RWMAA Top 10 safety rules for building and flying helis

[rdlohr]

[Cryptision]

Builders rule number 5 of the top 10 list. Why is it a bad thing to tie a heli down for powered test? I can see using weak rope or string could turn the heli into a model rocket if it breaks.

[desertstalker]

Originally Posted by Cryptision

Builders rule number 5 of the top 10 list. Why is it a bad thing to tie a heli down for powered test? I can see using weak rope or string could turn the heli into a model rocket if it breaks.

Because on many helis the landing gear is not sufficiently strong to hold the heli down. One side will generally fail first and thus you have a flying lawnmower headed in an unpredictable direction.

If you can ensure the heli cannot get loose (bolt something to the frame very securely) spinning up tethered is likely OK, but many people will not consider this.

[rdlohr]

Originally Posted by desertstalker

Because on many helis the landing gear is not sufficiently strong to hold the heli down. One side will generally fail first and thus you have a flying lawnmower headed in an unpredictable direction.

If you can ensure the heli cannot get loose (bolt something to the frame very securely) spinning up tethered is likely OK, but many people will not consider this.

Once a resonance starts developing for any reason, things can go really bad, really fast and you will have whirling knife blades very close to you. I'm not saying that it can't be done if you take all the proper precautions but its just proven to not be a best practice. They are not designed to handle the stresses involved with being tied down. There is no real need to take that kind of risk.

Rick

[Chicko]

I can believe the minimum distance from pilot to heli is only 20feet approx 6m. In Australia it is 9m or approx 30 feet I believe.

[Kelvin S]

OK so today I was flying my helicopter in a field that kids sometimes play in and occasionally people walk their dogs in. There is a fence around it with a gate at either end, so I can see someone coming quite a while before they are near where I am. I always land the helicopter when people come along, and ask them if they want to use the field, especially if they have a football or something with them. If they do, I go away and find another spot to fly. If not, I explain that I am just not good enough at flying the helicopter to be sure anyone is safe :if they want to stand and watch, they should stand behind me.

Today a man with a large dog came by the fence. When the dog saw the helicopter, it went bananas, trying to tear its leash away from the man's hand. For a minute I thought the guy was going to unleash the dog; but he was really just tightening its collar.

I was wondering what I would do if the dog had got loose...

a) Hover the helicopter high up where the dog couldn't reach it, and hope the dog went away before the battery died?

b) Land the helicopter and then risk getting bitten by getting between it and the dog?

c) Land the helicopter and leave it parked in idle-up mode, and let the dog teach itself an important lesson about helicopters? (I wouldn't actually do this)

[Flapping]

Well the machine didn't kill me but the fright nearly did! Spooling up gently on the ground after a rough landing noticed my tx was still set to run my sim and not my trex 450!!!!
Oh don't think about it just start playing with tx and set to the correct machine. And also forget that the battery is still connected and the machine powered up. Damn set to model 4 not model 2. Ie went the wrong way from model 3

What what. It's spooling up now right in front of me and throttle hold , collective and nothing else wants to stop it. Ie its freaking well about to take off in front if me and the tx has no control.

Damn 1/2 a second later I've reached down and tipped the tail up blades into the ground boom strike. Bits flying and battery flew out

Oh and one of my knuckles is bleeding.

I was very very lucky

I'm new to the hobby and am learning very fast.

This was a shockingly scary incident and I wanted to share it with any other newbies just like me.

[rdlohr]

Originally Posted by Chicko

I can believe the minimum distance from pilot to heli is only 20feet approx 6m. In Australia it is 9m or approx 30 feet I believe.

I agree. I made it 30 or more for larger helis.
Rick

[rdlohr]

Originally Posted by flapping

Well the machine didn't kill me but the fright nearly did! Spooling up gently on the ground after a rough landing noticed my tx was still set to run my sim and not my trex 450!!!!

Oh don't think about it just start playing with tx and set to the correct machine. And also forget that the battery is still connected and the machine powered up. Damn set to model 4 not model 2. Ie went the wrong way from model 3



What what. It's spooling up now right in front of me and throttle hold , collective and nothing else wants to stop it. Ie its freaking well about to take off in front if me and the tx has no control.



Damn 1/2 a second later I've reached down and tipped the tail up blades into the ground boom strike. Bits flying and battery flew out



Oh and one of my knuckles is bleeding.



I was very very lucky



I'm new to the hobby and am learning very fast.



This was a shockingly scary incident and I wanted to share it with any other newbies just like me.

Thanks fore sharing that. They can be pretty nasty.

[rdlohr]

bump for safety.

[ic-racer]

The safety director of our club asked me to come up with some guidelines. I checked with AMA and their safety manual does not mention helicopters at all. What is RWMAA?

https://www.modelaircraft.org/sites/...uments/100.pdf

[rdlohr]

Originally Posted by ic-racer

The safety director of our club asked me to come up with some guidelines. I checked with AMA and their safety manual does not mention helicopters at all. What is RWMAA?

https://www.modelaircraft.org/sites/...uments/100.pdf

Rotary Wing Model Aircraft Organization
It was a Special Interest Group at one time similar to IRCHA but much smaller.

Rick

[fuzion]

There should be rules of heli expertise vs heli size. I was dumb enough that by knowing how to hover and do some cruising around, bought a 550 and flew it near (50m?) people.

I can say its hard to implement some rules (like what, prove that you are able to handle a 700 in an emulator before buying?) but i guess it all comes down to accident per sales ratio which fortunately is low.

I also state the same for motorbikes. A young man of 16-18 shouldnt be able to buy a 1000cc supersport.

Anyway, all these are only realized by age. Who cares when you re 20 Fly safe.

[rdlohr]

There is actually a quite long thread on that subject here:

https://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=331166

Rick

[mundo330]

Originally Posted by fuzion

There should be rules of heli expertise vs heli size. I was dumb enough that by knowing how to hover and do some cruising around, bought a 550 and flew it near (50m?) people.

I can say its hard to implement some rules (like what, prove that you are able to handle a 700 in an emulator before buying?) but i guess it all comes down to accident per sales ratio which fortunately is low.

I also state the same for motorbikes. A young man of 16-18 shouldnt be able to buy a 1000cc supersport.

Anyway, all these are only realized by age. Who cares when you re 20 Fly safe.

First, when I started flying helicopters we did not have computers let alone computer radios! Hence we did not have simulators. You also did not have many helicopters smaller than a .60 size which equates to about a 600. You built your helicopter and had to have a good grasp of the mechanics and there where very few that could help you. So you made sure no one was in harms way if things went wrong, and you made sure your helicopter was in excellent flying condition or you did not fly! And as far as motorcycles in 1977 I purchased my first street bike. I had many off road bikes up to 500cc by this time so my first bike was a 900cc. By the time I was 20 I had a 6 cylinder Kawasaki 1300, a Honda CBX and a Benelli 750 Sei. The difference was I respected the bikes and the people around me. I also owned both a 500 H1 and the 750 H2 known as the "Widow Maker". The issue is that latter generations have no respect and think they are invincible and entitled!