The
Prez Sez
Hi Folks,
Here it is the end
of May as I write this column, and I have to ask "where has this year gone?"
Wow, almost half gone already! First, I need to thank some folks
for the excellent work they are doing - Don Adams, for taking the bull
by the horns and taking the lead on our Christmas Party dinner (LaCasita
this year), in addition to our intro pilots and instructors, to Will Herman
and Tom Fenn for their leadership in training new students, and to Tom
Fenn for his support of me in working with the City on Bollin Field.
Speaking of Bollin
Field, the folks at the City are still working out the issues amongst themselves
- kind of "no news is good news". You will recall that for the past
month we tried to start to formulate our new club dues rate structure,
by examining club initiation fees. Members over-whelming opinion
was "not yet, we don't have anything to offer yet". Let me answer
that by saying not so - any of the instructor pilots who stand on the flight
line day after day and week after week will tell you that we are offering
new members a lot! Others have asked what is my long-range plan for
Bollin Field? My plan has the following components - upgrade the
field to one that meets our requirements (paving, water, visitor comforts),
that MMRCC become the appointed operator of the field to ensure safety
regulations are enforced, and that the facility be secured so that vandals
would not damage the field.
Finally, please don't
forget the Father's Day Fun Fly on the 14th of June. The first three events
will be the Climb and Glide, the Poker Hand, and the Bomb Drop. First place
in each event will receive a beautiful plaque. The final event will be
announced at the pilot's briefing, and will have a special prize for the
winner! So mark your calendars, and even if you don't fly, come out and
support your fellow members!
And for all those who
would like to fly off of pavement, Jerry Mingo has arranged for us to fly
at Libby Field on 21 June and 12 July. I hope to see you there.
Folks, you know that
from time to time I have to remind you of safety items that could blind
side you. For this subject this month, I found an article from the Carson
City Nevada club, and have included it here for your review. Please read
and heed - this has happened to some of our club members already, and when
it happens you'll never forget the sound, or how fast shock sets in.
The Safety Page by Paul Neves
Is your engine safe?
Certainly not, if the engine you use has it's carburetor and associated
needle valve directly behind the prop as most brands do, or the glow plug
slants toward the prop like some Enya four-strokes. Is there a prop on
your engine? For years, engine designers and manufacturers have consistently
used unsafe configurations that require your hand to be extremely close
to the prop when adjusting the carburetor.
Some even have carbs
so close to the prop that it is understood that "a little skin will be
lost" whenever the engine is peaked.
If a table saw manufacturer
designed a saw that required the operator to put his fingers within 1/8"
of the blade, or occasionally even brush the blade, only an idiot would
buy the tool! A ten or an eleven-inch prop, turning ten to fifteen thousand
RPM, will chew up hands, arms, legs or any other precious body parts with
which it comes in contact!
Here is a short story
from Donnie Bennet of Lebanon, Tennessee, which relates his encounter with
a two-bladed meat cleaver. Unfortunately, to make matters worse for Donnie,
he had delayed mailing his membership in AMA, had no insurance, and so,
in addition to his pain and suffering, had to shell out over $12,000!
Donnie and a friend
were flying Protrainers, a fun-fly type model that specializes in hovering
like a helicopter. Donnie never made it to the hovering stage. Andy,
his friend, had already started and was flying while Donnie hurried to
get going and in the air. Donnie relates the story:
"After starting my
OS .32F and walking four feet to my field box, I put down my transmitter
and proceeded to put away my ni-starter and starter. In the process, I
accidentally bumped the transmitter and the engine went immediately into
full throttle. The transmitter was resting against my field box and the
plane was screaming toward me!"
"With literally no
time to think, retreat, or vaporize, I had to do something fast, so as
the nose wheel rotated and the plane jumped into the air, I reached out
to grab the beast by the fuselage. Big mistake!!"
"The prop struck my
right forearm three inches above the wrist. It sliced all the way to the
bone and made a sickening sound that drew Andy's attention. He promptly
landed and came to my aid."
"I immediately grabbed
my right arm and applied tremendous pressure. Knowing I was badly cut,
within the first minute I could feel the effects of shock setting in.
Fortunately, I had just three days previously completed a first aid/CPR
course and knew that fighting off shock would be my biggest problem."
"I don't remember the
trip to the hospital, but I do remember that normally I would have been
out there flying alone! Would I have made it to the hospital on my own?
Six hours in the operating room, two orthopedic surgeons, a stay in the
hospital and $12,000 later, I was starting physical therapy. They had to
make me a new brace each week to assist me in slowly flexing my wrist and
preventing me from pulling apart my newly attached ligaments."
"A year has passed
and before I flew again, I became an AMA member. I still have a lot of
pain from the arm, but thanks to good surgery, I have not lost feeling
or the use of my right hand."
"Sometimes when we
fly, we get into a hurry mode. This can be disastrous to others and ourselves.
To help avoid a similar occurrence, keep the following in mind:
"With literally no
time to think, retreat, or vaporize, I had to do something fast, so as
the nose wheel rotated and the plane jumped into the air, I reached out
to grab the beast by the fuselage. Big mistake!!"
Be methodical. Never
get in a hurry to start your engine or fly.
* Never
have your model facing you when it's running.
* Always
make adjustments to a running engine from behind.
* Don't
fly alone-it could save your life.
* Join
the AMA and be protected.
* Treat
the prop with the same respect as a running saw blade.
The plane and engine
sound a lot like our Funz-A-Hoy. Remember, this was not a big mother 5
cu. in. engine, but a little OS .32 just like the one we use on our fun
fly airplanes.
From Sierra
Signals
Frank E.
Chase, editor
Carson
City, NV
Till next month, fly safe!
Bill.
Club Meeting
The next meeting of
the MMRCC is scheduled for June 5, 2003 at 7:00 P.M. The meeting will be
held at the TRW facility (Highway 90 Bypass). Personnel are required to
sign-in and sign out for security purposes.
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
The other night I was
talking to Meyer Gutman. The subject came up on attendance at the meetings.
Meyer asked me to put this note in the newsletter. After the meeting
this Thursday, Meyer will hold a "question and answer" session. It
is your choice of the subject. This should be a windfall to new members
and some of the older ones who might have questions concerning radio installation,
servo placement, pushrods, throttle rigging, covering, flying, or just
about anything you can think of. If you have a project not quite
finished that you are having a problem with, bring it and get some help.
How about a big turn out and lets play "STUMP MEYER".
See you at the meeting. Will |
