SAFETY COMES FIRST!
By John Preston
Another CL flier is electrocuted
We start this month's column on a somber note. Two correspondents from the Chicago area, John Lange and Dick Samos, each sent newspaper clippings that reported the electrocution death of yet another Control Line (CL) flier. According to a Chicago Sun-Times article, the model itself did not contact the 12,000-volt overhead power lines, but apparently was close enough for an arc to jump the gap.
The flier was not a current member of AMA, but we have reason to believe he was not a beginner who would be unaware of the hazards of flying near high-voltage sources. Unfortunately, neither newspaper article contained sufficient information to judge how close the model was being flown to the power lines.
We ask that all readers who are members of clubs that fly CL models pass on the word of this incident at their next club meeting. It seems never too often to say: stay away from overhead power lines. While your club's regular flying field may be free from such hazards, many people also fly at neighborhood schoolyards in the evenings after work. If you see overhead wires of any description, don't take a chance. Fly somewhere else.
Aramid fibers (Kevlar) as control lines
Several letters suggested the use of aramid fibers as a substitute for steel control lines. Since these fibers have very low conductivity, their use could help prevent future electrocution incidents associated with control line flying. Sue Kayton of Redondo Beach, CA suggested we contact DuPont for information on Kevlar—their trade name for aramid fibers. Dave Doerr of Soda Springs, ID kindly sent two technical information bulletins describing the properties of DuPont Kevlar 29 and 49. We understand one or the other of these materials was used for the cables on the Gossamer Condor and Albatross because of the high strength-to-weight ratio.
Prior to receiving the DuPont bulletins, we were skeptical about finding a non-conductive material with properties suitable for model aircraft control lines. Other than its alleged slipperiness (akin to Teflon, another DuPont product), Kevlar looks very promising. We have written to DuPont explaining why we would like samples for testing. Meanwhile, if any readers have already tried Kevlar for control lines, we would like to hear about it.
RC flying fields and highways
Turning from CL to RC flying, we have recently received requests for opinions on RC flying-field layouts from a safety standpoint. The latest came from a club president concerned about the close proximity of a busy highway to his club's recently acquired field. This road parallels the runway at a distance of between 100 and 200 yards. Since the flying field is north of the road (runway oriented east/west), we would assume fliers would normally fly on the side of the runway away from the road to keep the sun at their backs.
An RC field we frequently visit, belonging to the Northern Virginia Radio Control Club (NVRC), similarly borders a major highway. This club is fortunate in that a dense grove of tall trees lies between the runway and the road. We estimate the nearest edge of the trees is about 100 yards from the runway. Perhaps the presence of model-eating trees provides more incentive to stay away than would a road with no physical barrier. In more than ten years of operation, the trees at the NVRC field have seldom claimed a model—we've seen it happen only once. We think the reason for this good record is discipline at the flying site.
When this column published some 40 different flying-field rules found in various clubs' newsletters (May 1980 issue), the responses we received were largely negative. While we were not suggesting that an RC club needs 40 field rules for safe operation, it will need some. The better the location and the smaller the club, the fewer rules required. A majority of RC clubs are operating at fields that require some restriction on where models should be flown, beyond the obvious "not over the pits and parking area."
Rather than give a single person's opinion about the safety of a field near a road, we would like to hear from our readers. Write us, describe your field, and give your opinion on how close is too close for a neighboring highway.
Letter: Endangering innocent bystanders (Paul Smith)
The subject of RC models and highways recalls the 1979 Trans-America Relay Race sponsored by AMA to raise funds for muscular dystrophy. We acted as Contest Director on the first leg of that race. Not long after the race, we received a letter from Paul Smith of Sterling Heights, MI. Paul's letter was sparked primarily by an accident:
In December 1979, a spectator at a ball game in Shea Stadium was struck and killed by an RC model. We quote from Paul's letter:
"I am pleased to see that AMA has seen fit to include a monthly feature on safety in Model Aviation. Although you have done a good job covering some of the minor problems of safety (cut fingers, etc.), it's time we got down to the major issues that can impact every modeler in America.
"I'm talking about Endangering Innocent Bystanders. This falls into two categories:
- People who attend a sporting event, other than a specifically advertised model contest or exhibition, and
- People who are using the public highways.
"This will mean the enactment of two simple rules:
- No flying in stadiums—unless spectators are there specifically for a modeling event.
- No flying on public highways for any reason, including world record attempts, publicity stunts, or Trans-Am races.
"I am a 20-year member of AMA, a Contest Director, and an active competitor. In the past, I have taken part in stadium demonstrations, which fortunately were carried out without incident. At a younger and less mature age, I might have even participated in cross-country RC flying. Fortunately I got through that phase of my childhood without killing anybody. I hope that the elected officers of AMA are now grown-up enough to sacrifice the thrill of these public exhibitions before they make it impossible to fly a good model airplane any place in this country.""
Paul is by no means the only person to express a negative view on the prudence of flying an RC model from a car traveling on a major highway. Note that Paul mentions record attempts (presumably distance records) as well as races such as the Trans-Am. We elected to print Paul's letter at this time because an event similar to the Trans-Am is currently being planned to help raise money for Easter Seals (1982 campaign). The AMA Executive Council has already banned RC model aircraft demonstrations in stadiums. Should the council also ban flying down public highways? Please send us your comments, and include whether your prime area of interest in aeromodeling is Free Flight (FF), Control Line (CL), or Radio Control (RC).
(Editor's Note: The AMA Executive Council has an item on the agenda for its next meeting in which an addition to the AMA Safety Code is proposed. The item concerns flying and highways, whether near flying fields or on cross-country flights. As with the stadium flying requirements, the proposal considers which conditions provide for safe operation. Two factors are primarily involved: one is a minimum altitude when crossing over highways; the other concerns flying off to the side of highways rather than over them. We expect AMA's new Safety Advisory Committee will be involved in reviewing and making recommendations to the Executive Council concerning the proposal.)
Propeller injuries
Before we leave you this month, we can't resist commenting on Paul's remark that we "... have done a good job covering some of the minor problems of safety (cut fingers, etc.) ...". According to our mail, finger lacerations are by far the most frequent injuries sustained by modelers. Whirling propellers cause these injuries, and there is no way (that we can think of) to make a propeller that will do its job but not cut things like fingers that are inserted into its arc. In extreme cases, a cut finger becomes an amputation. We doubt nine-fingered modelers would call that a "minor problem."
John Preston 7012 Elvira Ct. Falls Church, VA 22042
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
