Safety Comes First!
What have we here? A column on safety, written by a guy named Preston (never heard of him). Such might be the thoughts of many readers on seeing this new monthly addition to the pages of Model Aviation.
Those who regularly read the AMA News section may have noted several references to safety in recent issues—especially safety as it applies to big models and to pylon racers. A safety committee, chaired by Homer Smith, District XI AMA Vice-President, was specifically established by the Executive Council to look into size limitations for big models and the general safety of pylon racing. This column is not related to the activities of that committee, nor is its content confined to any particular branch of the model aircraft hobby. Each month we intend to feature a discussion of safety issues related to a specific branch of the hobby. We also believe our safety record may improve if we are alerted to the mishaps of fellow modelers that resulted in injury or a close call.
While you don't have to be a product safety expert to realize that some types of models are inherently more hazardous than others, few among our ranks have not experienced some incident that had the potential to cause injury—incidents that might have been avoided with greater caution.
About the author
I'm a modeler like you. I got bitten by the bug at age 11, about 30 years ago. I've built most types of models, but for the last 10 years I've concentrated on scale models, mainly R/C sport scale. I earn my living working for a federal regulatory agency. What I write here will be my opinions and not necessarily those of my employer. I do intend to draw upon accident data the federal government has on file to illustrate the relative safety of our hobby. Despite a background in product safety, I'm no less immune to accidents than any other modeler.
When the editor first asked me to write a column on safety I hesitated. While many of us have enough incidents in our past to sustain a safety column for a few months, continuing it indefinitely could be a monumental task. To keep the column going and to provide readers with graphic examples of mishaps, we are appealing to you—modelers—to write and tell us about your experiences. You don't need to write an elaborate essay; just the facts that led to an incident associated with safety in the hobby.
How to report an incident
To simplify reporting, please include, if possible, the following information:
- Brief description of what happened.
- If injury resulted, state the type of injury and whether treatment by a doctor, hospital, or emergency room was required.
- Any special circumstances leading up to the incident.
- Age of people involved (if known); whether non-modelers were involved; number of years in the hobby of the modeler(s) involved.
- Any special environmental considerations (weather, layout of flying site, etc.).
- Your conclusions on how the incident could have been avoided.
Topics we are seeking information about
- Hazards associated with propellers, spinners, etc.
- Safe operation of control-line (C/L) models.
- Electrocution hazards; line strength; C/L equipment issues.
- Safety rules for R/C club flying fields.
- Hazards associated with gasoline as a fuel for model engines.
- Big-model safety.
- Toxicity of paints, glues, and other materials.
- Pylon racing safety.
- Free-flight model safety.
- Safe construction methods and equipment installation in R/C models.
If you have other suggestions or questions on safety-related subjects you would like to see discussed, please let us know. The principal purpose of this column is to prevent accidents. By openly discussing past incidents that resulted in injury or illness, readers can learn from the mistakes of others and perhaps avoid hazardous situations or practices.
We will not discuss accidents that are currently the subject of litigation—for obvious reasons. We will not publish the names of people or clubs involved. Brand names of products will generally be omitted unless we discover a substantial hazard that the modeling public should be informed about.
Product defects vs. carelessness
As you might guess, the number of accidents caused by defective or hazardous products is small compared to the number caused by the carelessness of the person handling the model. This is also true for non-modeling accidents; a common example is traffic accidents.
How safe is the hobby? — CPSC data
To give some idea of how safe our hobby is compared to other recreational pursuits, we'll draw on data published by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). In March 1979 the CPSC published its Age Adjusted Frequency Severity Index Rank, a list of all products within its jurisdiction ranked according to the frequency and severity of associated injuries. Golf ranked number 47 on the list; model airplanes ranked number 172.
Before getting too comfortable, note that the data used to rank golf included accidents involving golf carts. The annual national estimate of injuries associated with golf carts was almost three times the estimate of injuries associated with "gasoline or other fuel-powered models." So if you play golf for exercise and don't use a cart, you are probably much less likely to be injured than someone using fuel-powered models.
Another CPSC statistic: 19.9% of the injuries associated with fuel-powered models that are treated in hospital emergency rooms result in hospitalization. That's a very high percentage compared to most other products. Perhaps there are things we do that we shouldn't if we want to avoid injury. Hopefully this column can alert you to hazardous practices that have led to injury or near-injury and help prevent future incidents.
Known incidents
Rather than focus on a single incident in depth this month, consider the following list of incidents we know have happened. Some items have scant details; others have been reported in more detail and may be described more fully in future columns.
- A modeler died while adjusting a .60-size engine turning a carbon-fiber propeller. One of the blades came off, severing his aorta.
- A modeler was electrocuted when his wire-controlled model airplane hit a 23,000-volt transmission line. He was knocked at least three feet into the air, left a burned handprint on the plastic control handle, and suffered burns in the palm, on the soles of his feet, and through his socks and shoes. We know of seven other similar incidents in which the modeler did not survive.
- A modeler was carving to finish an airplane using a balsa knife while the fuselage rested on his lap. The knife slipped, causing a laceration from which he bled to death.
- A modeler was starting a chain-saw-engine-powered model by flipping the prop with the right hand while restraining the model with the left. He forgot that these props sweep a significantly larger diameter than conventional glow-engine props; the prop caused a laceration in his forearm that required 15 stitches.
- Two rubber-powered model enthusiasts were winding a model while standing in the bleachers surrounding a ball field. The fellow holding the model fell over the edge of the bleachers after the nose was struck in the stomach by the chuck of the drill being used as a winder when it inadvertently became detached. Fortunately no serious injury was sustained.
Some incidents in which no injury resulted can be amusing; those that cause serious injury or death can be shocking or gruesome. We expect some derogatory comments will result from this column, but we hope most readers will appreciate efforts to encourage thinking twice before repeating hazardous practices.
A column in a full-scale aircraft magazine is titled "I Learned About Flying From That." Can we learn something about model flying from this column? We hope so.
John Preston 7012 Elvira Court Falls Church, VA 22042
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
