holeshot9g
Heliman
Location: Tucson, AZ. USA
| I am a newbie to helis. I learned to fly helis just in the last couple of months. S#*t happens...usually to me...so I have developed a keen sense of potential dangers and try to avoid them whenever I can. When I saw the topic of "neckstrap dangers" I didn't have to read any of the posts to figure out where this thread was going. Here are a couple of safety precautions of my own that I practice religously: After I start the engine of my heli (usually under the shade tree), I carry it out to the spot where I will take off from. As I walk out to the spot holding the heli by the rotor head in my right hand, I carry the transmitter in my left hand with my thumb across the left stick gimbal and above the throttle stick in order to hold the throttle stick firmly down so that it dosen't accidently get throttled up by the transmitter brushing up against my leg or accidently hitting the throttle with any of my fingers. Second thing...after landing, if you are walking up to the heli to stop the rotor blades, obviously that flight is over. I can't speak for everyone, but to me, spinning rotor blades are a potential for danger. Turn the engine off with the transmitter and let the blades spool down to a speed that you are confident that if you did get whacked by a blade that there is absolutely no risk of injury. You know that little whistling noise the blades make as they are spooling down? They are takling to you! They are saying "BEWARE!" If they are spinning fast enough to whistle then you have no business leaning over them, putting your hands near them, or anything like that. If you do then you are asking for it. Don't encourage accidents, they will happen frequently enough on their own. Just stop and ask yourself, what could you possibly be in such a hurry for that you can't wait the 15 to 20 seconds it takes for the rotor to spool down on it's own, and that it is necessary to risk personal injury and damage to your heli? Also, I never ever lean over the heli while the engine is running. Even if you don't accidently hit the throttle what if your radio picked up the signal from someone else on the same frequency carelessly doing a range check or even if your radio just for no apparant reason just decided to spaz out? If you're leaning over it with the engine still running and it gets a wild hair and decides to go nuts, you're gonna get a face full of rotor blades! Face it, these things are very sophistocated flying lawnmowers! Do you tip your lawnmower over and look at the blade while the engine is running? Of course not! Spinning blades of any kind are dangerous and if you are careless around them they will reach out and smite thee! Go the extra mile to be extra cautious! Let all your heli memories be good ones!
Trevor |
Not pretty.. Seems pretty easy to avoid but it happens more than you know...
