Plane inspections~
 

How do you all feel about getting your planes inspected before flying at a MAAC sanctioned event (fly-in) :)

Good idea but not feasable at most flyins I think with several hundred pilots and even more a/c.

Would hope that this would be done at the club level prior to attempting to fly but again not always done. I know at our club we checkout students a/c but we trust that the veterans know what they are doing. That said there are ussually enough people around when a new a/c comes to the field that it gets scrutinized pretty good.

Good topic though.... should generate some interesting comments. Perhaps worth even a poll!

Any new plane ( new or used but new-to-me) I bring to the field I have the chief instructor give it a once over and do the maiden flight. I'm not a newcomer ( been flying 4 years) but I know that if anything goes wrong he's the best we've got to try and bring it back.

dj

p.s. To answer the thread's question, no plane should have to be inspected at a MAAC event unless it's not been flown before. Actually, if it hasn't been flown before it shouldn't be at a big event anyway.

dj

Actually if it hasnt been flown before, it shouldnt be flown at ANY event where spectators are present, and definitely not at a fun fly.

That is the very first sentance in the MAAC safety code!!! :shock:

I have no problem getting my aircraft inspected as long as the inspector knows what he/she is doing, and is'nt on an agenda/ can understand what a safe and unsafe model is...

I enter a lot of contests. Our airplanes are always checked. It does not bother me. I build them properly anyway. Why would I not, it is my money, time and effort that gets buried if I do not.

Another side of this discussion is, in the event of a "Happening" is the person who checked and passed the airplane now liable for anything?

Ed S

haha, on this point I totally agree with you Andrew

I went to an IMAA meet a year or two ago. The inspector points to my optical ignition kill device ( Electrodynamics) and says "what's this thing?"

When I told him it was my "in-air engine kill switch" he says " Oh, thats a neat idea!".

I have no problems at all with inspections, but, WHO quailfies the Inspectors ?
http://www.rcflier.com/pics/smiley-flag.gif

A funfly, scale rally, contest or any other gathering of this sort is not the place to check out and test fly a new aircraft of any kind as per the MAAC saftey code as Andrew has already said.

As the CFI for our club, I know that when someone brings out a new plane to the field, they are thouroughly checked out by at least one other qualified person. After that and the plane/aircraft being in airworthy condition and the pilot/builder be competitent is allowed to do his maiden and subsequent test flights. Or if the person who own the craft is not totally comfortable flying his new pride, an instructor will do it for him.

One of our best pilots, Ron M, usually has this privledge if hes at the field at the time and as far as I know there have been NO problems. This year I have personally checked out and maidened three brand new planes with not one incident! As a matter of fact, I have had Ron or Brian take my competition plane up even though its flown before to help me find the absolutely best linkage/trim/throw setups.

When it comes to safety, there should be absolutely NO "skipping" over any details, even for a friend who is hot to trot to get his new plane in the air.

If I see someone I know and, he or she has been flying even for years, come out to the field with a well used plane and it even appears to be in something less than perfect airworthy shape, I take a few moments to go over and have a quick check of the craft. I have never had an honest and safety minded pilot object to this. And I have sent a pilot and plane home for repairs without having flown it that day for sure!

We have had our share of "mishaps" like any other club but I will repeat this: Safety is no place for anyone to become lax or complacent. As bad as this may sound, its not the person's airplane that I am concerned with should he/she crash. Shipments of Balsa come into this country every day and planes can be built and repaired. BUT Its the folks who could potentially get seriously injured, including the pilot himself that we should do everything within our power to assure a happy, safe and fun time of flying! Safety is EVERYONE'S responsibility.

Someone who would take an unproven aircraft to a show or any large gathering and fly it (or try to ) should have their mental facalties accessed and they are only asking for serious trouble. There is absolutely no excuse for this kind of uncaring attitude and it is definitely not needed or wanted.

Thanks for letting me have my nickle's worth!

Maidens ...
 

... I guess everyone is different. I am safety conscious. i would never even bring a plane I thought was unsafe to the field. I am very happy for (and I would encourage) others to double check the plane's airworthiness. Where I fly though (aurora) I can often be at the field alone...

As for maidens, personally, I don't understand people who can build a plane, and then hand it off to someone else to maiden. It's just not in my psyche to do that. I don;t care how qualified the other pilot is... *I* will maiden *my* plane! (when it is safe to do so....).

gus

I don't mind having my airplane checked over. I usually get my new plane checked before a maiden flight. There's always the possibility of having overlooked something. I also like to check out other peoples setups. Sometimes I find new ways of doing things.

At a fun-fly? I wouldn't mind but I don't think it's necessary.

Getting the right people to do it is key; both in skill and personality.

Don't see it as being an issue either.

Bob