As we close the book on the year 2013, it's
great to know that there were only a few minor injuries this year, that
occurred at our field. One of the last injuries of the year, unfortunately,
happened to yours truly. That's right your friendly Safety Officer, was
involved in an accident. You know the saying “Leading by Example”. Well I took
those words to the extreme.
If you are not familiar with the Parkzone
Stryker, (Even sounds like an accident waiting to happen), let me give a small
explanation. This all foam, rear engine pusher, high performance airplane is
blast to fly. It is very fast. But launching this airplane can be a problem. If you have this type of airplane you might
consider building a foot operated launching ramp.
I also added to my problem by using a
modified prop, that I installed, after I had damaged the original prop. This
new prop was just a tiny bit larger than the original prop, plus doing a bad
hand launch, cost me two very deep cuts to my right index finger. I ended up
needing 13 stitches to close the wounds. The bill for my medical care, from the
McDonough Urgent Care clinic, came to a whopping $850.00. Ho Ho Ho.
So now I am the poster child for “Please be
careful, It can happen.... to Anyone”.
Another small incident I witnessed, was
when someones prop decided it wanted to go flying,,,, but not with the
airplane!
One of the members of the club, started a
model with a 4 stroke nitro motor. It idled on the starting stand, and all
looked normal. When he advanced throttle, the engine misfired. The result was
that the prop, and the TWO nuts departed from the engine.
The prop instantly flew completely across
the runway and gained about 50 feet in altitude. Still spinning it then came
all the way back, and landed gently about 15 feet from where it started.
Luckily it did not hit or injure anyone. Had that prop hit someone the effect
could have been tragic. That is why it is so important to stand behind your
aircraft when running it up to full power.
It can Happen....To Anyone.
Our final incident came to my attention,
from a very seasoned member of our club. This incident took place at his home. The incident happened while working on a
rather large Gas Powered plane in his shop. He had moved the fuselage into the
shop and while doing so accidentally turned on the ignition switch. This in
effect armed the engine. All it took was a small movement of the prop, and the
engine fired. Running on just the fumes in the carb and the fuel line. The tank
was empty.
Again he was lucky, that no one was hurt
and there was no damage to anything in the house. I know it shook him up a bit.
So please remember....It can Happen.....To
Anyone.
In closing I'd like to wish all the
members of Henry County RC Club, and their families a very safe, and fun 2014.
Happy New Year.
Larry Przyborowski
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