July 13, 2004 ACMA Meeting (safety items)

During this evenings meeting there were a couple of safety topics brought forward, they were as follows:

1. First item discussed was the impounding of radio gear, it has become apparent that this rule is being ignored by the masses. ACMA rule number 4 states that:

Rule 4. All transmitters must be impounded until the frequency pin can be obtained. No transmitters will be turned on unless the flier holds the frequency pin, and has posted his current AMA card on the frequency pin board. There is a 20-minute time limit on anyone holding a frequency pin.


This rule is a safety concern in that a radio out of the impound could accidentally be turn on while someone else is in flight with the frequency pin. Being this would cause an aircraft to be out of control and would cause damage to personal property (the plane and what ever it hits.) and could cause injury or death if a person was hit.

There is also an unwritten rule that goes with this. That is if you cause someone to crash because you turned on your radio and you don’t have the frequency pin and the flyer does you are responsible for the damages the flyer incurs.

Club officer will be stepping of enforcement of all club rules, so be aware and be advised.

2. The second item brought up was that someone taxied (moving plane under its own power) a quarter scale airplane behind the pilot pads. This is covered by rule 9 and is as follows:

Rule 9. No plane or helicopter may taxi between the pit area and the runway. Planes that are too large or too heavy to be safely carried or pushed may be taxied from either end of the pit area to the nearest taxiway. You must set up your field equipment at that end of the pit area. Taxiing between the taxiways and the center of the pit area is not permitted.


This in my mind, is a major Safety infraction in that people are placed directly in front of a running engine tuning a propeller at a fairly high rate of speed. The basic’s of this rule is that an aircraft with a running engine should never be pointed in the direction of people. If for some reason either by operator error or by radio failure the throttle is advanced, some one could be serious injured of killed.

While braking this rule is bad enough, the club member that broke the rule was approached by another club member and advised him to his actions. The club member blew off the member and made jokes about what he did. This is unacceptable conduct by a member of this club and I will be speaking to the member in question.

Again, Club Officers will be stepping up rule inforcement, so now would be a good time to re-read the rules and be aware of them. the rules are now pinned to the top of the safety section.

Evon Smith
Vice President/Safety Officer
ACMA :usaflag: