John Privett Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 No, we can't fly alone. But that's part of the conditions under which we are permitted to fly at all, and it's not for our members' safety, but the safety of the public who have access to the site. At least one other person has to be present - though it doesn't need to be a club member, just a "responsible person" to act as a lookout. It can be a nuisance at times when nobody else turns up to fly, but it's a great site and I'd rather have that occasionally than never be able to fly there. And with 230+ members, if nobody else turns up it usually means the weather is rubbish anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Cooper Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 All our members are aware of the potential issues of flying alone but we don't treat them like they are six years old; so if they want to fly, they can -- it is their choice. B.C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy G. Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 My club has a 'no lone flyer' policy at our club sites, but we are lucky here in that there several other non club sites where individuals can lone fly, so best of both worlds really...Club camaraderie and lone flying.. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ashby - Moderator Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 Posted by Bob Cotsford on 16/07/2014 15:43:40: One aspect of my club's ban on lone flying is that it is still permissable to ground run a model with all the inherent dangers of starting and tuning a motor alone - surely the highest risk part of flying? I'm pretty sure the primary reason for the lone-flyer ban is so that there is witness if the witch lady down the road complains to the council about 'jets' being flown too low again. We have NEVER allowed jets but Birmingham Airport is just a couple of miles away! pre-edited for language by Bob Cotsford Edited By Bob Cotsford on 16/07/2014 15:48:32 LOL, excellent, well done Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Jenkins Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 I am a member of two clubs. At one, because we share the field with full size it is now mandatory to have a spotter to advise the pilot flying that a full size wishes to land or take off. The other task at one of the sites in this club is to control the flow of vehicular traffic across the patch. There are also pedestrians and horses/horse drawn vehicles to contend with! The other site has no such issues and you can fly on your own with the exception of gas turbine aircraft. So David, a "Yes but with some qualification" might have been a good additional category. I have to say, that the only time I've injured myself has been on my first visit to the first Club I joined when I reached over the prop to remove the glow clip! That resulted in a cut from the prop to the fleshy part of my palm. I didn't need any other help to deal with the cut, thankfully, and after an hour felt up to having my first flight with a suitably plastered palm - first aid kit in my car. Within a year of joining this Club they had to introduce a spotter as a full size gliding club moved onto the airfield and the spotter requirement has remained in force ever since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Green Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 I think of all my hobbies, throwing a toy aeroplane around is probably the least dangerous So many people you meet these days have been deeply conditioned by endless 'health & safety' directives, and whilst they seem content in their cotton-wool world they have lost sight of life itself. Its mass brainwashing These people will never learn risk-management since their lifestyle dictates that they never ever see one! /2p Cheers Phil Edited By Phil Green on 17/07/2014 14:38:00 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn K Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Our club is a 'Yes' as well. (SCRCS). We have a pretty remote field accessed by a farm track. 24x7 flying is allowed - and we fly in the dark (or some do) as well. A first aid kit is nailed to a tree and GPS co-ordinates are available in case of emergency. There is also a local farm/farmer that uses the same track. We have had no crisis (loss of limb etc) yet - but a couple of chopped fingers (including mine). I spent more time teaching myself to fly - going down when I knew there would be nobody on site (usually bad weather) - it really helped me prep for my 'A' and I am doing the same now prepping for my 'B'. I find it much easier to practice when I can hog the sky without feeling guilty. M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eflightray Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Does your club allow members to fly by themselves? Yes . It's my club and I'm the only club member. It's great, no moaning, no winging, no waiting my turn, no pain in the butt flyers, But, I wouldn't say I was totally on my own, it's a sports field and the grounds men are often there, occasional dog walker, also occasional passing divers see a model and stop to watch. I think many of us have done more harm to ourselves building models than we ever get at the field. Plus the risk of driving to and from the field on my own has greater potential for a disaster, (models may get damaged if I crash). Safety is very important, I probably think more about that while flying than at any other time, (even driving ? . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Blake 1 Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 At our club we do not prohibit lone flyers but have always strongly advised in the interests of personal and public safety there should always be somebody else present, even if it is the wife or girl friend. We recently had to summons ambulance and paramedice to a bad fall on to a spinning prop and the ambulance has difficulty locating our flying strip. The East Anglian Ambulance Service have now ascertained the map reference for both our flying sites and have recorded them so that should we need to call on them again we just have to say he we are and at which site and it comes up on their satnav. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erfolg Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 This is one poll that has restored my faith in common sense of the majority. The only thing I have to add some of the accident stories have a ring of the tales my daughter and son-in-law tell of people presenting themselves in hospital, I just fell backwards and............................. of course we all now know if they were not alone, that embarrassing event would not have happened. Although in this case they all seem to happen when some on is present, Hmmmmmmm, perhaps we should only fly alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Smalley Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 to all those clubs out there that do not permit lone flying, unless you have a very good reason (public site, full size ect) then i am afraid your losing the plot, i am an adult i can drive a car on my own, i can cross a road on my own and if i really want to i can go out in the rain on my own as well, seriously guys most of us are adults and if i wish to fly on my own we should allowed to, we are still covered under the ANO and as long as we are sensible then the risks are minimal, of course there will be incident and accidents but they are very rare and we should not over-react! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graeme jones Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 I feel a lot safer when flying on my own, just as I do driving down a quiet road in the early morning rather than a busy motorway in the rush hour. Graeme Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Richardson Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Our club does permit members to fly alone and a lot do, personally I don't unless it is a small electric, much prefer to have someone to natter to while I am flying can also act as a caller if I am trying to make the aircraft do some of the aerobatic moves it seems to not want to do. Also makes me feel a little more secure should something unexpected arise, ( unspotted field workers, or spectators in the wrong spot ) our field is close to the road so we do get people in from time to time. Just M.H.O. Edited By Tony Richardson on 26/07/2014 19:02:06 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Our club does allow lone flying, but takes a position that it doesn't encourage it - especially with larger models. But its actually up to each member to make their own decision. BEB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Winks Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Posted by Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator on 26/07/2014 21:45:09: Our club does allow lone flying, but takes a position that it doesn't encourage it - especially with larger models. But its actually up to each member to make their own decision. BEB Same at both clubs I belong to, though in practice the all leccy club is where lone flying happens most Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich too Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Based on my own experience I am pleasantly surprised at how many allow it! Concorde - my local club - doesn't allow it I am sure, and that's one of the main reasons I don't do clubs. Another I joined because it used a private airfield (but it folded) also did not allow lone flying - pita!! Rich ps I can't vote because I am not in a club, whats the poll result?!! Edited By Rich2 on 27/07/2014 17:49:02 Edited By Rich2 on 27/07/2014 17:50:29 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Reid Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Our field is off the beaten track and a long way from help if needed. We advise, but don't rule, members not to fly alone,. After all most of us are old men and illness may strike as well as injury. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flite08 Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Posted by Lee Smalley on 17/07/2014 16:29:27: to all those clubs out there that do not permit lone flying, unless you have a very good reason (public site, full size ect) then i am afraid your losing the plot, i am an adult i can drive a car on my own, i can cross a road on my own and if i really want to i can go out in the rain on my own as well, seriously guys most of us are adults and if i wish to fly on my own we should allowed to, we are still covered under the ANO and as long as we are sensible then the risks are minimal, of course there will be incident and accidents but they are very rare and we should not over-react! Yes we are all adults (mostly) and as such we should be able to choose whether we fly alone or not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Harris - Moderator Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Rich: Yes 76% Yes, but... 1% No 11% No, but... 11% (285 votes) I'm sorry you've had bad experiences with clubs - many of us get a great deal out of the camaraderie and company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 My site on the marais is closely supervised by a big black and white stork. She does allow me to fly alone, but gets very upset at some of my landings. Some time ago, she brought a couple of wee ones to spectate, and to fall about at my big white birds feeble flying skills ernie Edited By Ernie on 31/07/2014 15:33:03 Edited By Chris Bott - Moderator on 31/07/2014 18:53:47 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Walters Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 LOL Ernie!!! You've got a 'storker' then! Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Hi all, especially Chris. What did you edit? I was oh so careful with my posting no naughty words, no foreign stuff, and very very careful re ###trics ernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich too Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Posted by Martin Harris on 30/07/2014 23:05:02: Rich: Yes 76% Yes, but... 1% No 11% No, but... 11% (285 votes) I'm sorry you've had bad experiences with clubs - many of us get a great deal out of the camaraderie and company. Thanks Martin, at least most clubs allow it, I think that's a positive thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Posted by Ernie on 01/08/2014 20:03:57: Hi all, especially Chris. What did you edit? I was oh so careful with my posting no naughty words, no foreign stuff, and very very careful re ###trics ernie Nothing you wrote, Ernie - ISTR seeing some large blank spaces in your post and I think Chris just tidied things up Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Hi Pete, that's not large blankspaces, that's typographical layout Artistic censorship, what next? ernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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