BasinBum

My Feedback: (2)

I've seen that written many times in many different threads and it makes me wonder. Just how dangerous are our planes? I know the potential for killing someone exits but how often is someone actually killed or injured from an out of control plane?

It seems many times the "Someone could get killed" statement is used when talking about inferior equipment or unskilled piloting but many times it seems like a justification for someones point of view and not really a safety issue. For example, "he sold me a bad radio and I crashed, it's a good thing nobody got killed".

Statistically I'm sure it's more dangerous to drive to the flying field then the actual danger of getting hit by a plane. I have heard of someone having a heart attack during a pylon race, the guy in Arizona that died when his own plane hit him in the chest, and a pylon judge in a cage that died when part of the plane came through the fencing. Those are not really a case of someone getting injured by someones plane out of control and going in the pits or parking lot.

So, does anyone have first hand knowledge of an RC fatality or serious injury that justifies this "someone could get killed" or is it more like your mom saying "you'll knock someones eye out"?

MikeL

My Feedback: (3)

Think about what we're using and what it could do. If you're cautious and sensible there's a very low chance of anything bad happening. There've been moments out at the field when I didn't feel safe, but that's certainly the exception to the rule.

This is no more dangerous than any other hobby/sport/activity involving potentially lethal objects. People die while fishing. There's some cases where people are foolish or ignorant enough to get hurt, but for most of us that's not a problem.

Taildrager-inactive

My Feedback: (11)

This horse has been beat to death many times on RCU. Can you say troll

Borzak

My Feedback: (2)

Just like there are certain people I don't ride in a car with - there are certain people when they go to the flight line I make sure I'm under the club's hard shelter or inside the building....

BasinBum

My Feedback: (2)

Not buying it taildrager. Please show me some threads where this has been beaten to death. I'm not trolling for newbies, I am just curious if there are any actual incedents.

As I stated before I know the POTENTIAL for harm and need for caution, that is not what I am asking about. I want to know of first hand accounts or is the common statement an overused and trite excuse for someone to fall back on.

Greyhawk

I see no troll. Good post. It's a topic worth looking into. Where I fly there are lots of airplanes in the air (often 4-5), and numerous spectators. We share a County park with numerous other interests happening along with the flying. I think about the safety aspect every time we are there.

BTW BasinBum, I've been meaning to post that my family got a big kick out of your sig line. We have pondered it around the dinner table:

MikeL

My Feedback: (3)

Firsthand as in "I've seen it with my own eyes?" You won't get many of those. In the last year I know of the fellow that flew into himself in AZ, and a girl in the UK that was killed. Do some searching and you'll find the news stories.

MalaysianFlyer

Well, it has happened, thankfully it is not very common. The fact that we usually fly in large open spaces reduces the chance of an accident. However, if it was an area crowded with people all over obviously the chance is higher.

Bear in mind that is not so much just a matter of the prop cutting something, its also the speed of impact that can cause death. There was one case over here a few years back where one guy hit his best friend in the back of the head on landing, and it killed him.

The chance of a fatal accident will always exist in our hobby just as it exist in almost every daily activity we have, so we just have to be as careful as we can.

I always get worried when I see people buzzing the crowd, or flying wildly outside of the designated areas, these sort of acts just increase the risk factor. Hopefully, nothing serious happens that will cause more regulations and restrictions to the hobby.

Ross Kean

We certainly hear about the fatalities and thankfully there are few. How many serious injuries are there in the run of a year? (I don't know, either, but I wouldn't want to be responsible for one). I'm sure the AMA has some statistics on this as well as their insurance underwriter.

There is potential for serious injuries and fatalities in this sport so why take any chances? On any given day, it is unlikely that I am going to get into an automobile accident but I still wear a seatbelt!

Ross

scottrc

Every sport, hobby, occupation has its hazards. How many people been injured or killed by golfballs? Jogging? Racing stockcars? Polo? skeet shooting?

They all have risks, and sometimes people do not take in consideration those risks and become careless and create an incident.

It's good to know our odds of accidents.

Taildragger

My Feedback: (204)

The small girl in the UK was killed about a yr ago I believe. She was walking through a park and an out of control plane hit her. At least that what was in the report I seen.

Blackie

I can't say I have any knowledge aside what was mentioned in this thread of anyone getting killed or injured, nor have I ever heard the expression in the real world "someone could get killed". *shrugs*

Blackie

BasinBum

My Feedback: (2)

Mike,
Your right, poor choice of words on my part. I was hoping to avoid the I heard from a guy who's cousin new someone urban myth type of response.

I also don't want to sound morbid (NOT Mordib) and would really like to see statistics from the AMA. I used to teach SCUBA and we would get those kinds of stats from our certification agency. When you examined them it was apparent it was a lot safer than the public perception. It didn't mean we were less diligent about safety but the industry learned to not harp on the dangers as much.

With national news agency's giving our hobby a bad rap why do we have to fan the flames with something that might be a really remote situation yet is very often referred to?

I did a search after Taildrager's (not TaildraGGer) post and it confirmed what I am saying. Lot's of references to "that lousy ARF could have killed someone" or "he sold me a bad radio and it could have killed someone". My point is, yes it could, but your just hyping the story to make your argument seem more legitimate and that is inaccurate and a disservice to the hobby.

troyp

I often take my two daughters and my son to the field. My daughters will often go and pat the horses in the field next door whilst my 3 year old son sits in the back of my ute and watches us fly. I often wonder on the scale of things what sort of risk am I taking by bringing my children to the field? I mean whats to stop an out of control plane hitting my son in the chest whilst hes in the back of the ute or a plane flying into the back of my daughters head whilst they're walking to the field to pat horses?
How often does it happen where a plane goes totally out of control, where a pilot cannot down it to avoid a crowd? if someones battery's suddenly went flat whilst they were doing a high speed maneuver what would their plane actually do?
I have never been to a large club before so have never seen these things happen first hand, so have no idea?

BasinBum

My Feedback: (2)

Troy,
I would guess the horses pose more of a threat to your daughters than do the planes. And what is a Ute?

FLYBOY

My Feedback: (11)

With all the airspace where the planes are flown, and the space a person takes up, the odds of hitting someone with the plane on accident are very small. Someone flying reckless or with faulty equipt may raise it a tiny bit, but not a ton.

The odds are still there though, if someone gets hit, the chances of them surviving it are not good.

When someone says in a post that someone could die, they are usually in a polite way saying "get your head out of your butt" because usually the person is doing something stupid.

You probably won't get hit by a plane at a field, and the odds are against it, but the odds are also against winning a lottery, but people do it.

Keep it safe and have fun and you are better off. If someone is afraid of it, they are probably afraid of many other things. Some people lock themselves in houses so they don't have to be afraid of everything out to get them. Thats no way to live.

visioneer_one

My Feedback: (506)

"Ute" is Aussie for "pickup."

Luke 3D returns

A guy in my club(soon to be x-club)
Had a trainer (on landing approach caught by a gust of wind) slice through his chin a while ago. If the plane had been 2 inches lower the prop would have missed his chin and torn his throat out which would have killed him three times over.
So there ya Go!
Thank god someone wasnt killed!
Bet he thanked his lucky stars alright.
Luke

BasinBum

My Feedback: (2)

Seven inches higher and it would have missed him, so there you go.

And shouldn't you thank your lucky stars (or whoever you choose to thank in these situations) when nothing happens? I mean getting hit in the chin really isn't lucky at all, is it?

David Cutler

I tend to agree with the sentiments of Basinbum.

I am sure nobody wants to belittle the horrendous things that have happened in the past, and its a very serious subject, but its also important not to exaggerate them or, even worse, use them as a cheap way of proving something else.

Incidentally, according one of the extremely funny books written by Bill Bryson, 5000 Americans are injured by their underwear every year.

-David C.

Luke 3D returns

Ive heard that 17 Americans choke to death on pencils every year, and that 7 people get eaten by their pet python every year too!

daven

My Feedback: (1)

At the Nats a couple of weeks ago, during a 3 day period, a spectator died of a heart attack watching control line, and I heard a combat plane hit someone. I didn't hear how bad the individual was hurt however.

We felt pretty safe over in the pylon area

Greyhawk

It would take a mere breath of wind for some politician to legislate new "safety" measures into this sport / hobby. We are a reactionary people when it comes to safety and common sense.

In Washington State (as in many others) it is illegal to drive without a seatbelt; ride a motorcycle without a helmet; ride a bicycle without a helmet (although many people still do it); jaywalkers even on a quiet street are ticketed; and on and on...It all seems to make sense,and few will argue, but there's no stopping it. conceive the situation, and you can bet somebody will conceive legislation to prevent it, stop it, make it safer.

"I'm sorry gentlemen, but these toy aircraft must be flown with limited range...No populated areas within the range of the toy; thus, these fields, and several thousand others, are hereby closed" (NOTE: When Sand Point Naval Airfield was turned over to City of Seattle by The Navy in the 1970s there was great debate regarding public safety and noise if aviation interests took over. First thing the Mayor did while discussions were ongoing was to blockade the runway with telephone poles thereby immediately eliminating a safe landing spot for full scale light airplanes. Now, no airplanes, and one of the finest aviation facilities you can imagine - gone). Ah, but I digress.

"Helmets and eye protection will be worn by all operators of the toy, and a starting glove used."

"Spectator will remain at least 100 yards from the toy field, and will be warned by siren or loudspeaker of any loss of control whereby they will "duck & cover" as was outlined in the observers manual, and practiced during the week long safety seminar."

"Toy aircraft operators will be licensed in the operation of their toy, and complete a first aid course."

The real issue IMHO is twofold: First the lawmakers seem to go for the popular play of the day, the latest accident, the most sensational video, etc. If R/C has an incident that appears bizarre or unique, and the press latches onto it, the politicians are right there - in order to look as if they are doing something - to legislate away the fear brought on by the scene. Yes, the fear diminishes, but then we're stuck with the law.

Secondly, if the real issue is safety based on injury then why are motorcycle riders required to wear helmets, but car riders are not? Guess who fills up the hospitals with more head injuries.

What can't happen is happening to those who hand their safety responsibilities to someone in government who is more than willing to free you from the burden.

vtol_guy

although deaths and injuries to people (or ourselves) as a result of the hobby are very few in number, it is still dangerous,

Its like firing a gun down a street in a town and not looking where the gun is pointing, it might hit someone, it might not,

With planes, it is unlikely that an out of control plane will hit you but one has nearly hit me before, another 3 ft to the left and i wouldnt be sat here right now! :stupid:

it may seem that because of there being 3 dimensions of travel, that it is unlikely an r/c plane will hit you but they do use up a lot of sky and can travel quite fast, from my experiences and things i've seen, r/c planes seems most likely to go out of control near the pits

just my 1.5p

Luke 3D returns

My reply is that the reason why motor cyclists have less head injuries than car drivers is because they wear helmets!