Attending were Cooks, Maupin, Granger, Anliker, Marken, Smith, Creedon, Crumley, Dantzler, Henley, McIntyre, Benjamin, Fitch, Calkins, Green, Bruce, Berger, Austin, Kampmann, Berson. And guests Tim Bawgle and Jeff and Ethan Porter.
Treasurer report: $6828.95 total assets.
Old business: Austin needs a field mower for June.
Safety discussion: Kampmann suggested having someone on hand during field mowing for safety. Another member thought a cell phone would be helpful.
New business:
Cindy Cook said a new Hobby Shop is open in Port Hadlock across the street from Grove Windows on Rhody Drive.
Greene donated two nice tables that he bought at a school sale for $1 each.
Austin proposed a fun fly event in June. June 9th was chosen (June 16th if it rains on the 9th).
Bruce described two crashes that may have been caused by radio interference. The board approved the purchase of a $50 radio interference scanner to help locate any problems.
Crash of the Month: Bruce won the prize after limited discussion. No one could compete against his "two crashed planes in one day".
Meeting adjourned.
Submitted by Bill Berson
You might think this is a simple thing to do,
but each time I’m at the field, I see mishaps that
could have been avoided if the pilot would have
only taken the time to make some routine
checks. A good preflight check should start
before your airplane is assembled. You should
go through a meticulous check of all parts of the
airplane before assembly, because some very
important things cannot be accessed afterwards.
Start at the front of the airplane and proceed to
the rear.
1. Propeller/Spinner - Check the spinner for
cracks, especially around the screw holes. A
cracked spinner could come apart when the
engine is started and injure you or someone
standing close by. Also check the propeller for
cracks and nicks. Propellers take a beating. A
damaged propeller can be very dangerous if the
blades come off at speed.
2. Throttle linkage – Check to make sure that
the screws are secure and the pushrod (or cable)
is firmly attached and not damaged.
3. Engine mount bolts – Make sure all bolts
are present (obvious) and they are tight. Do not
forget to check the bolts that hold the motor
mount to the firewall!
4. Muffler – Check to make sure the muffler
bolts are tight. Also check that the tailpiece is
tight and will not rotate.
5. Firewall – Grasp the airplane by the
propeller and fuselage, and rock back and forth
to make sure the firewall is not loose.
6. Landing gear – Check the wheel collars
and axles to make sure they are tight. Spin the
wheels to make sure they rotate freely. If you
have wheel pants, check that they are secure
and tight. Check the landing gear attachment
bolts to make sure they are tight.
7. Servos/Linkages – With the wing off (or through an access cover) check each servo to make sure the attachment screws are in place and tight. Check each control-rod linkage to make sure it is firmly attached and bolts, screws, and connectors are tight. While in this area, check any wire connections you have access to such as battery, switch, etc.
You should also check wing-attachment points to make sure they are solid and tight.
8. Check the batteries with a load test-type checker. The batteries must remain in the safe zone even under load. If they do not, recharge before you fly. Make sure the load test meter is the proper type for the kind and number of cells you are testing. If you have mixed batteries in your airplane (for example a Lithium Ion on the receiver and NiMH on the ignition) it is a good idea to put a note on the charge jack as to type and size as a reminder for both charging and testing.
9. Horizontal stabilizer – Grasp and pull on the stabilizer to make sure it is attached solidly. Pull on the elevator (both halves) to make sure the hinges are tight. Check the control horn and the control rod to make sure they are attached solidly. Also check that you have a "safety device" (i.e. piece of fuel line) to make sure the linkage cannot come loose from the control horn. If you use flying wires, check to make sure they are tight.
10. Vertical stabilizer – Grasp and pull on the fin to make sure it is attached securely. Pull on the rudder to make sure the hinges are tight. Check the control horn and the control rod to make sure they are attached solidly. Also check that you have a "safety device" (i.e. piece of fuel line) to make sure the linkage cannot come loose from the control horn.
11. Antenna – If your antenna is accessible, check it for nicks or breaks.
12. Wing – Check the wing for obvious damage such as tears in the covering, broken ribs, etc. Grasp and pull on each aileron and flap to make sure the hinges are tight. Check each control horn to make sure they are tight and the control rods are attached solidly. Make sure you have a "safety device" (fuel line) on each clevis to ensure they cannot come loose during flight. Check wing bolts or any other means used to attach the wing.
Now attach the wing, and check to make sure the bolts have the correct torque to hold the wing solidly.
13. Check controls - Once the wing is in place, turn on the radio and, with the antenna collapsed, check all controls for ease of movement and correct direction of travel.
14. If this will be the first flight on the airplane, verify that the Center of Gravity (CG) is within the safe range. If you are unaware of what that range is, it is usually safe to test fly at 25% of the chord of the wing from the leading edge. That should leave the airplane a little nose heavy, which is a safe way to test fly. Remember: A nose-heavy airplane flies poorly – A tail-heavy airplane fly’s ONCE!
15. Range check, engine off - With the antenna still collapsed, walk about 60 to 80 feet away while moving the controls. There should be no interruption or chattering from the servos. It is helpful to have someone stand near the airplane to listen for chattering.
16. Range check, Engine running –MAKE SURE YOUR AIRPLANE IS RESTRAINED BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE! Start the engine, and with it running and the antenna collapsed, walk around the airplane checking controls. This should be done at idle and at full throttle. I know some of you will look at this list and say, "If I do all that before each day of flying, I will not have time to fly!" In fact, if you make this checklist a part of your "routine" every time you put an airplane together, after a while you will find it will only take a few minutes to complete.
Ye olde editor is a member of this club, and I fly with them when I am wintering in Mesa. I have never seen any of the guys go through all this before the first flight of the day. Still, there is a lot of merit in doing a thorough check periodically.
