dpcarey
Senior Heliman
Location: Ontario, Canada
| Wow, so many differences of opinions here. That is a good thing I think.
Unfortunately, I cannot take the time to address all the points made.
MarkC your points are well-articulated, but I find myself wondering which thread you have been reading. | Quote |
| Your logic here is upside down. During any good month nearly half of the helis that show up at the LHS that need repair are due to an "incident" in front of someone's house or their backyard or front room yet I have NEVER seen any of these in the news or in the papers or AMA magazine
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Not yet anyway. Whose logic is upside down here? You seem to be suggesting; since it hasn`t happened yet, that somehow it cannot happen . Your suggestion is simply not logical at all. The fact that you are comfortable saying this despite the significant proliferation of these small, powerful little helis into the hands of younger and younger members, really is "amazing".
I am concerned you may have to eat your own words one day.
With genuine sincerity (no kidding around here), I only hope it`s not your kid who takes a set of 450 carbons in the teeth on your own front lawn.
MarkC also said:
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| Innocent people have died playing with paintball guns. Innocent people get injured or killed by their neighbor using a chainsaw. This list is endless. If you believe that one isolated incident 2000 miles from you is going to force local legislation that is going to remove your rights to fly as you please then you harbor a form of paranoia that I cannot help you with.
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I, for one, am not suggesting we punish, or regulate, or control any of it. I am saying, there is a risk here and we should be aware of it. Because, failing to do so could not only end up hurting more "bystanders", it could hurt the hobby. For example, have you ever wondered why it is illegal to shoot a pellet gun within the boundaries of so many towns? I have; it is not as if a pellet gun is a real firearm that you can easily kill someone with. But somehow they are still illegal to shoot inside town. I bet it wasn`t always illegal though. Somewhere along the way, I bet some folks "2000 miles away", ignoring the dangers of pellet guns, probably did some silly stuff or simply had an accident...you get the picture. The end result is, now I can`t even shoot at targets in my own backyard!
BTW, now The Law also says I must wear a helmet while riding my bycycle - even when it is 100 degrees outside! They tell me it is for my own "safety". But, I didn`t ask them (The Law) to protect me from my bycycle. What if I get heatstroke?
The real point here is, you are absolutely correct MarkC, "the list IS endless". I just hope we do not get added to "the list". Because, sometimes the rules DO get changed and imposed - despite your assertions to the contrary.
You are also completely correct in stating that we "are our own worst enemies". The problem is, you and I disagree on the meaning of your words.
929pilot said:| Quote |
| You may think the vid is dangerous, but I would say you flying your Pred 90 at your AMA club field is far more dangerous than JK flying a Trex 500 in front of his house.
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Not to my kid playing out front of my house it isn`t! C`mon 929, I know you have to agree with that. We aren`t talking about the risks to others in the hobby, we are talking about people (ignorant bystanders) in our neighbourhoods - we are talking about little kids !
929pilot also said:| Quote |
| Flying done at a club field is NOT inherently safer and the notion that bystanders assume a certain risk because they are at the field is bogus.
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You might want to brush up on Commom Law 101. A person willingly exposing themselves to risk most certainly does mitigate liability in the event of an accident. This does not eliminate the liability, but it can significantly reduce it as long as they (the victim) were of sound mind at the time of the accident, no negligence occurred, and the risks were known or obvious. In addition, I am quite confident that spinning, whirring helicopter blades would definitely qualify as an obvious risk to most Judges. If the defense disagreed with that assertion, I would suggest the plaintiff hover a 450, in idle2, in front of the Judges` bench - that`ll do it. Pronouncing such a well-known legal concept as "bogus" is, well... "bogus"
Anyways guys, most of us here arguing for caution are NOT arguing for a police-state or freedom infringements etc. Please, go back and read what the majority of the posts are saying. Most calls for safety are reasoned and balanced. When you suggest otherwise, you are engaging in your own fear mongering and then we all start fighting .
Personally, I fly my 450 in town sometimes. I am careful how and when I do it. I don`t fly over homes, or anywhere else I cannot fully see. But when I see a video of guy building momentum with his heli towards his neighbours` house, I get a little nervous and envision the possibilties. The fact that the video was that of an RCheli celebrity apparently being endorsed by the Worlds` foremost Heli manufacturer, just makes it more of a concern. Simply stated, I think it is a bad message to send out to the public and young members/newbies alike - in addition to the aforementioned, overblown material dangers.
For experienced RC`rs (rated R)the video really was entertaining in a "don`t try this at home" sort of way and I enjoyed it while simutaneously worrying about its` impact.
 Cheers guys, I`m done. It`s friday at midnight...way past my bedtime. Tomorrow is a new day. Lets try not to be emotional on this one, but rather analytical and contributing.
My words to JK (whom I`ve never met) should he be reading this at some point; Superb flying, smooth, controlled - really superb. Remember, none of this is directed towards you personally - none. It is simply a tackling of the bigger issues that happened to be ignited as a result. |
