by Jack Upchurch | May 27, 2015 | UAV
As I was sitting here trying to do some research on UAVs I came across the FAA website and started reading for answers to my questions. Questions like why are we being affected? We do not fly autonomously controlled aircraft! Our radio equipment does not have the range to pilot our aircraft more than a mile or maybe two on a perfect day. Then I remembered that at the Joe Nall AMA meeting it was announced that we have finally made some headway in the fight. The proposed rules hopefully will simply separate us from commercial UAV equipment by the simply phrase ” line of sight”. As long as the aircraft remains in the pilots line of sight it will be considered a hobby aircraft. This will fit into the “Know Before You Fly” campaign perfectly! The FAA website Unmanned Aircraft Systems states that Model Aircraft Operations are as follows and quoted below: “The FAA has partnered with several industry associations to promote Know Before You Fly, a campaign to educate the public about using unmanned aircraft safely and responsibly. Individuals flying for hobby or recreation are strongly encouraged to follow safety guidelines, which include: Fly below 400 feet and remain clear of surrounding obstacles Keep the aircraft within visual line of sight at all times Remain well clear of and do not interfere with manned aircraft operations Don’t fly within 5 miles of an airport unless you contact the airport and control tower before flying Don’t fly near people or stadiums Don’t fly an aircraft that weighs more than 55 lbs Don’t be careless or reckless with your unmanned aircraft – you could...
by Jack Upchurch | May 26, 2015 | Safety
Batteries are very easily overlooked and have been the culprit of many a mishap. I was looking for some good common sense information about the care and handling of NiCD battery packs since I promised to cover this issue in my previous blog. In my efforts I came across this NASA NiCD battery care document and found it to be very interesting reading. It is full of the do and dont’s of storing cycling them. “Storage of NiCd Batteries Guideline No. 2 Flight batteries should be maintained in a discharged and shorted condition and stored at cold temperatures when not required for “critical” spacecraft testing. Optimal temperature is around 0 degrees C. NASA does it this way: Discharge at C/2 constant current rate to first cell at 1.0 Volts Drain each cell with a 1 ohm resistor to less than 0.03V Short each cell with a bar Place batteries in a sealed bag with dessicant (stops condensation) Store in cold temperature (about 0 deg C) To re-charge such a stored battery Guideline No. 7 A battery stored discharged and shorted for a period greater than 14 days should be activated with a “conditioning cycle” prior to placing it in use. The conditioning cycle (20 deg C) is defined as follows: Remove from cold and allow to come to room temperature Charge at C/20 for 40 hours +/- 4 hours (Deliberate over-charge) C/2 discharge until first cell reaches 1.0V Drain each cell with a 1 ohm resistor to less than 0.03V Short each cell with a bar for 4 hours C/10 charge for 16 hours +/- 1 hour Do steps...
by Jack Upchurch | May 14, 2015 | UAV
IS THIS A UAV????? UAV is defined as a “powered, aerial vehicle that does not carry a human operator, uses aerodynamic forces to provide vehicle lift, can fly autonomously or be piloted remotely, can be expendable or recoverable, and can carry a lethal or nonlethal payload”. This came straight from TheFreeDictionary.com So the answer to the above question is actually “Yes”. If you simply search for UAV online you will be surprised at what you will find. I have been fairly borderlined on this topic. I have been through issues regarding the government prying there way into the world of modeling before. The first time was when we lost our AM frequencies and again when they forced us to go FM Narrowband. In both occasions the AMA did what they had to do to protect us modelers. I have been certain that they will protect us again so I honestly have not put much thought into this subject. However, I want to bring both sides into this blog so that we can become more informed as modelers about what is really happening to us. I have been receiving all of the same media that is available to every modeler through the AMA and it has been very informative. At the same time, I also know how we are perceived by the public in general. They tend to group us into two categories. The first being that they view us is as grownup kids having fun. We never truly grew up and are playing with oversized, over priced toys. Then we have the second category. Modelers are tinkerers and inventors. We...
by Jack Upchurch | May 13, 2015 | Safety
Hello again, I would like to cover some of the checks that need to be made after an aircraft has sat through the winter months. It is also a good idea to do this before you pack your gear to go flying. I myself have learned most of these lessons the hard way throughout the years. I have lost control horns, broken hinges, failed battery packs, broken fuel tanks, and this is the very short list. The best way to be safe and also to ensure a fun day at the field is to use a checklist. When you pick up any piece of your aircraft first give it a good visual inspection. Look for defects in the covering or paint that may point to a structural problem underneath. Many a time one of the kids or family pet has knocked over a fuselage or wing by accident and just stood it back up without telling a sole. Be sure to always give things like your vertical and horizontal stab a good tug to see if they are secured correctly. Grab all control surfaces and give them a pull to check your hinges. This used to be quite an issue back when we would epoxy in nylon hinges. Todays hinges are much better but should still be checked every time we prepare to fly. Look at the control linkage and how it is attached to the control surfaces. You should give control horns a little flex to look for cracks. It is much better that it cracks in the shop than in the air. This check also will show if any mounting screws have...
by Jack Upchurch | May 4, 2015 | Safety
Hello and welcome to the District IV safety blog! I would like to thank Jay Marsh for giving me the opportunity to cover safety and UAV education. I took quite a while to think of what the first post should be about and after a lot of thought I came to the conclusion that I should first introduce myself. I am Bradford Booth and reside in Pleasant Garden, North Carolina. I have been the safety coordinator since being appointed so for about three years now. I have been an AMA member for a little over 30 years and am currently in the Central Carolina R/C Modelers club. My father raised me at the airplane field and started me at an early age. My first solo flight was on a Midwest Tri-squire at about 4 years old. I have been building from scratch and kits since the age of 10. Before I had a drivers license I was an accomplished pattern flyer and was dabbling in pylon racing. I am here for you the modeler first and foremost so I will welcome any input or questions that you may have. This blog is to help to educate beginners and remind us veterans of often overlooked safety issues. With the flying season finally off to a start there is so much to cover. I plan on spending some in depth time on getting flight ready after being in the hanger for the winter. Topics such as battery cycling, control linkage and hinge checks, range testing, etc… Perhaps the first line of safety is to be prepared just in case something was to happen. The best defense against accidents is...
