Flying Circle Requirements?

[Rusty]

Hello Guys,   

I would like to know what the requirements for a flying circle to meet safety requirements.  I read the AMA statement on control line that says you must have a lanyard from your wrist to the handle, be away from power lines, keep people out of the circle during flight, etc.

Are there any requirements, that you know of, for the middle of the circle to have a paved or concrete pad?  Is there a requirement for a paved or concrete take off area? 

The flying circle will not be used for competition, only sport flying.  I have spoken to a few people who said some people have plywood with hinges to use for the middle.  Is that legal? 

Thank you.

Rusty

[Dave_Trible]

Rusty there are no written rules concerning the flying circle.    I put a 5' diameter concrete center pad on my circle just to have an even surface to fly on instead of stumbling around on dirt clods and/or mud.   It has sunk a little so we will eventually put a cap on top and go out to maybe 7' diameter.
I left 85' from the center to what are now rail ties and fence post boundaries to keep four wheelers out.   We just recently put down a four foot x three foot concrete starting pad so that the engines won't ingest dust and sand while running waiting for launch.  We may add on to it's length a little at a time each year.

Dave

[Dave_Trible]

Launch pad

[kevin king]

85 feet is what we use to mark off the circle. The launch pad is good idea too

[Peter in Fairfax, VA]

We use horse stall mats for takeoff area.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/utility-rubber-mat-black-4-ft-x-3-ft-x--frac12-in

[Rusty]

Thank you for the information.  Would the horse stall mats work for the center also?  That's a great idea.

[kevin king]

Rusty there are no written rules concerning the flying circle.    I put a 5' diameter concrete center pad on my circle just to have an even surface to fly on instead of stumbling around on dirt clods and/or mud.   It has sunk a little so we will eventually put a cap on top and go out to maybe 7' diameter.
I left 85' from the center to what are now rail ties and fence post boundaries to keep four wheelers out.   We just recently put down a four foot x three foot concrete starting pad so that the engines won't ingest dust and sand while running waiting for launch.  We may add on to it's length a little at a time each year.

Dave

Dave, what was the approximate cost of the cement launch pad and what distance  from the pad to the center of the circle?and did you use any rebar?

Kevin.

[Dave_Trible]

Kevin it wasn't too much-I think we put nine bags of dry pour in a 4" deep hole.   Yes I put rebar in a grid pattern.   Then sprayed the top with water from a garden sprayer.   After it crusted over we poured about five gallons of water on top every hour for about four hours.   I pulled the forms off the next afternoon and it was good to go.  I'd never tried this method before but it worked fine.   When we did the center pad we had a borrowed portable mixer and a generator to run it.  There is no power or water at my field so we had to carry it all in.   I looked at those rental trailers you can get with ready mix in it but the problem is no place to wash it out once done and about 20 miles to pull it so we did it this way.  When I redo the center pad I may just hire a concrete truck to bring it in though I'll have to take down a little of our barrier to let it get close enough.  As to location I put the launch pad out near the barrier line.  Once we take off we have to walk back eight or ten feet to the center pad.   We sure aren't landing on it and I want to be sure to clear the launching stooge when I land.

[Motorman]

You want something in the center so you don't make a hole. I just went to Home Depot and got the biggest paver I could find. 2'x2' square. Took a few flights to get use to the small pad but now I fly the whole pattern on it.

MM

[kevin king]

Thanks Dave. I think it's time for an upgrade at our flying field!

[Sina Goudarzi]

Hi,

This might be some help.

Red marks are enlarged version.

sina

[Steve Helmick]

I've seen big round concrete discs for landscaping...up to about 4' diameter. I have not bought any, but thought they'd make a fairly good circle center. Seem to recall that the stunt rules call for a 10' diameter pilot's circle.

If you're going to be seriously practice flying PA, you need to learn to use that 10' for avoiding wake turbulence and also to reduce airplane speed when the wind comes up. Both techniques really help!    Steve 

[Bob Heywood]

At the NATS C/L Navy Carrier uses modular workplace safety drainage mats for the center. Uline and Grainger sell them. They work just fine.

[john e. holliday]

I myself have thought of those when I qas a stocker for Neighborhood Market decades ago.