A beginners guide to field etiquette

[John Castle]

So I've been practicing at home and have gotten to the point where I feel I can go to the local club field and not make a complete fool of myself flying the plane. What else do I need to know in regards to etiquette on and around the circles to prevent me from looking the noob that I am?

Thanks,
John

[Bill Heher]

John - I've been there and here are my suggestions

1.  Don't be shy- Introduce yourself, and ask questions, i.e. where to set-up, where to run/tune prior to flight, etc.
2.  Watch out for lines on the ground- seems simple- but those buggers go invisible as soon as you get near them!
3.  Come prepared - charge your glow starter / starter battery, have spare props and glow plugs, etc.
4.  Don't be shy- ask for assistance. Most fliers will readily help out- unless they are in the middle of something.
5.  relax and have fun- that's what it is all about.

FYI - I have violated items 2 and 3 myself- and nobody caused me grief - you will be tougher on yourself than the other guy will be.

[Shultzie]

So I've been practicing at home and have gotten to the point where I feel I can go to the local club field and not make a complete fool of myself flying the plane. What else do I need to know in regards to etiquette on and around the circles to prevent me from looking the noob that I am? Thanks,
John

Uh????JOHN!!!

Too bad you weren't around here a few weeks ago...up at our Narrows Airport flying site. You should have followed me around and DO EVERYTHING EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT I DID AT THE TIME!

[Paul Smith]

I can think of two Prime Directives for flying on a single circle with others in attendance:

1. Do not take your model into the circle until you have verified that it will start up and run with no delay.

2. Perform the validation run so that the propwash and exhaust don't foul other models, equipment, and cars. 

[richardhfcl]

Bring a couple dozen doughnuts to share with your new friends, particularly if you fly at Ned Brown Forest Preserve.

     Best regards,

     Richard Ferrell

     

[Crist Rigotti]

Bring a couple dozen doughnuts to share with your new friends, particularly if you fly at Ned Brown Forest Preserve.

     Best regards,

     Richard Ferrell

     

Just exactly what I'd expect from the group at Ned Brown Woods! 

[Randy Powell]

I would add that you should ask what the protocol is flying at your field. For instance, where we fly, when a guy lands, the guy that goes next picks him up and the guy that just flew, grabs the handle and runs it out to the circle for the guy going next.

[Alan Hahn]

Bring a couple dozen doughnuts to share with your new friends, particularly if you fly at Ned Brown Forest Preserve.

     Best regards,

     Richard Ferrell

     

A couple of dozen ......,,,,I guess you guys aren't just "trophy hounds"!

[Jim Kraft]

We prefer pie rather than doughnuts. But there are only two of us so one pie would probably be OK. ( I like apple myself. ) Oh! You might also want to bring extra fuel in case we run out, I fly Fox 59's and Anderson Spitfires, which have fairly large tanks. Other than those two rules you are good to go. Come and fly any time.

[John Castle]

Ok, I think i got it:

(*)   Pie
(*)   Doughnuts
(*)   Fuel
(*)   Don't be a klutz or an asshat
(*)   If Schultzie shows up lock my doors and check my wallet

Hey, I think I can do this.
It's great to have experienced mentors to give advice.
I always suspected that stunt was easier than it looked.    

John

[Steve Helmick]

Regarding the pit area, particularly getting into and out of, with plane/lines/handle. IF the guy carrying the plane has to cross the other's lines, then the easiest way is to go just a few feet inside the line of planes. That way, you can see the leadouts, whether there are lines attached, and step over them easily. Looking for the lines 8' toward the handle is really the tough way to do it. Similarly, if you're the handle porter, then all you have to do is look for all the other handles, and you'll see where the lines are. Then, all you have to do is keep the lines snug and off the ground (dragging them on pavement isn't good) to be a good pit minion (the servant, not the steak).

Well, there are a few more pointers.


Only bring one of your planes into the pits at one time. Maybe there's room to have it nearby, for public viewing.

When you're launching somebody's plane, be sure you're not pushing down on the tailstrut...it can make the model tip up and buzz the prop instantly when you launch the plane.

Hold the model carefully at the front of the stabilizer and on the LE of the wing, while the flier cranks and cranks and cranks. Don't offer a lot of advise, unless you brought extra donuts with chocolate frosting and sprinkles.

Before you release the plane, always, always, always look at the leadouts to make sure the clips and lines/leadouts have not twisted and jammed up all wonky. The flier will appreciate your 'having his back' when he forgets to check this himself.

Be sure you point the model straight ahead, i.e., tangent to the flight circle, when you release it. This is easy enough to do for most planes, because the flap hingeline (most are straight, but not all) can be just pointed at the pilot. There is an exception to this...those like Leo and Roy, who fly clockwise, apparently like their planes pointed outward about 5-10 degrees, because otherwise it will yaw out rather violently upon release.  By releasing it pointed outward, it's claimed to prevent the violent yaw and improve takeoff points.

When it's cold, bring lighter fluid to prime the hard starting engines with. And keep a freshly charged glow igniter in your warmest pocket...the one without any other metal objects in it. Don't put the lighter fluid in that pocket.
  Steve


 

[Brett Buck]

So I've been practicing at home and have gotten to the point where I feel I can go to the local club field and not make a complete fool of myself flying the plane. What else do I need to know in regards to etiquette on and around the circles to prevent me from looking the noob that I am?

   Probably nothing is going to stop you from looking like a newbie. But that's OK, it doesn't matter. Everybody else out there was in exactly the same boat at one time or another. The others have more experience than you with model airplanes, but other than that they are no different from you. It seems like a silly thing to have to say, but sensible or not, a lot of people come in with very strange views of their "heros".

    There's really nothing much to do different than any new social situation. Introduce yourself, shake hands, remember people's names. As far as modeling goes, the others have given good advice, but one thing that will get you a bad reputation very quickly is wasting people's time. If something goes wrong, and it probably will, don't hold up anyone's flying time trying to fix it, take it off to the side, get it sorted out (and plenty of people will help) and try again later. It's generally a bad idea to fuel on the circle, particularly for newbies. Bob Gieseke, we let fuel on the circle, light his pipe, etc - and when you are Bob Gieseke you can do that to. Until then, carry the model out, fueled, and be ready to hook the battery up and go.

   Etiquette-wise, usually the flying order is determined by the order in which people roll out and connect their lines (meaning, "I am ready"). If you lose track, ask someone when you are up, or check the flying order with the others in the pits. Ask someone if they will launch for you. Usually, the launcher is also on the hook to retrieve the model, but sometime they forget or get involved with something else. When that happens to you, politely ask for assistance. Normally the pilot carries the handle and the retriever gets the airplane, but if you end up on the far side from the pits, offer the retriever the handle while you get the airplane. Offer to launch for others, but understand if they don't want you to - people are picky about their $50 props getting buzzed down at launch. Even my buddies and I, champions all, get into deals where some people can't launch other people's planes, usually after an accident.

     And the thing that will get you singled out almost immediately is acting like you know more than you really do, i.e. posing. A lot of guys have been flying these things for half a century, you don't know as much or more than they do, and pretending you do will not work. Embrace your newbie status.

     Brett

[Dennis Adamisin]

should the unspeakable happen, replace your divot...!         

[ray copeland]

John, great topic!!  I have just recently been in the same situation.. Some of the first things i learned are,, as said earlier,, watch out for lines on the ground,, learn from someone experienced how to launch and retrieve and carry those big fancy ships, as in "don't hold by the flaps please". There are always people around willing to teach ,, just ask. I look forward to every club flying session to learn something new.   

[Clayton Berry]

Bass ale.  Pizza - anything, just no mushrooms or fish.  And a few of those little packets of crushed red pepper.  Pie is always nice afterward.  Ice cream on top is always good, but only on real plates with real silverware (no plastic).  Stainless is okay.  Linen napkins are good, but not if somebody has ever used 'em to wipe down a plane.  That smell just never goes away.  You could wash 'em with diapers (as if anybody still does that) and they'd still smell like oil.

Be careful of lines.  Nothing worse than ruining a good line.  Even if you're Jay Leno.  Well, he gets a pass.  And if you ever do ruin a line - ya gotta make it up.  Am serious about that one.  Though someone once boogered up a brand new (2 flights) set of those Bob Pitkin (what a nice guy) brown ones right after I'd decided that I wanted to shorten 'em from 64 to 62 feet.  Alas, I never forgave the guy to this day.  Maggot looked around to see if anyone noticed and kept walking.  Boogered it about 18 inches from the wing.  All was fine, but there's somebody out there that knows exactly what happened.  We just shook our heads.

Someone carries your airplane to the pits, you ask who's next and grab a handle.  Always.  Learned that at my second contest down in Norfolk at Fentress.  By the end of the day, I almost had it figured out.  I've got it down, now.

As to fueling at the flightline...  I always do.  But, I'm quick about it.  Have one of those handy dandy crankers that works great.  And if you're using wooden props?  Holy mother of pearl, don't even think about not tightening that booger before you're ready for the day.  Is that annoying, or what?  Pop!  Being a chump is just never good.  

Checking the guy's lines when you're launching is always the correct thing to do.  Am actually probabaly going to print that on my next unit sort of like that 'step here' stuff.  Check Leadouts!

Oh.  One more thing.  Folks are gonna be watching you.  No extremely low pull outs or lines that go completly slack over the top.  It makes our sphincter mucles tighten up, and gives us the heebeegeebees.  Keep that stuff to a minimum.

You're among friends.  That you even bring it up says that you'll be fine.  

[Peter Ferguson]

A big one for me was not to walk the guys plane out until he and the handle was into the circle. You don't want to extend his walk or have him walking all over the place trying to keep the lines off of the ground.

[john e. holliday]

All of the above is good advice.  Don't get upset with yourself if you forget something as all of us still forget something once in awhile.  Remember the main thing is to have fun.  DOC Holliday

[Randy Powell]

And Remember, since you are flying in McMinnville, make sure Scott Riese doesn't steal your handle while you are starting the plane.   

[Trostle]

I would like to take this discussion one step further and that is etiquette at the contest site.  Many of the suggestions above that apply to "beginners" at the flying site also apply to all fliers, no matter how experienced at the contest flying site.   I would recommend going up and review what Brett commented on above in this thread.

I bring this up because of experiences I have had as a judge at the Nationals for several years for the Advanced circles.  One would think that by the time a pilot gets to the Advanced level of competition at the Nats, that pilot would be familiar with what is expected regarding preparation to fly.  On several occasions with different pilots, I have witnessed that the pilot who was next to fly was not immediately available.  Yes, his model might be the pit area, but may not even have his lines attached or has not been pull tested.  Sometimes, the pilot was somewhere else in the area other than being ready to bring his model to the circle.  By the time they were located and brought their models to the circle, the alloted time to enter the circle was nearly used up.  Then, these guys would fuel up and take their time in final preparations to start the motor.  That shows total disrespect to their fellow competitors and to the judges.  Every extra minute they use up just extends the day for all involved with participating in that contest.  And it is totally uncalled for and unnecessary.  By contrast, watch the Expert/Open pilots at a contest.  Normally, these guys are moving into the circle as the last flier is still taking his model out of the circle.  A competitor is expected to know when his turn is to fly and be prepared to take that turn, even if the previous flier takes an attempt.  Yes, it is possible to fuel the model on the circle just prior to an official flight, and many follow that practice.  Technically, there is nothing wrong with that as long as the process is completed with the time limits that are specifically spelled out in the rules.

Something to think about.

Keith

[Clancy Arnold]

Re post

NO SMOKING in the pit area.

Think of the hot end of a cigarette falling on a $coat covered model.

Two holes to patch.  One on the top of the wing and one on the bottom of the wing.

Happened to my airplane.
Clancy

[Joe Messinger]

One thing that I find to be a source of annoyance at contests is in the pull test dept.  Most of the contestants have their planes ready  on the flight line with lines and handles attached. 

Someone calls for a pull test and the person doing the testing walks down and around the lineup of planes, and does the test.  Many of the contestants are standing or sitting near the flight line and the pull tester asks if anyone else needs a test while he's there.  No one responds. The pull tester walks back around the flight line and back to his station some distance away.  Two minutes later, one of the pilots who was there when the pull tester just asked if anyone else needed a test frantically calls for a pull test.  Not very considerate, I think.

Joe

[Brett Buck]

I bring this up because of experiences I have had as a judge at the Nationals for several years for the Advanced circles.  One would think that by the time a pilot gets to the Advanced level of competition at the Nats, that pilot would be familiar with what is expected regarding preparation to fly.  On several occasions with different pilots, I have witnessed that the pilot who was next to fly was not immediately available.  Yes, his model might be the pit area, but may not even have his lines attached or has not been pull tested.  Sometimes, the pilot was somewhere else in the area other than being ready to bring his model to the circle.  By the time they were located and brought their models to the circle, the alloted time to enter the circle was nearly used up.  Then, these guys would fuel up and take their time in final preparations to start the motor.  That shows total disrespect to their fellow competitors and to the judges.  Every extra minute they use up just extends the day for all involved with participating in that contest.  And it is totally uncalled for and unnecessary.  By contrast, watch the Expert/Open pilots at a contest.  Normally, these guys are moving into the circle as the last flier is still taking his model out of the circle.  A competitor is expected to know when his turn is to fly and be prepared to take that turn, even if the previous flier takes an attempt. 

    Well, I the spirit of full disclosure, I managed to show up late for two consecutive flights as the 2004 NATs, and I really got upset with myself the second time, and had a near-meltdown.

    But in general, Open/Expert clicks off like clockwork, National or local, because everybody is ready to go. I have been at contests were the Expert time-per-flight was under 8 minutes. For a general contest, you have to figure on anywhere from 10-12 per flight, and Intermediate, say, 14-15.

   The absolute worst I have ever experienced is at WAM Contests, in 1/2A or A. I judged 1/2A one time, and it took around an hour and a half, I kid you not, for 3 entrants. Better still, *no official flights were logged*. I am always willing to judge at a local contest, because I figure I owe it to the event (since I am going to do absolutely nothing at the NATs every year like all the other prima donnas) but I flat refuse to judge WAM 1/2A, unless they impose and enforce the 2-minute rule. With that, you can get no official flights in in a tiny fraction of the time it takes otherwise!

     Brett

[RC Storick]

By contrast, watch the Expert/Open pilots at a contest.  Normally, these guys are moving into the circle as the last flier is still taking his model out of the circle.  A competitor is expected to know when his turn is to fly and be prepared to take that turn, even if the previous flier takes an attempt.  Yes, it is possible to fuel the model on the circle just prior to an official flight, and many follow that practice.  Technically, there is nothing wrong with that as long as the process is completed with the time limits that are specifically spelled out in the rules.

Something to think about.

Keith

I am fueling in the person before me hourglass. By the time I am done he is fling his 2 level laps before landing. We are moved to the head of the line before the wheels touch the ground. I suggested a few years ago to Warren that we had a Exit box. But the L pad is limited on space when its all in use. Try to remember its a long day and we need to keep things moving as fast and as orderly as possible.

[Dennis Adamisin]

Worst case: I was on the circle, primed, got my bump, signaled the judges for starting and got a frantic "hold-on".  A few MINUTES later we were finally ready to start, by then had lost the prime and had an ugly start...  Extreme? yes, but easily avoidable.

Thus I learned to be ready AND to allow the judges time to be ready too.  I usualy claim the circle as early as is prudent, and typically the judges/recorders will be passing off the just finished score sheets and readying the new.  Trust me some times it takes longer than other times.  It is a simple courtesy to observe, and/or ask the judges if they are ready...

Also important to "quit" the circle as quickly as possible, as a courtesy to those who follow...

Really, it ain't rocket science!

[Shultzie]

Bass ale.  Pizza - anything, just no mushrooms or fish. Oh.  One more thing.  Folks are gonna be watching you.  No extremely low pull outs or lines that go completly slack over the top.  It makes our sphincter mucles tighten up, and gives us the heebeegeebees.  Keep that stuff to a minimum.

You're among friends.  That you even bring it up says that you'll be fine.  

Also a few bottles of this "balm" should be on hand....to calm the nerves and jitters of the competitior that you just beat by one point. However??? Hummm?
If he beat you by one point...perhaps it just might take more than a few bottles of this brew to smooth the ruffled feathers?

[Dennis Adamisin]

Also a few bottles of this "balm" should be on hand....to calm the nerves and jitters of the competitior that you just beat by one point. However??? Hummm?
If he beat you by one point...perhaps it just might take more than a few bottles of this brew to smooth the ruffled feathers?

I thought you ONLY accepted Olympia? 

[Shultzie]

I thought you ONLY accepted Olympia? 

Empty Olympia beer cans are the lightest guage aluminum..and are always saved for competing in those infamous BeerCan Races...that took place on the Tarmac's across American...when the wind was too high or sun was too low in the western sky to fly stunt.
However my ALL TIME FAVORITE...was my beloved RRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAIINEEEEEEEEEEERRRBEEEER!
I just loved those Rainier TV adds showing me riding off on my old BSA Lightining toward beautiful Mount Rainier
However...
Attached are the brews ALL TIME HEAD BANGIN'EYE BAGGED BREWS EVER MADE..before the FDA took them off the market.
(I found these labels in my stunt engine shoe box.)
that I always save for the judging staff...BEFORE THEY WALK THE TARMAC LINE!!!! (just think how imbarrassing it would be if they failed that test?