Gary A. Shaw
Safety Comes First
85 Twin Lakes Circle, Atoka, TN 38004
"WHAT HAVE WE HERE! A column on Safety, written by a guy named Preston (never heard of him)." That was the opening line of a safety column that began in the December 1979 issue of this magazine and attracted the attention of model enthusiasts and the modeling industry for the next 11 years.
Those of us who were regular readers of the "Safety Comes First" column written by John Preston did so because of its ability to present safety issues in a clear, realistic, straightforward, and professional style. The stories published about accidents, product safety, safe flying sites, frequency control, safety fences, spinners, props, engines, etc., inspired us all to take a closer look at what we were doing to make our days at the flying field or in the shop safe—and memorable.
A quote from John's first column summed up his intent:
"We also believe our safety record may improve if we are alerted to the mishaps of our fellow modelers that may have resulted in an injury or 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, I doubt that few among our ranks have not experienced some type of incident that had the potential to cause an injury that may have been avoided had someone been exercising a greater degree of caution."
John, from a personal standpoint I can honestly say that reading your column over the years did improve my safety record. Although I'm not any more immune to accidents than the next guy, my body is still intact, and as a result my children and I are enjoying the hobby. Thanks so much for the personal time and dedication you devoted to improving our safety record.
So now you're wondering who this guy named Shaw is (big shoes to fill and never heard of him). I'm a modeler like yourselves, who began flying rockets and building models at the age of 10, some 26 years ago.
During the past 26 years I've enjoyed just about all types of models, including rockets, cars, boats, and aircraft, but most recently (this year) I have concentrated on pattern and helicopter flying. Because I'm employed by the federal government and travel to a new location about every three years, it seems my modeling concentration changes depending on what I find in the local hobby shop or how the country I'm in taxes what I get in the mail!
My professional pursuits over the last 16 years have been focused in occupational safety and health, preventive medicine, and industrial hygiene. From this end, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the previous column by John, more specifically the information provided about those special chemicals and assorted products we all use in the workshop.
My background in occupational health and safety somewhat explains why I wrote to Model Aviation about continuing this safety column. I asked for the job to assist in preventing accidents or serious injuries through sharing fellow modelers' experiences, answering questions about product safety, and emphasizing shop safety in the hopes of making the hobby safer and more enjoyable. On this note, pulling together this hobby to create generations of modelers who thoroughly understand that "Safety Comes First" is near and dear to my heart.
Like you, I believe strongly that learning from the experiences of others can go a long way toward educating ourselves and preventing the same mishaps from happening again and again. To this end, each month I intend to discuss different aspects of safety- and health-related issues as they pertain to specific branches of our hobby.
Let me first admit that although I have significant professional resources available in regard to occupational health and safety issues, writing about my own personal modeling experiences or those within the clubs surrounding my immediate area (Memphis, Tennessee) would only sustain this column for a few months. So let me make a plea to you, my fellow modeler: Please write and tell me about your experiences. It doesn't have to be a long description or extensive essay, just the facts that led to an incident associated with safety in our hobby or a question you would like to have answered. Let's hear from all corners of the hobby—modelers to manufacturers!
Checklist for reporting incidents
When writing me about a safety-related item, please include the following information if possible:
- Brief description of what happened.
- Special circumstances that led up to the incident.
- If the accident resulted in injury, specify type of injury and whether medical treatment was necessary.
- Age of people involved, whether nonmodelers were involved, number of years the modeler has been in the hobby.
- Any special flying site considerations (weather, field layout, location, etc.).
- Types of equipment or materials that may have contributed to the incident.
- Your comments regarding how the incident could have been avoided.
Now on to business
Now that you've got the gray matter engaged wondering what topics other readers would like to hear about, let me suggest a few to consider:
- Hazards associated with propellers, spinners, etc.
- Safety considerations for big models.
- RC frequency control.
- Safety rules for flying sites.
- Electronic equipment safety concerns.
- Toxicity of paints, glues, and airborne particulates.
- Shop safety with respect to equipment we use to build our models.
- Helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft field utilization and safety.
- Safety considerations relating to RC and CL combat, free flight models, and RC pylon racing.
- Safe construction methods and equipment installation in RC models.
If any of you have other topics, suggestions, or questions on safety-related subjects that you would like to see discussed in future months, please let me know.
On this note let me say that what you read here will be my opinions and not necessarily those of the Academy of Model Aeronautics or the staff of Model Aviation magazine. I will not discuss any accidents that are the subject of current litigation, nor will I mention the names of individuals, clubs, brand names, or manufacturers involved.
I have no doubt that no matter how hard I try to please the reading public, not all will be content, and therefore constructive criticism will be received as a result of publishing this column. It is my hope that most readers will learn from the information presented herein and will think twice before making similar mistakes. Let common sense prevail in your decision-making processes!
As I write this month's column, the air is turning cool and leaves are beginning to fall. Soon, modelers all over the country will be zipping up their jackets and preparing for winter flying. It's hard to believe spring and summer have come and gone so quickly!
It seems like just yesterday that my family and I loaded a U-Haul with planes (Byron P-51 and Roadrunner) and headed north to Helena, Montana. As luck would have it, we arrived in Helena just in time for the Flying Tigers annual spring fun-fly. I was amazed at the number of fliers found in one place this far north. I'm told the event keeps getting bigger every year, attracting fliers from many northern states.
While at the field, I was impressed with a simple method many of the modelers used to secure models (big and small) while in the pits to prevent models from being tipped over by the wind. They used the same technique even after starting their engines to allow the cautious modeler to make mechanical adjustments from behind the spinning propeller without the aid of a helper.
What simple thing can do all this? About 5 to 10 pounds of lead shot in a 4 x 18-inch cloth bag, sewed shut and tossed over the aircraft landing gear. Some quarter-scale pilots had sewn big bags (4 x 24 inches or thereabouts), which proved to be very effective as chocks while transporting or starting large aircraft. Normally, two bags would be found on each aircraft's landing gear.
During the event, I couldn't help noticing one modeler who read a radio ad "Safety Comes First" each time he headed to the flight line. This particular modeler ensured that he had the correct frequency pin, started his aircraft after appropriate frequency checks, checked his throttle and trim, and made all his adjustments from behind the model. Not until all checks were completed did he move out to the flight line to taxi into position for takeoff.
Upon landing, he consistently shut the plane down on the runway and carried it back to the pits instead of taxiing it back. My hat goes off to Ken Robbins of the Helena Flying Tigers. How many of you can boast an identical concern for safety?
A little closer to home and more recently, my fledgling endeavors to fly helicopters led me to SAM Field in DeSoto, Mississippi, for the annual Memphis Fall Helicopter Fun Fly. Obviously, I was curious to learn more about "rotor heads" and the safety practiced at such events.
Contest Director Mike Fortune set the tone during the pilots' briefing by indicating that no one needed to take any unnecessary chances that might result in an aircraft's demise. Flight lines and different flying times for pilots in each class, frequency control, and five-foot safety fences for the spectators were the order of the day.
Doing your maintenance before arriving at the flying field with a helicopter is a must for the chopper's rotor head (these things come apart if poorly maintained). The quality of what was presented for static and flying events was superb. I was very impressed by the professionalism, flying abilities, and well-maintained machines of Mike Fortune (X-Cell 60 Custom), Dana Swah (Kalt Baron Alpha 2), and Michael A. Cusanelli (modified Schuttler 60 Scout). A first-class event with safety in the lead!
To end the column this month, let me mention a concern passed on to me by Dave Elliot, a pattern flier with the Millington, Tennessee, Barnstormers Club.
After attending numerous pattern events, Dave indicates a frustration exists among some fliers using carbon-fiber props, as several of these have disintegrated in air. Dave handed me the remains of several such props for inspection. All displayed symptoms of an identical problem: each prop had been subjected to spinner-cone squeeze as a result of trying to fit a high-pitch prop into a shallow spinner opening. As a consequence, the spinner cut into the carbon fiber, thereby ruining its reliability. It was an accident waiting to happen!
The fix is to open up the slots in the spinner until they are large enough to ensure that the spinner will not touch the prop at any time after being secured to the spinner backplate. I've used a Dremel tool with a sanding drum to open the holes successfully on all my aluminum and plastic spinners.
The final touch is to balance the spinner utilizing any one of several balancing systems available in hobby shops. Remember: if your prop is damaged in any way, its safety has been severely compromised, and it is not worth the risk of damaging yourself or the aircraft to try using it "one more time." A simple rule to follow is: When in doubt, throw it out!
Until next month, have a safe one and get those cards, letters, and pictures flowing.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
