Buzzard Droppings June 2004

Our club is dedicated to the safe pursuit and advancement of model aviation. We offer the newcomer free lessons to learn how to build models and to fly them. If you should have any questions about the club, flight instruction or membership requirements, call any of the club officers. We have a safety checklist available for those new to our flying field.

Use of a computer simulator is advisable. This allows you to practice safely and will end up saving you hundreds of dollars in the long run.

Still, in any case, the best way to learn to fly R/C planes is by finding an instructor to help. Learning on your own can be expensive and somewhat less safe.

We provide instruction for both building model aircraft as well as flying these models. In most cases, a buddy box system is used at the flying field. Experience has shown this to be the safest method to learn.

Those who want to enroll in the pilot training should contact

Rick Hanners (phone number is on the list below) or our club

secretary, Bob Martin at (425) 483-2348.  Pilots already enrolled

in the training program are welcome to contact any of the

club instructors.                         

Current Flight Instructors:

Dave Bell                     425 672-4249

Ray Gilkey                   360 668-2746

Rick Hanners             360 668-1312

Karl  Schaefer            425 259-1824

Ron Swift                     425 788-6045

I noticed that some members are not respecting the club field rules. One extreme example is allowing pets and small children to roam in the pit area. This practice doesn’t make any sense and is a danger to the pets and in one case, the child.  Rule #6 clearly states that this practice is not allowed. Please keep children and pets out of the pit area and if you bring them, keep an eye on them or ask someone to watch them for you! There are no exceptions. A few minutes of fun at the expense of a potential injury is just not worth it!

Also, we are doing a better job of communicating among pilots, but I think we don’t talk it up enough to make sure every pilot knows what the other pilots are doing. Get into the habit of calling out “Taxiing out!”, “Taking off towards the West!”, “Low Pass”, “Touch & GO”, “Landing”, etc. It only makes sense to let the other pilots know what is going on.  We certainly seem to have the “DEAD STICK!!!” one down pat!

Finally, if a model goes down somewhere other than the landing area, take some reference bearings from where you are and where you last saw the model. Let the pilot know and help him locate the model. Be courteous, and keep comments to yourself. Help diagnose the problem if you are invited to do so. We are all learning and problems do arise, mechanical ones, environmental ones (sudden high windy conditions, etc), and of course dumb thumbs.  The experience may help us become better pilots.  As long as we learn from these events and no one is hurt, it can be a positive experience.

Safety is no accident.   Randy