Reminder about safety thongs

[Brett Buck]

I forgot about this one, and it's just a reminder anyway, but it might save you some points.

  At the NATs, I saw someone remove their safety thong to hand the handle to the helper while he got the airplane. Fine, and considerate - except that he removed the thong and shifted it to his left hand *while the airplane was still rolling out*. The judges did not notice and did not DQ him, although they could have. Additionally, this airplane did not have brakes on the wheels, so the rollout was quite extended and the pilot made no effort to get it to stop, also adding 10-15 seconds to the timing, which only stops at wheel stop.

   It's a little thing, but the flight continues until the airplane stops rolling, and you have to have your thong on until the flight is over. So, keep paying attention until the airplane is halted on the ground. If it's an electric, keep paying attention until the arming plug is removed (although you can remove the safety thong, you have to keep holding the handle).

    Brett

[Tim Wescott]

!!

If I don't keep walking backwards as my plane lands, about half the time it comes in on the lines and does this ugly little pirouette.  I should probably put some brakes on the thing -- but I certainly don't stand down until the airplane does.

[john e. holliday]

About 99% of the time the safety thong is still on my wrist when I try to walk to my plane in the pit/tear down area. 

[Will Davis]

Brett,

Thanks for the reminder , great advice for the competitor. On the Friday evening  before every Huntersville  NC contest, we  have a judges clinic for a tune up for the judges and competitors that want to learn to judge .

 At the last contest  , I did something different , I flew  with intention to make several pattern loosing mistakes ,  I told  the judges to judge the flight just like a contest  .

 I did several  mistakes, including , too few Laps inverted , one and half laps before the oh 8  and others.. one of the errors was to remove the safety thong before the model stopped rolling ,  none of the participants caught the  safety thong infraction  , but I bet they will catch it this October ..

Thanks for posting , good advice

[RC Storick]

Brett is talking about me however I think he is error on the stopped part. The plane was stopped in my opinion and I guess the judges also. The wheels do roll a long way so I might add brakes by the way I was under 7 minutes anyway.

[Brett Buck]

Brett is talking about me however I think he is error on the stopped part. The plane was stopped in my opinion and I guess the judges also. The wheels do roll a long way so I might add brakes by the way I was under 7 minutes anyway.

  I wasn't going to say who it was, since it doesn't matter to the discussion. But, no, it wasn't stopped.  In fact, you were turned around looking at me with the thong off, and the handle in your left hand, while the airplane was still rolling. I was semi-whispering to you to stop the roll when it finally stopped, at which point I heard the watch get stopped. I think the timer on that circle was Randy Ryan, I was looking right at the judges to see if you were going to get DQed. And completely independently Paul asked me if you had gotten DQed for the same thing.

   It wasn't dangerous, it wasn't close to running over, but you could easily have gotten a 0 for that flight. As it turned out, it wouldn't have affected anything because your morning flight was a 529 or something like that, and this one was a 512, so it didn't figure into the results anyway.

   Put brakes on the airplane, hold the handle until it stops.

    Brett

[wwwarbird]

If I don't keep walking backwards as my plane lands, about half the time it comes in on the lines and does this ugly little pirouette.

 That one could be an easy fix, how about tightening the outboard wheel just a smidge?

[Brad Smith]

Ok how do you put brakes on a plane?

[Brett Buck]

Ok how do you put brakes on a plane?

    Use very short bit of fuel tubing slipped over the axle, and put the collars on so that the tubing is compressed. You can cut the tubing to very small lengths if you put the fuel tube in brass tubing that fits it closely, then use a razor blade to slice off a thin section. Mine are usually about 1/32".

    A more sophisticated version is to leave enough gap that the wheel can freewheel, and put the tubing on the outboard end of the axle. Then, when you pull sideways, you can selectively cause the tubing to apply braking force.

   Either way solves the endless rollout problem. The first method helps with bounces and causes the airplane to plant firmly, the second method permits you to control the stopping point better. I usually set them for selective braking most of the year, then at the NATs and Golden State, adjust it for pressure all the time.

    Brett

[Motorman]

Are you saying the thong has to stay on until the battery is unplugged? Is that written in black and white anywhere?

MM

[john e. holliday]

Go read the rules again.   I think the statement was the handle was released to change hands and thong removed before the plane quit rolling. 

[Brett Buck]

Are you saying the thong has to stay on until the battery is unplugged? Is that written in black and white anywhere?

   No, I didn't. I said that you had to keep hold of the handle until the plug is removed. And yes, that is written in black and white, in the AMA Rulebook.

    Brett

[FLOYD CARTER]

I've seen long roll-outs.  Never seen an "endless" roll-out.  On very smooth asphalt at the Eugene airport, where I fly, my best plane will roll maybe 1/4 lap on landing.  Takes maybe 4 seconds.  That is far from putting me over the 8 minute limit.  A smooth roll-out looks scale.  After all, my full-size plane rolls out for about 30 seconds (if the runway is long enough).

Floyd

[Tim Wescott]

   No, I didn't. I said that you had to keep hold of the handle until the plug is removed. And yes, that is written in black and white, in the AMA Rulebook.

It says that the airplane must be restrained, but it doesn't say you have to keep holding the handle if someone else is holding the plane.

Really, Brett, if there's anyone in the entire universe who should remember the wording and the intent, it's you.

[Brett Buck]

It says that the airplane must be restrained, but it doesn't say you have to keep holding the handle if someone else is holding the plane.

Really, Brett, if there's anyone in the entire universe who should remember the wording and the intent, it's you.

   What does the last sentence of the first response I wrote say? 

If it's an electric, keep paying attention until the arming plug is removed (although you can remove the safety thong, you have to keep holding the handle).

   What is it with you guys? This is not complicated.

    Brett