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Information for Members,
Safety Code and
Club Code of Practice
We are a friendly and informal club drawing membership from all walks of
life.
We are a fixed wing model-flying club for RC models with IC engines,
although several members fly electric.
We do not allow helicopter or control line flying on our club site.
The club is entirely orientated towards flying for fun.
Principally in the interests of safer and more skilful flying the club
actively promotes the ‘A’ and ‘B’ proficiency schemes of the BMFA.
Several of our more experienced flyers are registered BMFA examiners. These
and other experienced members will willingly give instruction to those who
may need it, particularly raw beginners. Please do not try to fly your first
model by yourself, if you have no experience. Unless you have an extremely
rare natural talent you will almost certainly crash it. The result will be
very expensive heartache and if you are not insured, considerable financial
liability if your model damages the property or person of a third party.
Joining the club avoids all this – and cheaply!
The Club Flying Site
This is a mown strip in a farmer’s field near Craghead. It is available to
club members 365 days of the year during day light hours from 10.00 am (9.30
am – electric). We have no toilet facilities or clubhouse at the field
unfortunately. Parking facilities are available on the field.
The site is worth a mention. It sits on a flat hilltop, which gives
magnificent views in clear weather eastwards over Washington and much of the
Tyne/Wear area, right out over the North Sea. In clear weather one can catch
a glimpse of the Cleveland Hills to the south and the whaleback of Cheviot
to the north. This according to the measurement of that legendary bird the
crow is about 100 miles! It is a very pleasant and quite impressive place to
be on a fine summer’s day.
Against this, at an elevation of 850 feet, it has been known to be quite
breezy but then nothing is perfect.
The site can be reached only by car. From Chester-le-Street market place
take the B6313 west to Craghead, a distance of about 5 miles. In Craghead
proceed over the cross roads passing the wind turbines on your left and in
about 1.1/4 miles along this minor road, just before a T-junction the
entrance to the club site is seen through a five-barred gate on the left.
For those approaching from Durham, take the B6532 to Sacriston and on to
Craghead, where you will turn left at the crossroads for the final1.1.1/4
miles.
The OS grid reference for the site entrance is 194500 (at the 284m spot
height) on the OS Landranger Series Tyneside map sheet 88.
Club Night
This is a very pleasant informal evening in the large meeting room of
Burnmoor Cricket, Lawn Tennis and Football Club. We meet at 7.30 – 8.00 pm
on the second Tuesday of every month. The club is located on the
Chester-le-Street to Sunderland road, some 1.1/2 miles from
Chester-le-Street on the ‘S’ bend just before Lampton Lion Park Garden
Centre.
Club Fees
Club fees are fixed at the AGM each year. We are a BMFA affiliated club. No
one can use our field without BMFA membership and insurance.
We feel that the club fees are very reasonable and for this and other
reasons we are not able to offer concessions to either the unemployed or to
senior citizens. Fees are due in January and are valid for the whole or part
of a year. If a new member joins after 1 October he will be required to pay
only 25% of the annual fee.
While the vast majority of potential new members will be warmly welcomed,
the club reserves the right to refuse membership if they choose to do so for
their own good reasons. Equally they may discipline or expel any member who
behaves in an inappropriate manner. These sanctions are mainly reserved with
the issue of safety in mind.
BMFA membership is normally organised on behalf of members by the club
Treasurer, but individual members of the BMFA who have arranged this for
themselves, or have it done for them through another club may join us on
production of proof of insurance.
The Clubs day to day running is carried out by the officials. The whole club
is the Committee who share responsibility for decisions taken at all
meetings.
Importance safety points and practices
A Safety Co-ordinator has been appointed to ensure that all BMFA and club
guidelines are followed. He will have assistants to help him and members
must co-operate fully with their instructions. All incidents and matters of
safety concern should be reported to these Officers for discussion at a
general meeting.
These notes are in addition to the BMFA requirements for safe flying as laid
out in the BMFA handbook.
1 The ‘Peg on’ System
We operate this well-known safety system to control who is flying on any
frequency at any time. If strictly followed it is infallible because it is
visual. Each member carries a spring type clothes peg on which is clearly
written your name and frequency number. Before switching on in the pits you
must place your peg in the appropriate position on the pegboard, which is
kept in the pits. This done - you and you alone - can use that frequency
until your peg is removed, leaving it free for someone else.
If when you go to the pegboard you see that another peg is on the frequency
you wish to use, then you must obviously wait until that member has finished
flying. The pegboard is permanently sited in the pits. The only way the
‘peg-on’ safety system will fail to work is if a member forgets to operate
it! Those members present normally agree reasonable time slots using this
peg system, at the time.
2 Check your Frequency
When first using your radio, either new or second hand, first check that the
frequency of your transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) crystals is the same.
Modellers are allocated the frequency numbers 55 to 90 on the 35MHz wave
band. These correspond to the 34.95MHz to 35.30MHz bands inclusive. Most
modern crystals have the pennant number clearly printed on the tag on the
crystal. This is the one that is wanted for the pegboard and is any number
from 55 to 90.
Should the frequency band number only be shown on your crystal the ‘pennant
number’ can easily be obtained by adding 60 to the first two digits of the
frequency number after the decimal point – eg –
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Frequency |
35.00 |
35.09 |
35.21 |
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Add |
60 |
60 |
60 |
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Pennant No |
60 |
69 |
81 |
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Failure to check frequencies in this way has resulted in a number of very
expensive crashes.
Please remember that you can
not insure your model against crash damage, as the risks are far too high.
Currently (January 2008) problems have been
experienced with the Futaba 6EX transmitters on 2.4GHz and TM – 7 Modules.
Some of these models have been incorrectly coded. Testing equipment for this
fault is available at some local model shops and owners of this type of
transmitter are urged to have them tested as soon as possible. The test is
free. It appears that the fault can occur at any time even after testing so
users should make a compatibility test at the flying field before flying
when other users of 2.4 GHz equipment are present.
Improvements and alterations to radio equipment are being made continually.
Keep up to date with the BMFA News and BMFA Handbook.
3 Do not switch on at the gate
When you park your car and assemble your model before carrying it onto the
field, do not switch on your radio to check that it is working OK.
4 Basic use of the strip, pits and pilots box
Walk to
the strip by sticking to the path and reach the pits by walking around,
rather than over the strip.
The pits
area will be set up initially by mutual agreement and must not be changed
without full consultation with all pilots present. The limit of the pits
must be clearly defined. A pilot's line will be clearly marked in front of
the pits area.
All
models are to be started in the pits and nowhere else, then carried to the
strip for take-off. Start up areas should be as far away from the pilot's
line as possible. The model should be placed on the strip sufficiently far
upwind from the pilots line and pits area to prevent any chance of the
model, under full throttle for take-off, veering into these areas should it
for any reason go out of control.
While
flying, all pilots will stand on the pilot's line in front of the pits.
This is to minimise the risk of interference and facilitate necessary
communication such as calls for `landing` or `dead stick`.
Calls must be made in a loud and clear voice so that
pilots are made aware of what is happening.
Calls must be made for take-off, landings, on the strip,
dead stick and low passes.
After
landing, make sure the strip is clear and it is safe to do so, before
retrieving the model. Leave your transmitter with a helper while you
retrieve the model. Switch off your receiver first then signal to
your helper who will then switch off your transmitter. This sequence
again minimises the chance of interference.
All
pilots should fly `in front` of themselves. `In front` may be
defined as the direction in which you look while standing on the pilots line
and facing out over the strip with your back to the pits.
The
dead zone must be a full 180 degrees behind the pilot's line and
airspace in which you do not fly. This way all models are in front of the
pilots and everyone has the best chance of seeing what is flying and where.
5
Flying alone
Unless
you are very experienced, and perhaps not even then, the basic
recommendation here is don't!
6
Engines, fingers and things
Never
stand in front of a rotating propeller for
longer than is absolutely necessary, eg when starting your engine. Breaking
propellers always fly forwards and upwards, possibly towards your face and
throat. Never allow others to stand in front of your model when starting
up.
Always
move behind your engine to tune it
after starting and make certain that your model is safely anchored or held
by a helper while this is done. Needless to say, having a basic first
aid kit with you at all times is a good idea.
7
Noise
Most
flying fields are lost by clubs due to noise and consequent attention of the
public to our sport than by any other cause. Members are actively
encouraged to silence their models to the limits recommended by the BMFA.
8
Publicity
In the
event of a member being approached by the media for information you are
requested to refrain from comment and advise a club official without delay.
9
Safety Marshal
When two
or more pilots are present a look out must be present on the pilot's
line when flying is taking place.
A Safety
Marshal should be appointed during busy times and is essential when members
of the public or farm workers are in the vicinity. Their job will be to
oversee safety in procedures in the pits and around the flight line.
Typically, they will keep an eye on `peg-off`, pre-flight checks, take-off,
flight pattern, landing calls and landings, retrievals, switch-off
procedures and `peg-on`. The Safety Marshal will be appointed by mutual
agreement between those flying at the time. It is stressed that the Safety
Marshal's job will be supervisory and to be helpful. He will in no way have
sole responsibility for the safety of those present. Final responsibility
for safety rests, as it always has and always will do with the individual
member.
10
Retrieving models from neighbouring land
If there
are crops in the neighbouring fields please see the landowner before
attempting to retrieve any models. You may be allowed to collect the model,
however, you may also have to wait until the harvesting of the crop. Try to
treat these areas as “dead zones” whenever conditions permit.
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Additional
Subscriptions as set out at the
AGM are due on 1 January. Membership will lapse if subscriptions are more
than 5 weeks in arrears. New members who join on or after 1 August will
receive a credit note towards the following year's club subscription. The
club will provide membership tags each year. The tags must be affixed to
transmitter handles or channel indicator pegs and displayed at all times
when flying at the field.
December
2008
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