Allan Bennett Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Yesterday a friend who uses Spektrum equipment was instructing a student at our site. Being used to the model-match function on his own equipment, he assumed the student's transmitter (not a Spektrum) was using the correct model memory because the model was responding to stick inputs when he checked it prior to take-off. You know where this is going, don't you? When the model was chucked, it veered sharply left and went nose-in. Turns out the correct model hadn't been selected on the trannie, and the instructor had only noted that the correct surfaces responded -- not that they were responding in the wrong directions Luckily, not much damage to the foamie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon burch Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Easy mistake to make, but if instructing I would have hoped a control check would have been the first thing done before flying. Easy to comment in hindsight, but a good lesson if no one got hurt. Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Yet again we hear about this problem of control surfaces not going the right way - because the pre-flight checks haven't been done probably. We have to learn that just waggling the sticks and saying "OK everything moved" is just not good enough! TBH - I don't want to be mean - but this is bad for any flyer; for an instructor its almost unforgivable really! We're supposed to be teaching good habits and in my book proper, deliberately and carefully executed, pre-flights come pretty high up the list of good habits! BEB Edited By Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator on 13/10/2014 23:50:54 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Green Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Before trannies had model memories we always checked that everything moved the right way, it was instinctive when flying more than one model with the same tranny. There are many cases where a 'safety feature' has made us lazy and in fact more prone to mistakes ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Harris - Moderator Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Last time I checked, the BMFA handbook didn't exclude any makes of transmitter from the SMART checks... When I flew full sized gliders, remote as the possibility of crossed controls would be, the standard pre-flight checks included control direction - with assistance from outside for any surfaces not visible from the cockpit. It was unthinkable to connect a cable to the release until the checks were complete and it's something we would do well to emulate! I'd like to be able to claim that I perform SMART checks religiously at all times - unfortunately realising that I'd taken off with high rates selected last week proves otherwise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Even with model match it's really easy to accidentally reverse a control while 'adjusting' mixes, rates etc and I've seen someone make setup changes with entirely the wrong model selected. That can come as a shock when an engine starts on full throttle instead of idle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reg shaw Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 I'm with BEB on this, for an instructor to do it on someone elses model is inexcusable! Its simply not good enough to give the bits a wiggle, it needs to be a proper direction and travel check, no matter what the toy is. Even taxiing out, after the initial preflighting before start up, I like to always do the 'left up' in my head. Left aileron on the stick makes the left aileron go up. I have a mate that has done the reversed aileron thing more than twice and he will undoubtedly do it again!! Thing is though, he has flown the model round a circuit like that and 'got away with it', I know I couldn't so I make sure on the checks before hand!! Ian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hopkin Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 I think the key phrase in the original post is "ASSUME" It generally makes an ASS of U and ME..................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Bastow Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 From my days in the RAF we were always tought DONT ASSUME, CHECK. Good advice but unfortunately I have fallen into a similar trap myself. I had flown a model ok the day before, the next day I did a waggle and thought yes everything ok, launched model only to find reversed ailerons! Somehow I had reversed the ailerons on the model the night before while adjusting rates! A proper control check would have prevented this happening and I learnt from that! Edited By Cliff Bastow on 14/10/2014 13:46:04 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bennett Posted October 14, 2014 Author Share Posted October 14, 2014 Just to clarify things a little, the "instructor" was not an official instructor, just an club member, with plenty of flying experience, being helpful. I always say out loud "left, right, up, down, etc." when checking fixed-wing controls before take-off, and with my helis I always try all stick movements while they're still light on their skids. I'm sure my club-mate will be doing the same now, even with his model-match. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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