Flite Lines

Our Mission is to promote, develop and to educate the general public on radio controlled model aeronautics. 

This is to be accomplished by individual instructors, demonstrations and presentations at schools and our facility.

designed and maintained by

Vince Hickel

ON THE SAFE SIDE

Safety Reminders for the New Season

by AMA Staff

AMA would like everyone to have a safe flying year with no accidents. Here are some items that might help in that regard.

The first is the use of Li-Poly batteries in our models. If you are flying electric airplanes with Li-Poly batteries, it is highly recommended that a fire extinguisher be kept in your car. Fire caused by Li-Poly batteries can happen through a shortage, improper charging, or crash damage. Standard household extinguishers (Class A, B, C or a combination of these) will not put out a lithium fire. Rather, it can increase the blaze. Class D extinguishers (metal/sand) are the only type capable of putting out flammable metal.     

If a class D fire extinguisher cannot be obtained for your vehicle or flying site, at the least, keep buckets of sand ready and available should a fire start. (The sand must be dry because water reacts with lithium fires to make them worse.)

Second, remember to cycle the batteries in transmitters and airplanes to ensure they are up to par. Airplanes can go down because either the transmitter or the flight pack batteries have failed. If you should by chance get your airplane to respond long enough to land, do not taxi back toward the pits. Get it down and kill the engine. A running airplane with dying batteries is little more than a loaded gun waiting to go off and injure someone.

Most folks have a winter project that is now ready for a test flight. New airplanes mean new additions to the transmitter. Remember to always check to ensure it is the correct one for the airplane. Always look to see that the control surfaces are moving in the correct direction when you are ready to taxi out. Also, as a new project, make sure it has been finished with your name and address or AMA number.

Lightning produced by electrical storms can travel amazing distances. If you are flying and should see lightning in the distance, just think of that radio antenna as a lightning rod. Lightning has been known to come 10-20 miles across the sky and strike a person just standing there—and that is without a 3-foot lightning rod in his or her hand.

Engine failure on takeoff is a common occurrence. Every time, when you taxi out, always think, “What am I going to do if the engine quits?” Remember that the best way to land is into the wind and with the wings level. If that means a walk out in the weeds a couple of hundred yards to get your airplane in one piece, that’s much better than taking a broom or shovel out to the middle of the runway to scoop up the pieces.

Lastly, it is strongly recommended that members do not fly alone. In a hobby where things can go out of control with the slightest of error, potential dangers are not far behind. It’s helpful to have an extra set of eyes to watch for any interferences or problems the pilot may not be able to see while following his or her model. Better to be overly prepared then under prepared. At the very least, you have a buddy to talk to and show off for! Q

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