R/C
Propbusters Flying Field Rules PFFR 8/06
THIS FLYING SITE IS
LEASED AND OPERATED BY THE AMA AFFILIATED R/C PROPBUSTERS CLUB INC. OF
SOUTHEASTERN CT. AND IS INTENDED FOR THE SOLE USE OF R/C PROPBUSTER MEMBERS
AND GUESTS. ALL PROPBUSTER'S CLUB, AMA, AND FCC RULES SHALL APPLY AND WILL
BE ENFORCED.
OPERATIONAL/ADMINISTRATIVE RULES
1.
VEHICLES SHALL BE PARKED ONLY IN ESTABLISHED PARKING AREAS SOUTH OF FLIGHT
LINE
2. STARTING TIMES FOR
RECIPROCATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION POWERED AIRCRAFT IS 9:00 AM ON WEEKDAYS
AND 10:00 AM ON WEEKENDS. CLUB MAY WAIVER START TIMES FOR SCHEDULED EVENTS.
3. NO FLYING WILL BE
ALLOWED WHILE FIELD GRASS CUTTING OPERATIONS ARE BEING CONDUCTED ON THE
FIELD NORTH OF THE FLIGHT LINE. FIELD MOWING HAS PRIORITY OVER FLYING AND IS
PREFERENTIALLY DONE ON FRIDAY PENDING WEATHER, EVENT SCHEDULES, AND
AVAILABILITY OF VOLUNTEERS.
4. ALL AIRCRAFT MUST
MEET THE A 96 DB MAXIMUM SOUND LEVEL AS TESTED BY AMA PROCEDURE. TO HELP
KEEP GOOD COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND OUR FLYING SITE, ALL CLUB MEMBERS HAVE THE
RESPONSIBILITY TO COMPLY WITH AND ENFORCE THESE NOISE LIMITATIONS.
5. THE LAST PERSON
LEAVING THE FLYING SITE SHALL CLOSE AND LOCK THE GATE UNLESS FARM
EQUIPMENT IS BEING OPERATED ON THE PROPERTY AT THE TIME.
6. THE CLUB HAS
ADOPTED A NO ALCOHOL POLICY AT THE SALEM FLYING FIELD. FLYING UNDER THE
INFLUENCE WILL ALSO BE SUBJECT TO DISCIPLINARY ACTION. THE AMA "EIGHT (8)
HOUR FROM BOTTLE TO THROTTLE " RULE APPLIES
7.
YOUR CURRENT MEMBERSHIP/ID CARD IS YOUR TICKET TO FLY AND MUST BE VISIBLY
DISPLAYED ON YOUR PERSON. CARD COLORS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
YELLOW-STUDENT---MUST
HAVE A QUALIFIED CLUB MEMBER IN ASSISTANCE
BLUE/GREEN-QUALIFIED
TO FLY SOLO AND ASSIST STUDENTS
RED/PINK- QUALIFIED
INSTRUCTOR - INSTRUCTS AND CAN SIGN OFF STUDENTS FOR SOLO
8. NOVICE FLYERS WITH
YELLOW CARDS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO FLY SOLO UNTIL A QUALIFIED INSTRUCTOR HAS
GIVEN THEM THE REQUIRED CHECK FLIGHT AND SIGNED THEIR CARD FOR SOLO
FLIGHT. THEY MAY HOWEVER FLY WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF A QUALIFIED PILOT AS
WELL AS WITH AN INSTRUCTOR... BUDDY
BOX PREFERRED.
UPON QUALIFICATION, THEY MAY REQUEST A BLUE/GREEN CARD AT THE CLUB MEETING
AFTER PRESENTING THEIR SIGNED OFF YELLOW CARD.
9. IT IS THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH PILOT TO ENSURE THAT HIS/HER AIRCRAFT IS AIRWORTHY.
NEW OR REPAIRED AIRCRAFT MUST BE INSPECTED BY A QUALIFIED MEMBER PILOT PRIOR
TO BEING FLOWN.
10. FLYING OF OTHER
THAN R/C AIRCRAFT OR HI-START LAUNCHED R/C GLIDERS IS PERMITTED PROVIDED IT
DOES NOT INTERFERE IN ANY WAY WITH POWERED R/C FLIGHT OR THE INTENT TO FLY
BY ATTENDING R/C PILOTS. (EXAMPLE) CONTROL LINE AIRCRAFT, ROCKETS, HAND
LAUNCH GLIDER, FREE FLIGHT. ALL OTHER FIELD RULES AND AMA SAFETY RULES SHALL
STILL APPLY.
11. FREQUENCY PINS FOR
OTHER THAN CLUB EVENTS SHALL BE PROVIDED BY THE PILOT ON THAT FREQUENCY. A
FREQUENCY PIN SHALL BE CONSTRUCTED IN SUCH A WAY AS TO HAVE AN OVERALL
RECTANGULAR DIMENSION OF APPROX. 1 TO 2 INCHES BY APPROX. 5 INCHES WITH A
CLIP ATTACHMENT. AT MINIMUM THE PIN SHALL HAVE THE FREQUENCY NUMBER AND THE
PILOTS NAME.
12. NO MORE THAN (5)
FIVE AIRCRAFT ARE TO BE AIRBORNE AT ANY ONE TIME COUNTING AN AIRCRAFT BEING
FLOWN FROM STATION (5) FIVE (HELICOPTER/3D HOVERING BOX). STATIONARY / 3D /
HOVERING FLIGHT SHALL BE CONDUCTED AT STATION #5 AND OUT OF THE FLIGHT
PATTERN WHEN OTHER AIRCRAFT ARE IN THE PATTERN. FLIGHT TIMES SHALL BE
LIMITED TO 20 MINUTES PER FLIGHT INCLUDING ENGINE START-UP AND ADJUSTMENT.
13. DESIGNATED TEST
BOX REQUIREMENTS:
A. THE TEST BOX SHALL
BE USED FOR TEST RUNNING ENGINES, AND MAY ALSO BE USED FOR RADIO RANGE
CHECKS, AIRCRAFT ADJUSTMENTS, ETC.
B. WHEN USING THE TEST
BOX, THE APPROPRIATE FREQUENCY PIN SHALL BE PLACED ON THE FREQUENCY CONTROL
BOARD.
14. PILOTS SHALL PLACE
A FREQUENCY PIN ON THE FREQUENCY BOARD ONLY WHEN READY TO PROCEED TO THE
FLIGHT LINE (OR TEST BOX) AND SHALL REMOVE THAT PIN UPON COMPLETION OF THE
FLIGHT (OR TEST).
15. NO MORE THAN SIX
(6) FREQ. PINS SHALL BE ON THE FREQ. BOARD AT ANY ONE TIME
A. ONE (1)
PIN FOR THE #5 STATION (EAST)
B. FOUR
(4) PINS FOR AIRCRAFT BEING FLOWN FROM THE PATTERN BOXES #1 THROUGH #4
(WEST TO EAST)
C. ONE (1)
PIN FOR THE TEST BOX
16. CLUB MEMBERS MAY
BRING A GUEST TO FLY AT THE FIELD. NON-AMA MEMBERS MAY FLY ON A ONE TIME BASIS ONLY USING THE HOST MEMBER'S
AIRCRAFT UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF THE
HOST MEMBER WITH A BUDDY BOX. AMA MEMBERS WHO AREN'T CLUB MEMBERS MAY FLY
OCCASIONALLY OR DURING A TEMP. STAY IN THE AREA. IT IS THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE GUEST'S SPONSOR TO ENSURE THE GUEST IS FAMILIAR WITH
THE FIELD RULES. GUESTS WHO LIVE IN SOUTHEAST CT SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED
TO JOIN THE CLUB.
SAFETY RULES
1. ELECTRIC MOTORS
SHALL BE TREATED WITH THE SAME RESPECT AND CAUTION AS GLOW OR GASOLINE
POWERED ENGINES. ELECTRIC POWERED AIRCRAFT WITHOUT A SEPARATE SWITCH FOR
ENERGIZING THE SYSTEM SHALL ONLY BE PLUGGED IN ON THE FLIGHT LINE...
NOT IN THE PITS. ENGINES AND MOTORS SHALL BE STARTED ONLY AT THE DESIGNATED
START-UP BOXES OR BENCHES ON THE FLIGHT LINE ONLY (STATIONS 1 THROUGH 5) AND
THE DESIGNATED ENGINE TEST BENCH IN AREA SOUTH OF STATION 5. RESTARTS OF
GAS OR GLOW ENGINES ON THE FIELD ARE PERMITTED ONLY IF NO OTHER AIRCRAFT ARE
ON THE FLIGHT LINE OR IN THE AIR.
2. THERE IS A 25 FOOT
BUFFER/SAFETY ZONE BETWEEN THE FLIGHT LINE AND THE ALLOWABLE AREA OF FLIGHT.
THIS AREA IS FOR TAXIING PURPOSES. THERE SHALL BE NO FLYING OVER THE
SPECTATOR AREA, PIT AREA, OR PARKING AREA. FLYING WITHIN THE BUFFER ZONE IS
ONLY PERMITTED WHEN NO OTHER PILOTS / ASSISTANTS ARE ON THE FLIGHT LINE AT
ANOTHER STATION TO FLY. THERE WILL BE NO RUNNING OF ENGINES OR TAXIING
OF AIRCRAFT IN, TO, OR FROM THE PIT AREA
3. TRANSMITTERS SHALL
NOT BE TURNED ON WITHOUT USING THE ESTABLISHED FREQUENCY CONTROL SYSTEM. ALL
TRANSMITTERS/RADIO SYSTEMS SHALL MEET THE UPDATED REQUIREMENTS OF AMA AND
FCC.
4. SMOKING IS STRICTLY
PROHIBITED IN THE AREA FROM THE PITS TO THE FLIGHT LINE.
5. AIRCRAFT POWERED BY
GASOLINE ENGINES SHALL BE ACCOMPANIED WITH A MINIMUM OF A CLASS "B" RATED
FIRE EXTINGUISHER BOTH IN THE PITS AND ON THE FLIGHT LINE.
6. WITH MORE THAN ONE
AIRCRAFT IN THE AIR, A FLIGHT PATTERN SHALL BE ESTABLISHED AND MAINTAINED
DURING FLIGHT. THE PATTERN IS SET BY PREVAILING WIND DIRECTION AND
TAKE-OFFS AND LANDINGS SHALL BE INTO THE WIND. WITH WIND COMING FROM OR
FAVORING THE (WEST) OR LEFT SIDE OF THE FIELD, TAKING OFF FROM "RIGHT TO
LEFT'' SETS UP A "RIGHT HAND PATTERN" i.e. ALL TURNS IN THE PATTERN ARE
RIGHT TURNS... AND VICE-VERSA. IF A CHANGE IN WIND DIRECTION DICTATES A
CHANGE IN THE FLIGHT PATTERN, PILOT RECOGNIZING THE CHANGE SHALL CALL OUT TO
OTHER PILOTS ON THE FLIGHT LINE TO REVERSE PATTERN.
7. PILOTS NEEDING TO
WALK OUT ONTO THE FIELD TO RETRIEVE AN AIRCRAFT WHILE OTHER AIRCRAFT ARE IN
THE PATTERN SHALL LOUDLY CALL OUT "ON THE FIELD" AND ENSURE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
FROM OTHER PILOTS ON THE FLIGHT LINE PRIOR TO WALKING ONTO THE FIELD.
ANNOUNCING, "TAKING OFF", "LANDING ", OR "DEAD STICK" IS JUST A "GOOD
PRACTICE" TO BRIEF FELLOW PILOTS OF YOUR INTENTIONS.
GOOD SAFETY PRACTICES
1. YOU SHOULD NOT FLY
ALONE IN CASE OF AN DEBILITATING ACCIDENT. THERE ARE TIMES HOWEVER
WHEN YOU MAY CHOOSE TO DO SO REGARDLESS. HAVING A CELL PHONE AVAILABLE
IS GOOD PRACTICE IN THIS CASE AND EXTRA CAUTION IS WARRANTED IN BOTH ENGINE
HANDLING AND FLYING. 911 IS THE EMERGENCY CALL NUMBER
2. YOU SHOULD HAVE THE
COMBINATION TO THE FIRST AID BOX (SAME AS THE GATE), WRITTEN ON THE
BACK OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP CARD OR MEMORIZED.
3. ALWAYS USE A GLOVE
OR "CHICKEN STICK" FOR HAND STARTING ENGINES. ALWAYS CHECK THROTTLE
CLOSED TO IDLE AND BE CLEAR OF PROP OR FIRMLY GRASP PROP PRIOR TO ATTACHING
GLOW DRIVER.
4. ALWAYS PERFORM GLOW
DRIVER REMOVAL, NEEDLE ADJUSTMENTS, AND "RUN - UPS" FROM BEHIND THE
AIRCRAFT...(EXCEPTION FOR ADJUSTMENT OF "PUSHERS")
5. EYE PROTECTION, EAR
PROTECTION, AND ALL THE ABOVE ARE ALL GOOD PRACTICES BUT THERE IS NO
SUBSTITUTE FOR COMMON SENSE AND TAKING THE TIME TO DO THINGS THE SAFE WAY.
COMMON SENSE, RESPECT
FOR OTHER PILOTS, AND GOOD FIELD ETIQUETTE ALL GO A LONG WAY TOWARDS
MINIMIZING REQUIRED RULES. REMEMBER: IT'S ALL ABOUT HAVING FUN WITH AVIATION
MODELING IN A SAFE AND ENJOYABLE MANNER. SAFETY IS EVERYONE'S
RESPONSIBILITY! IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR DON'T UNDERSTAND ANY OF
THESE RULES, DON'T HESITATE TO ASK YOUR CLUB SAFETY OFFICER, ANY CLUB
OFFICER, OR ANY EXPERIENCED PILOT FOR CLARIFICATION.
