Static on the Line. Zap.

[Peter in Fairfax, VA]

Had some hot weather with pop-up storms last night.  Sure enough, static built up on the lines and zapped me when I was doing my first loops with my new Pathfinder.  One way to tell a storm was really close; it then started raining.  No thunder or lightning.

The shock was alarming as I went to do my first loops with a new plane.  Didn't crash, but kept the plane low for the rest of the flight, flying one to three feet off the deck.  Also grabbed the lines with my opposite hand to be sure they were grounded to avoid another static discharge.  The handle I was using was an old-school hot rock, so I made sure to keep my flying hand in contact with the metal cable adjuster, as well.  No more shocks. I know of others that wrap a portion of their handle with un-insulated wire in contact with the lines so they are always grounded. 

Any thoughts regarding static?

thanks,

Peter

[john e. holliday]

Yes static does happen when no storms are around.  It is the dry weather.  We learned that that at a contest at Pawnee Rock KS.  That is one of the reasons for the metal contact on Big Iron's handles.   

[Dan McEntee]

   Yeah, like the old saying goes, it's always worst before the the storm. And you will notice it happens when your lines are 90degrees to the approaching system. My first time was with an EZ-just also, and where the cable snaked through the handle caused a nasty burn to the palm of my hand. At the first sign of dark clouds, wind shifts and a drop in temps, I pack things up. Was flying sailplanes once when it clouded up fast and everyone's hair was standing up! We got out of there FASTER THAN FAST!
   Type at you later,
    Dan McEntee

[John Leidle]

  The first time it happened to me I was unaware of the possibility also noticed black carbon marks inside of my hand,,,second time was my first ever official flight at the NATS   Laweranceville, Il.   1993.
  John L.

[goozgog]

I learned about getting zapped early
when I was 17 and flying my Flight Streak
with a U-Reely.

  Perfectly clear sky on a warm and calm
summer evening. It was like holding onto
a lawnmower spark plug lead.

 Zap!  then two panicky laps then Zap! again.

Got it low over long grass and let go.
It was an unforgettable learning experience !

Cheers - K.

[Steve Fitton]

Your braver than I was.  From my vantage point of that same storm from Williamsburg I could see cloud to cloud lightning when I got to the field.  by the map it looked like 70-80 miles away but I took no chances and flew a rc park flyer instead.

[L0U CRANE]

There was quite a discussion about this a few years back, here and the SSW.

In it I mentioned my 'best' zap story:- Early to mid-1970s. - Flying about 30 miles south of Omaha.. got  a few zaps, so made sure to touch metal, I hoped, to bleed off any charge that was building. T'wasn't enough, even flying low and level. I could see thunder-boomies building about over Omaha. Nothing closer. Eventually, the charges grew strong enough to zap through the rubber soles of my sneaks. I was very glad when the fuel ran out!

About that time there was also a report of a flier - no one we knew - struck by lightning at one of our frequently used sites. I went by there and am sure I saw I saw a fetal curl shaped scorch at about our usual center. There were HV  power lines - about 150 feet at the closest - from any possible path of a CL model in flight...