Flying field and Heli regulations

[Tristate Heli]

Hello all.. I am new to this form of RC previously spending all my money on My Nitro Tmaxx. Amazing how a $300 truck can suddenly drain 2k out of an account lol.

Currently I am learning all of the terminology and sugestions that I can via magazine, internet message boards similiar to this as well as what I can from tinkering with my Blade CP. Unfortunately winter has really started to whip the winds up here in NY so I haven't had much time to get it airborn. I am waiting for my simulator to show up (reflex XTR) so at least I can keep learning.

My thought process is to learn as much as I can on the blade and eventually move up to the larger electrics or nitro or both .

This might sound like a strange question.. but are there certain requirements that need to be met for certain size Helis? In other words does the field have to be a certain size for lets say a Raptor 50? Is it regulated, or is it more or less just using common sense? Do you have to belong to a group to fly at the fields?

Thanks for the help.. now I am going to get back to looking around.

[hawkman]

Thats a sensible question....the larger the field the better...and if its free from clutter and people than thats even better....plus you might need permission of the landowner to fly....its better to ask around.

A club is an ideal place to start if you can find one....I would reccomend this because the help you should get will be of huge benefit.

Insurance? I belong to a group called the BMFA (British model flying association) the USA has something similar AMA? the BMFA provides insurance cover for all flyers...regardless of experience....I would suggest you join a body like this....the info and news plus adverts from such are something not to be missed.

Safety is an important issue for model flying.....fixed wing planes and helis can injure and even kill....its not a perfect world but with some good guidelines the risks can be reduced to a tiny percentage....obviously the smaller the model...the less risk is involved...but the safety guidelines need to be adhered to regardless of what you fly....this will give you some good habits.

Sensible move getting the simulator....its money well spent in my opinion....this is a fascinating hobby....do keep posting here and let us know how you get on.

Rob

[Tristate Heli]

Thanks for the reply..

I figured that most of it was common sense, and I had actually only recently learned of the AMA. From what I know of my area, there are only a few "real" flying fields and the 2 closest to me are usually packed full of people trying to get airtime.

Originally my plan was to learn on the Blade CP, get as much Sim time as I could and possibly get into Nitro come next summer. I think I may put off the nitro bird and just get a larger electric like the T-rex 450, something larger that it doesn't have to be dead calm to fly, but not large enough to be really obtrusive and I can get away with flying it at some of the larger parks around here. We have alot of parks, some with Baseball fields, some that don't really get used to often.

Thanks Again
Tom

[hawkman]

There you go.....somewhere fairly secluded and you are good to go...just watch for the curious public....I dont mind one or two folk watching me fly...but a crowd...I pack up and go home....which is not often.

Trex is very nice....a bit of a handful to fly but with loads of sim time on such a machine you should be ok.

Rob

[uneverno]

Originally Posted by hawkman

but a crowd...I pack up and go home....which is not often.

There's such a thing where you live?

In all seriousness, I agree. I fly in my apartment complex's parking lot. There are a couple of kids who are intensely interested in what I'm doing, but their attention span is too short to follow my "rules" for more than a couple minutes. Can't fly when they're around 'cuz they'll blindly walk into the heli at some point...

[hawkman]

Yeah....its hard to tell people just how nasty rc helis can be if they are to hit someone.....and the blame is on the pilot. In these days of sueing etc it pays to have insurance.....and we have a duty to keep this hobby safe....one nasty incident and we all get tarred with the same brush.

Quite a while ago a local guy lost control of a fixed wing plane...batterys went flat we think....this plane came down in the town....went right through a 6 inch by one inch plank in a fence.....would have caused serious injury or even killed if it had hit a person.

The law states that if an rc pilot is to strike a person or property then they can be facing 2 years jail and or an £8:000 fine......quite sobering isnt it (this is the UK law) I dont know about you but I cant afford £8000 and I dont like the thought of prison food.....or having my physical integrity ruined....for good...if you get my drift

I can imagine how frustrating it must be to find a suitable flying site.....but by joining the AMA and excercising common sense you should be ok....by the way...if you ever see a rc pilot being silly and taking stupid risks...better to warn them off....or else keep well away....fortunately such types of people get bored with the hobby quickly and move on to other things.

Rob

[uneverno]

Originally Posted by hawkman

The law states that if an rc pilot is to strike a person or property then they can be facing 2 years jail and or an £8:000 fine......quite sobering isnt it (this is the UK law) I dont know about you but I cant afford £8000 and I dont like the thought of prison food.....or having my physical integrity ruined....for good...if you get my drift

I don't think we have any laws akin to that here, but add 3 zeros after the 8k and that's close to what the lawsuit will cost...

Most of the adults in my complex are very nice, and I don't mind that they watch my lame attempts to remain airborn (especially my cute Brazilian neighbor ) and they have the sense to stay behind me like I ask them to. When it comes to the 10 year olds though - attention span of a ferret on crack. They stay behind me for about 10 seconds and then can't resist moving towards it. More than I'm willing to risk. I fake that the battery died and pack it up...

[Tristate Heli]

Originally Posted by uneverno

I don't think we have any laws akin to that here, but add 3 zeros after the 8k and that's close to what the lawsuit will cost...

Most of the adults in my complex are very nice, and I don't mind that they watch my lame attempts to remain airborn (especially my cute Brazilian neighbor ) and they have the sense to stay behind me like I ask them to. When it comes to the 10 year olds though - attention span of a ferret on crack. They stay behind me for about 10 seconds and then can't resist moving towards it. More than I'm willing to risk. I fake that the battery died and pack it up...

Yeah the average lawsuit is totally insane. I plan to join the AMA once I start venturing outdoors, but with winter being here and the winds picking up daily, the Blade is grounded (well except for the few daring attempts to dance it around its training gear in the living room). My fiance is pretty cool about the whole thing, as long as I don't break anything that is. If something breaks me and the blade will both be dead lol.

The more stories I hear about spectators being careless, just make it hard to figure out what to do. Electric is quiet, and can be flown anywhere pending no people start crowding around. Nitro is awesome and I would love to get back into the Nitro game (I miss the smell and fun from my RC Truck days), but packing up all the gear and heading to a field where it could be over crowded, and you have to wait your turn to fly just doesn't seem like too much fun