Fatscoleymo Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Sad to report a very serious accident at our club site last Sunday afternoon. Although I was not present, another member has related the detail to me and the club are issuing emails to keep us all informed. I belong to the St Jean D'angely club here in SW France. We're only about 30 members, of which 5 of us are Brits. On Sunday during a club 'fun' competition a french member was hit on the head by his own model and seriously injured. He is in a critical condition. He has 4 cranial fractures, one of which to a frontal lobe which I am told is a particularly bad area to receive injury. After it happened an ambulance was called (luckily we are quite close to the hospital) and after initial treatment the air ambulance was called. All in all he was being treated at the field for close on 2 hours (the helicopter spent an hour on the ground before they felt he could be moved). He was airlifted to Bordeaux - around 90 miles away, and operated on that evening. He is now in an induced coma for about a week. His progress over the next 10 - 15 days is the critical time. If he progresses well they will do reconstructive surgery on his scull in about a months time. He will spend at least 6 months in recovery. All being well. It's far too early to know if he will have any long term consequences. He was involved in a 'fun' (that word does not seem right now) combat competition at the time. He was wearing head protection - but the model hit him almost vertically, and he would be looking at it at the time. He was standing with other pilots on the flightline. The aircraft being flown were small, with corrugated plastic flying surfaces, and a .25 ic motor, probably weighing only a kilo or so. But travelling fast. The commitee have already met to discuss and we are having a full club meeting on Saturday. Flying for the moment is cancelled. I wish Pascal a full recovery and my thought s are with him and his family. Take note everyone !!!! Be careful. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Wright Stuff Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Steve, Thank you for taking the time to pass this on. The injuries sound truly horrific - he sounds like he is in good hands and was very lucky to have received rapid treatment. I wish him, his family and your club all the best on what will be a difficult time for all involved. Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly boy3 Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Terrible news Steve, wish him all the best for full recovery. FB3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Jones Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Hi Steve, Terrible news, I hope that a full recovery is eventually possible Thank you for raising our awarenes, perhaps if appropriate you may be able to advise us of the manouvre being carried out at the time. Of course that is not important right now, the most important thing is that Pascal receives the care and support he needs and it seems that is well in place. Best wishes to everyone affected, Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Walters Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Oh that's really bad news Steve! Like everyone else I wish Pascal a full recovery and maybe you'll keep us all informed as to how things go? Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Hi Steve, Really sorry to hear about that. I do sometimes wonder if the french clubs are as safety aware as they are in the UK. I've never been asked for proof of insurance, Nor have I been asked about my competency. EG, the scottish bronze certificate, which I had to have to be accapted tp fly unaided in Montrose etc. In fact to be honest, I dont even know if a certificate system exists in France. But enough wingeing, bon chance to Pascal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 It seems so unlikely that a pilot would be hit by his own model as he would surely be looking at it and avoid it.. Much, much more likely that one would get hit by someone elses out of control model........ I do think we need the facts when they are known so that we can all learn from this terrible accident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Harris - Moderator Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 That sounds horrific and I do hope the pilot makes a good recovery. kc, I flew 1/12 scale combat for a few years and if my experience is anything to go by, combat pilots only have one eye on their own model and are concentrating as much on the other models - both attacking and defending. A model going out of control after a collision or flicking out of a turn close to the flight line could easily be on you faster than you could react. Combat is great fun but I did have some reservations about the effectiveness of the industrial hard hats normally used - I invested in an old US "tin helmet" as I felt it gave better protection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatscoleymo Posted June 11, 2014 Author Share Posted June 11, 2014 Hi Guys I've just heard the latest. Pascal has had some infection and they have decided to operate to 'close up' some of the wound tomorrow - to help stop the chance of further infection. They believe that he is strong enough to cope with this, although they would have preferred to do it at a later date. It seems that although a high risk operation it is preferable to further, perhaps more serious infection. Ernie: I can't comment on the particular incident as i was not there, but I have in the past expressed my concerns about safety at our field. The practices of a lot of our members are, at best not good, and many times dangerous in my eyes:- starting large petrol engined models by hand that are not restrained in any way, hand launching planes from the pits towards the backs of pilots on the flightline, low fast much too close flybys, landing on the grass between the pits and the patch etc. and little communication between flyers about what they are intending to do. They also fly these small combat planes very close even on 'normal' days. Because of this, I made the decision a couple of years ago to generally give the usual club days a miss and fly on other days. I do attend the 'special' days usually (although last weekend i could not get there),and they are a great bunch of blokes. I was there the previous Sunday for the club picnic, this sort of thing went on then. We all belong to the club and are insured through it, but I've never had to sit a 'test' to prove I'm competent. (I had A and B and club instructor certs back in the UK). kc:- It was his own model. As Martin says, they fly these things very close (much too close in my eyes) to themselves and it is a very frenetic activity trying to follow/intercept another plane that is trying to avoid you. The week before I watched one of our British lads bury a plane into the patch right in front of himself. It was an electric foamy (flying combat), and he just got it wrong at low level - he couldn't explain afterwards why. Even that would cause damage if it hit you. I hope all goes well tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingKade Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Oh my word... I wish him a speedy recovery and i hope the treatment he is receiving means he is not in any pain.... all my thoughts for him and the family.... kk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeS Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Hope he makes a full recovery. Safety in our hobby is paramount and a good set rules set up by the committee which everyone follows should be setup. At my club I have seen rules broken by members all the time even by those of the committee. I fly with safety in mind and try to fly to a good standard. However accidents do happen. Fingers crossed for tomorrow. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony F Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 In my job I see some horrific injuries and the human body is an amazing machine and can recover from some serious trauma...I hope he recovers from his injuries and wish him and his family all the very best for now and in the future...........Bonne chance Pascal. Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cymaz Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Steve, maybe now is the time to recommend to the club committee that the safety rules should be tightened up and or changed to make things safer and adopt new methods, while events are still fresh in the minds of club members? Or might you get the shrug of the shoulders. I hope not. I wish him a speedy recovery and thoughts to his family. Edited By cymaz on 12/06/2014 08:41:42 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bran Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Nasty Business............ I recently watched a member arrive at our patch with a newly built and unflown fun fly ( EP power, big motor and large funfly low pitch prop). He spent several minutes setting up his Tx with a new model memory for it, then took it to the strip, taxied it no more than two metres away from himself, turned it 180 to face it straight back at himself, and stabbing it to full throttle took off, pulling it immediately vertical. Now, to do that at all, let alone with an untrimmed unknown quantity that he'd set up hurridly while at the patch....................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Wright Stuff Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Posted by Dave Bran on 12/06/2014 09:41:13: Nasty Business............ I recently watched a member arrive at our patch with a newly built and unflown fun fly ( EP power, big motor and large funfly low pitch prop). He spent several minutes setting up his Tx with a new model memory for it, then took it to the strip, taxied it no more than two metres away from himself, turned it 180 to face it straight back at himself, and stabbing it to full throttle took off, pulling it immediately vertical. Now, to do that at all, let alone with an untrimmed unknown quantity that he'd set up hurridly while at the patch....................... Sounds like a Darwin Award candidate!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanR Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Steve, if you are too "afraid" to attend usual club days then it seems to me that your club's safety regulations need a thorough overhaul. No doubt after this incident this will take place, anyway - but oh what a dreadful way to make this happen. We're all very clever after the event, aren't we? Best wishes for Pascal. Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatscoleymo Posted June 12, 2014 Author Share Posted June 12, 2014 All members have been invited to a meeting at the patch on Saturday. I have no doubt that all the safety issues will be raised and I for one will be asking for more thought by people at all times when they are there. It is a little more difficult to get your point over in a foreign language (my French is not fluent) - run the risk of getting it slightly wrong, or the nuance not quite right and somebody might take the hump. Geez - that even happened to me when I was chairman of our club in England when we all spoke the same language. It's a fine line as I found out then. Have not heard today how Pascal is. Hope all is well. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cymaz Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 You could give them a copy of the BFMA handbook to translate at their leisure. Some new rules could be based on parts of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaunie Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 My best wishes to Pascal for a full and speedy recovery. I just hope the club takes it as a salutary lesson and institutes some changes, rather than just a Gallic shrug. Shaunie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plummet Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Please just let the folk who need to know it that we care about it. Plummet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Hi all and Steve, I totally agree about misunderstanding the nuances of the language. Also I find that the french think that I'm more aggressive than the typical Frenchman......... I see that as straight forward, and normal Finally I think that, as a foreigner, you have to be very sensitive about interfering in just about anything. As I'm sure you well know, they make lots of rules, use lots of rubber stamps, then cheerfully ignore everything that they have decided Nevertheless Vive la France ernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatscoleymo Posted June 13, 2014 Author Share Posted June 13, 2014 Ernie you've summed it up! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuban8 Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Posted by Dave Bran on 12/06/2014 09:41:13: Nasty Business............ I recently watched a member arrive at our patch with a newly built and unflown fun fly ( EP power, big motor and large funfly low pitch prop). He spent several minutes setting up his Tx with a new model memory for it, then took it to the strip, taxied it no more than two metres away from himself, turned it 180 to face it straight back at himself, and stabbing it to full throttle took off, pulling it immediately vertical. Now, to do that at all, let alone with an untrimmed unknown quantity that he'd set up hurridly while at the patch....................... Presumably your club's committee will be having a word?.................................... Edited By Cuban8 on 13/06/2014 10:46:15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I think one of the things this shows is that, at the core, safety isn't about rules. Yes, you need rules for guidance and to provide a framework within which you operate. You also need them as the justification for taking action against those who persist in unsafe practices. But rules on their own won't make your flying field safe. Safe day to day practice is an attitude, a state of mind, its not compliance with rules. People have to embrace the willingness to be safe in what they do and rules can't do that. I've found that one of the best ways to achieve safe flying practices is for the most experienced and the most admired pilots in the club to set a first class example. Beginners in particular will tend to follow that example - "If its good enough for him - and he really knows what he's doing and very rarely crashes - then its good enough for me". If your "star pilots" and experienced "old dogs" don't give out the right message - then all the rules in the world won't help you. BEB Edited By Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator on 13/06/2014 11:07:08 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Rothwell Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 BEB`s comments are not only true about flying, but about life generally David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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