, I mean the knife blade disappeared into my hand! There I was, looking at my hand with this handle coming out of it. I looked at Matt sitting across from me and his mouth dropped open. I then pulled the blade out without even thinking (in fact I didn't even feel it go in because it was so sharp) and a huge spurt of blood flew about four feet and all over Matt's shirt! It started pouring like a fountain. I was amazed that something that happened so fast could generate that much blood and that such a small wound could "leak" so much. The guys around me (thanks Matt, Ricardo, et. al.) grabbed a roll of paper towels and we got some pressure on it. It was still flowing like a fountain and the paper towel was instantly soaked through. I obviously hit one of the main arteries. We took some rubber bands and put them over the ball of paper towel. Then we tied a neck strap around my upper arm, and headed to the emergency room. I was already feeling faint after only a minute or two. I've been told that I was very pale (the emergency room nurse said the same thing).  The emergency room fixed me up, and now, with stitches, I sit here, good as new, though my right hand really hurts. I lost about a pint of blood in five minutes. In fact, everyone was quite shocked to see how much blood was lost so quickly. I ruined my shirt, pants, and socks, but it's a small price to pay. Here are the things I learned that I hadn't considered very seriously before. Some things that you might want to think about now, so you know them if the time comes:
   1. Don't fly alone. I know we've all been told this before. This incident showed me that I could be injured unexpectedly by tools (maybe I should get more sleep before going to the field, too). If I had been alone, there is no way that I could have driven to the hospital. Even if I felt up to it, my right hand was injured enough that it took full pressure from my left hand to hold the bleeding. It's hard to drive with no hands! I had always thought that if I cut myself, I could still drive to the hospital. I hadn't considered how even a small injury could take away driving ability. I did have my cellular phone with me, so I could have phoned for help, but I hate to think how much blood I would have lost while waiting.
   2. If you have health insurance, find out which hospital you are approved at! In my situation, there are two hospitals, both very close (five minutes) to the flying field. (situated in a city park). We went to one emergency room and it turned out that my insurance was only good at the other one. Once you walk in that door, you can't leave. They have to transfer you to the other hospital. By finding out ahead of time, you can save yourself a big hassle. If you do have a bad injury, go to the closest hospital, even if it's not the right one. They will stabilize you before transferring you.
   3. Keep your tetanus shot up-to-date and know when you had your last one. The emergency room will want to know.
   4. When applying pressure to a wound, there is a certain amount of pressure to apply. I always thought "squeeze that sucker hard and stop the bleeding." By the time I got to the hospital, my hand was blue. We had applied too much pressure. Your objective is to squeeze the wound shut so that it doesn't bleed, or to slow the bleeding without cutting off the circulation to your appendage.
   Anyway, this is food for thought that you should consider just long enough to be prepared if it ever happens to you or someone you are with. The good news? When you get stitches, they use disposable stainless steel tools. You can have these if you ask. I got a "free" set of tweezers and three sets of locking pliers! Best of luck, and as I always say, Fly Safely.
   Until next month, be safe! Bill.

   The next meeting of the MMRCC is scheduled for January 8, 2004 at 7:00 P.M. (Hey, I got the year right the first time I typed it). The meeting will be held at the Northrop Grumman facility. Personnel are required to sign-in and sign out for security purposes.

   Here it is a new year. New Years Day was a great success at the field. I don't think that I have ever seen that many flyers here at the same time. Thanks to everyone who brought donuts, cookies, coffee and hot chocolate. It was enjoyed by all. Lets make this year a safe one. Remember, what goes up must always come down. Just keep the clean side up, the pointy end first and the wheels down so they will touch the runway first.
   See you at the field Will