RC Plane and Real Plane Collide Over Runway

Not necessarily directed at you, nor is it an attack - but why do people feel the need to denigrate something in order to build their thing up? Modelers are awesome people - and I have an affinity for them. I will also tell you that if you are ever going to restore an antique airplane (for real) it is always nice to know one or two people that are modelers - particularly scratch builders. They have a unique way of looking at things and solving problems - some wonderful craftsman can be found in that group.

But, I digress - why is it important to denigrate modelers to defend airplanes? Why is it important to denigrate Christianity to defend Islam? Why is it important to denigrate Danica McKellar to promote Carrie Underwood? I've never understood the line of reasoning that says "I must prove my superiority by proving my opponents inferiority".

And seriously, not picking on you - you just had the clearest post to demonstrate what I was talking about. I do it at times as well - I just try to limit it.

Glad you see it like I do.

People like to prove opponents inferior, because they themselves aren't any superior, so rather than doing something that proves superiority naturally, its just much easier to put other people down. But why people have the need to even prove superiority in the first place, is beyond me...just human nature. People, especially pilots I've noticed, have a such a strong sense of entitlement and holier than thou attitude.
 
1. Do you need a special, commercial license to fly these "models" for compensation or hire? Didn't think so.

2. Is there even any occasion to fly these "models" for compensation or hire? Didn't think so either.

3. Are your toys capable of pulling enough G's to rip the wings and/or epmennage off the, uh... aircraft? No? Then don't even think to compare them to real aerobatic airplanes.



I've watched the video twice and that's one thing I never heard anybody say. Maybe I need to turn up my speakers.

Alan Szabo flies RC helicopters for a living and does quite well for himself - I am not sure all the details but he is in his early twenties, owns a home, Porsche, and R22.

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This sounds exactly like the comments section you'd find under a youtube video...on youtube. Bunch of people pretending to know everything about the situation by watching a video on their computer.

Glad the pilot was ok...glad the RC pilot wasn't on the runway at the time...and glad there was a roped off section to keep spectators at bay from an apparently active runway....:sarcasm:
 
If that was the way of it, what the guy said on the RC forum, then the pilot should get a serious look for careless and reckless flying. Be interesting to see if anything comes out of it from the FAA.
 
Like it or not, this is gonna come into the legalities of the whole thing. IIRC, the event might have been "organized," but it wasnt NOTAM'd, and there were no air restrictions. The Pitts legally had no way of knowing an RC plane would be on the rwy.

I said the guy seemed like he had a poor attitude, and those to websites didnt really do much to change my mind. I'm not trying to assign blame, i just think that everyone needs to know their place in the aviation hierarchy.

Being a delta bag doesnt do anything further the cause for models. I havent seen an article about the pitts spouting off, never mind its a damn airport and planes are supposed to be there.

The first time i try to land at a RC strip and destroy someones model, ill be the first one to pony up cash. But dont get pissy because your model got destroyed by a full scale at a real airport.
 
I'd love to agree with you Joel, but the Airboss delegates the right of way at a show. Like has been said, the only airplane that would have the right of way over all others here would be one in distress.

Check out the thread at flyinggiants.com to get a better picture of what happened. There was no NOTAM issued for the event and was not official in any way. The Airboss had no legal grounds to provide air traffic control services of any kind. It would be like some one driving their RC car on the interstate with their buddy trying to direct traffic with a cardboard stop sign.
 
The first time i try to land at a RC strip and destroy someones model, ill be the first one to pony up cash. But dont get pissy because your model got destroyed by a full scale at a real airport.

You really couldn't have said that much better.
 
Dumbass could have killed himself and his wife pulling crap like that, No clearance with control whatso ever
No clearance with control what so ever? Are you kidding me? Its an uncontrolled field. Perhaps you should read up on that and really educate yourself about what it means and exactly what authority your 'air boss' had when no notam was issued before you go setting foot on a real airport again. :banghead:
 
No clearance with control what so ever? Are you kidding me? Its an uncontrolled field. Perhaps you should read up on that and really educate yourself about what it means and exactly what authority your 'air boss' had when no notam was issued before you go setting foot on a real airport again. :banghead:

Accident happened at Brighton Aire Park, if you airnav it you come up with:
Airport Operations

Airport use: Private use. Permission required prior to landing

Reading the run down is that the pitts was not based at this airport and was a friend of the land owner. I wonder who was able to give the prior permission.
 
I think if the RC pilot was invited to fly at the event then he has a reasonable expectation that when he is informed he can fly - he can operate his aircraft. I think you can concerned for other people's well being and still be upset about your loss - most people in car accidents are!!!!

As far as RC pilots not being able to afford full scale flying - that is hardly the truth. Albeit it is cheaper and that some people do both - it is a very different hobby. I knew one RC guy who was incredibly wealthy he loved WWII - his fleet of giant scale RC airplane was worth more than many private airplanes. He has everything from P51s, T6s, B25s, B17s, B29s, P40s, Hellcats, etc. He also store them in a hanger.......
 
Accident happened at Brighton Aire Park, if you airnav it you come up with:
Airport Operations

Airport use: Private use. Permission required prior to landing

Reading the run down is that the pitts was not based at this airport and was a friend of the land owner. I wonder who was able to give the prior permission.

Ummmmmm the land owner....
 
Ummmmmm the land owner....

And I do not believe we can tell who was really in the right or wrong.

There are many lessons to be learned here... As pilots when flying into events there needs to be an increased awareness of anything abnormal, proper fly over and awareness of what we are flying into is important. There is a reasonable expectation that when we fly into an airport that there will be a safe landing strip upon arrival, but as seen here that may not be the case every time.
 
And I do not believe we can tell who was really in the right or wrong.

There are many lessons to be learned here... As pilots when flying into events there needs to be an increased awareness of anything abnormal, proper fly over and awareness of what we are flying into is important. There is a reasonable expectation that when we fly into an airport that there will be a safe landing strip upon arrival, but as seen here that may not be the case every time.

Like i said, im not in this to point blame. I'm biased towards the pilot, ill admit that, because he had a lot more to lose, and it was at a damned airport.

That being said, im pretty convinced the Pitts knew what type of event it was. The thing is, it wasnt put together properly, and when it comes right down to the point, the full scale had the right of way over the slick. There are no mitigating circumstances like doing a low appch or anything else. Ther fars are pretty clear. Its an airport, and planes are meant to be there, not RC's.

If risk wanted to be mitigated, there should have been a NOTAM and some restricted airspace. In that case, the Pitts would have cearly been in the wrong. That isnt the case though. Like it or not RCs have to play by the same rules as full size planes, and the rules will always favor planes with people in them.
 
Accident happened at Brighton Aire Park, if you airnav it you come up with:
Airport Operations

Airport use: Private use. Permission required prior to landing

Reading the run down is that the pitts was not based at this airport and was a friend of the land owner. I wonder who was able to give the prior permission.
According to the thread on the RC forum, the Pitts pilot landed and put his plane in his hangar. That would lead one to assume the plane was based on the field and therefore had prior permission.
 
Like it or not RCs have to play by the same rules as full size planes, and the rules will always favor planes with people in them.
I hear you and I agree 100%. But the reality is RC guys don't have to play by the same rules. The RC pilot in question was under the belief that a guy on the ground with a hand held radio carried the exact same authority as ATC. He was also under the belief that the Pitts needed a clearance in order to operate at that airport. IOW the RC had not even the slightest hint of a clue about the rules and regulations that are in place at the airport at which he was operating.

Now if he had strapped himself into a N-numbered airplane and operated at that field with his level of knowledge, he'd be subject to the full wrath of the FAA. But as an RC guy? Meh, he gets away with the old 'he's just an RC guy, he doesn't have to know the rules'. That's BS. If you're going to operate your RC aircraft from a facility that has federal regulations which govern activies that can take place there, you should be required to know and understand those regulations just like everyone else who operates there.

Like someone else said, you don't see these guys taking their RC cars out on the interstate and having a guy stick a piece of duct tape on his shirt that has 'Road Boss' written in sharpie on it and hold up a cardboard sign that says 'Don't drive here, RC car demo in progress'. Yet they'll go to a real airport and do essentially the same thing and then they get their panties all in a bunch when it doesn't work out so hot for them.
 
Personally the big picture of it all is it just was not a organized event. I fly at my school in Daytona and we give tower a call every semester to let them know we will be flying smaller aircraft on the practice fields during the semester since it is right beside Daytona Airport. We also require each pilot that flies there has to have a spotter if he is flying his aircraft at a higher altitude of the buildings next to us.

This should def be a fun discussion in the classroom this semester. One of my minors is a UAS minor.

I started R/C back when I was 6 to 7 years old and it is what has inspired me to love aviation and go to school for it. Many young kids start out in Aviation doing the R/C stuff. Its a very fun hobby/sport for me. I travel all over the Southeast Region competing in Scale Aerobatics (IMAC) with planes same size as the one that got hit by the pits. I own a 40% Yak 54 a 32% Yak 55 SP. 30% Extra 300. I am very lucky to have my Granddad got me into this hobby and you can meet the best people you can meet in this hobby! They will do anything in the world for you when your at the field and this is true even at Competitions! As anything out there you do have some bad apples!
 
I say you gone a bit too far with the interstate. That is like flying your rc plane at a bigger airport like Atlanta or Orlando according what interstate your talking about lol! But anyway more like driving you car on a country road probably! But some R/C pilots dont have a clue what the Regulations are and if some average joe ask the guy come fly at our airport and doesnt tell him the rules how does he know??? Everything was just not organized throughout the event and I believe everyone is probably at fault.

I hear you and I agree 100%. But the reality is RC guys don't have to play by the same rules. The RC pilot in question was under the belief that a guy on the ground with a hand held radio carried the exact same authority as ATC. He was also under the belief that the Pitts needed a clearance in order to operate at that airport. IOW the RC had not even the slightest hint of a clue about the rules and regulations that are in place at the airport at which he was operating.

Now if he had strapped himself into a N-numbered airplane and operated at that field with his level of knowledge, he'd be subject to the full wrath of the FAA. But as an RC guy? Meh, he gets away with the old 'he's just an RC guy, he doesn't have to know the rules'. That's BS. If you're going to operate your RC aircraft from a facility that has federal regulations which govern activies that can take place there, you should be required to know and understand those regulations just like everyone else who operates there.

Like someone else said, you don't see these guys taking their RC cars out on the interstate and having a guy stick a piece of duct tape on his shirt that has 'Road Boss' written in sharpie on it and hold up a cardboard sign that says 'Don't drive here, RC car demo in progress'. Yet they'll go to a real airport and do essentially the same thing and then they get their panties all in a bunch when it doesn't work out so hot for them.
 
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