RC Plane and Real Plane Collide Over Runway

If you actually watch and listen to the whole video he does say that the pilot could have been killed..

You'd be pissed to in that situation, someone could have been killed and a lot of damage could have been done to both airplanes all because of a miss communication.
 
Watch the whole video. There was a coordinator with a handheld. Someone didn't communicate effectively to clear the RC aircraft or to tell the full scale to go around properly. I would put it at 1/3 fault for each: RC operator, Pilot, Coordinator. The RC pilot did state that he could have killed the pilot and he was upset about it.

However, when you go to an event for both aircraft and RC you expect a level of coordination. Same way you get pissed when someone taxies across the runway when you're on final, he got pissed that someone didn't let him know there was an airplane coming in to buzz him. His back was turned and with that low/slow maneuver with the RC there is no way he would scan behind him.

Sucks for everyone and a sizeable miscommunication.
 
mojo6911 said:
WTF is a "full scale"? I call it an airplane.
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Usually when you are talking about RC airplanes and "real" airplanes you use full scale to describe the normal sized airplane. The big aerobatic RC models go by scale size. I think the one this guy was flying was like a 40% scale. Usually 33% is a pretty popular scale size with the aerobatic stuff. I guess you would call the normal sized airplane a "full scale" instead of a "real airplane" because technically all of the RC airplanes are "real airplanes" too.
 
Everyone is so quick to judge. He did show concern for the pilot of the pitts, so lets all dismount our high horse.

Put in his shoes I bet each and every one of you would be more than miffed at the situation if close to $10k of your stuff was destroyed in an instant.
 
exneophyte said:
Why did the RC need to be on the runway anyway?
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Increased pretend realism.

Van Aire is only a few miles north of Denver International and sits under the 6000 ft floor of the class B shelf. Airport elevation is 5100 ft, and less than 1/2 mile south, the Class B starts at the surface.

I watched the whole video and I honestly didn't see a whole lot of concern for the real airplane or its pilot- just a bunch of "it wasn't your fault"
 
poser765 said:
Everyone is so quick to judge. He did show concern for the pilot of the pitts, so lets all dismount our high horse.

Put in his shoes I bet each and every one of you would be more than miffed at the situation if close to $10k of your stuff was destroyed in an instant.
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True. I imagine he could have been in a bit of shock as well. We should all sound so composed after witnessing a collision like that.
 
I fly both, this looks like a fly-in air show. Guy with the handheld has an "air boss" name tag. There are quite a few large scale aerobatic RC aircraft which means to me that this was either a sanctioned event with possibly some real airplanes flying around.

This was a break down in communications pure and simple.The RC guy didn't do anything wrong, this was whoever was running the event did not have things together enough or something.

Radio control airplane dude was upset at first and miffed then when guy in the pitts got on the ground then you realize how large of a time/money investment you lost. I used to get mad when I lost a 300 dollar model and I cannot immagine what it would feel like to loose such a large investment.
 
I feel like telling the RC guy "why don't you take your next $8,000, cowboy up and learn to fly the real thing".
 
CBpilot said:
I feel like telling the RC guy "why don't you take your next $8,000, cowboy up and learn to fly the real thing".
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Well he can afford an 8 grand model airplane so he obviously has a good paying job or a trust fund. So he doesn't need to fly for a career. also, flying the RC planes is probably a lot cheaper AND less hassle than flying for realz. I see nothing wrong with his hobby.
 
CBpilot said:
I feel like telling the RC guy "why don't you take your next $8,000, cowboy up and learn to fly the real thing".
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Maybe he does already??

And also to some of the other comments of him not caring, he clearly has a pretty good look of concern on his face afterward in the video.

I'm just a student pilot at the moment, but gosh some of you guys are so high and mighty.... :rolleyes:

If I've learned one thing from prowling this board, its I don't want to ever develop the attitude that some of you pilots have around here. Not pointing fingers, just a general observation around here
 
Without knowing any of the details...

I would be interested in how much time that guy has invested in his hobby and how much time most of you have invested in your hobby?

Learning how to fly that large of RC plane takes some time, let alone hover it 2 feet from the ground.

Knowing the pilot is fine, I'm sure his reaction was right on par for most if not all of everyone here.

...and no I do not fly RC planes.
 
Some of you guys have no clue what your watching. The Air Boss didn't properly coordinate. The RC Pilot had moved off to the side of the runway to avoid this incident, and can't very well watch where the Pitts was going while hanging it on the prop. After he(RC pilot) realized that the Pitts was O.K., he had every right to be mad. Lets see how you feel if someone walks up to the toilet and flushes $10k plus and more than likely 1-2 months of free time down the drain. These things are not just like "Hey, lets go buy a big 'ol RC airplane and fly it." It takes hours and hours of tweaking and tunning to be able to get one trimmed and rigged well enough to fly it that precise.

Monday morning QB'ing this is no different than doing it to a real crash. It's generally frowned upon.
 
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