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To the Taxiway:
The club I belong to chose to disallow taxiing aircraft in the pit
preparation area; the board of directors decided this was an inherently
dangerous practice. A large number of pilots may be in that location at
any time. If control of a model is lost while it's taxiing in the pit
area, someone may be seriously injured by a propeller.
Most pilots carry
their models to the taxiway or to the runway. Larger models that are
hard to carry are pushed or pulled to the taxiway or to the runway by
their vertical fins. The pilots' flying stations at our field are
protected from out-of-control aircraft by fences that outline the
taxiways.
To carry the model safely I leave the transmitter antenna
collapsed. I have learned that the propeller arc is a bad place to let
your extended antenna enter; it makes a great antenna shortener.
I catch
the transmitter handle with two fingers of my left hand and grab the
left wing's LE. This keeps my transmitter and my hand off of the
slippery-with-fuel right wing. Then I reach around and grab the bottom
of the fuselage with my right hand. This configuration gives me good
control of the aircraft.
On your journey to the taxiway, watch for
tripping hazards such as low fences that may surround the pit area.
Stepping over one of these obstacles with a model that has the engine
running is an awful idea. Think of the consequences. Where will your
face be with respect to that spinning propeller when you hit the ground?
You have reached the taxiway. I hope this article has given you new
insights about hazards and appropriate safety actions to protect
yourself and others from injury during this important preparation task.
The next two articles in this series will cover safety in model flight
operations.
Be safe and good flying!
MA
Donald W.
Brooks
brooksdw@ida.net
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