/\ Exactly!!! That is why the original post should be condemned. One lousy mistake and the whole RC community could possibly suffer.

I remember a few years ago, an errant hockey puck hitting a poor child, killing her. Sure the NHL took care of that, through their PR and insurance.

If the same thing happened at a public park and one of our 100 kph 2 pound plastic foamy toy warbirds struck a child with the same end result..... can somebody venture a wild guess?

I personally ALWAYS fly at our local soccer field. I also have the common sense to pack 'em in when people start showing up. I honestly couldn't live with myself if someone's kid walked in front of my "parkflier" even coming in for a landing at 25% throttle, that kid's GONNA GET HURT. Badly. A pound of foam with a prop in the front spinning at multiple thousands of RPM would most likely kill a small child if it hit him/her. Called "momentum". When you said "hockey puck", before I read further, thought you were referring to a moron.

There are no clubs around here that don't fly bit turbines and quarter scale behemoths that cost many thousands of dollars. They make fun of people like me with a Slow Stick and Micro Trojan. To them it's all about the money they have and making fun of those who don't. Just makes 'em irrelevant and they're only hurting themselves.

So I fly in parks and a great place to fly around here is open land around churches. They're always glad to see me and never obnoxious. Their kids never chase my planes and when I let them see the planes they're always very careful, as I am careful to fly in a way that doesn't put anybody in danger. And I'm always careful not to fly when they are using the grounds.

It's all about respect. "This simply highlighting that sh* t happens anywhere..
Chill Bro and hit a park" is rooted in disrespect for anything but a personal desire to fly no matter what anybody else thinks and disregarding their rights and preferences. Respect begins with you. Then MAYBE (not guaranteed) others will respect you. The only thing in life that can be guaranteed is failure. Success is always a gamble. A little respect for others makes it more likely.

If the same thing happened at a public park and one of our 100 kph 2 pound plastic foamy toy warbirds

That is the problem. If you are flying a 100kph(60+) miles an hour plane in any park with people around you are wrong. Do some of my birds fly as fast/faster than that? Yea but the only time I use full throttle are really high passes or full throttle accents. Even then I have a fail safe that if I lose signal kills the throttle so its not full power when it hits what ever its going to hit.

And I used to fly at a soccer field all the time with people on it, but only with my radian. Only then would I say its acceptable to fly over people.

Originally Posted by dedStik

How often do you make them aware of the danger involved?

Hombre, yo! I'm not going to walk around the park with a megaphone to announce the miniscule possibility that someone might get a bump in the arm. You gotta respect peoples' basic intelligence bro, they can work basic things out for themselves.

Parkzone, given some of the arguments in this thread, they should rename the company Clubzone! Park fliers...hmm, why do you think that term arose? 'Cos you hit the park and have a fly!

PS: multiquote hombre, it'll stop you replying to your own posts as if you're talking to yourself, LOL!

you give the average person way too much credit. There are enough morons out there that will show up in the ER for the smallest of scrapes or bruises and complain of terrible injuries to have a better case for their pending lawsuit. I work in an ER and this is what a large percentage of our "trauma" patients are here for, well that and narcotics but why not get two for the price of one. I don't think flying in a park is wrong, but to say lighten up and throw caution to the wind while you fly at a park, well that is asking for trouble. Besides I am sure you do use a little risk management or you would not be alive today. Yes, don't wrap your kid in bubble wrap, but do make sure he wears a helmet when riding his motorcycle.

Young lady was hit by a helicopter while walking in a park in Florida and she was seriously injured. If you don't think it can happen to you, please stop thinking that way. I think it's instructive to sometimes relate our aircraft to firearms... with firearms we think in terms of possible and impossible, because probably just isn't good enough for deadly weapons. It is not good enough for aircraft either. Why take the risk? If you fly in parks do your best to make sure you do it safely and respect what you are doing.

The ironic thing about the girl being hit was I think it actually ended up looking not so bad for us, because we had people appear on the news saying how dumb it is to fly big ass helicopters in crowded parks, and showing how to properly fly such aircraft at a club, and we donated a ton of money to help the girl out. Pretty sure she used it to sue the guy who was flying. Do you want that to be you?

I would not say careless!
Lack of noise, and plastic propellers are factors.
(The old wood vs Nylon propellers with glow engines caused similar remarks)
I also think that a TX should have some sort of throttle interlock for electric use that presently doesn't exist. On the model side, high current capability causes difficulties in using power interlocks.

Originally Posted by Rodney

I've seen for more prop cuts and stitches due to electric planes than I ever have for glow and gas powered planes and I've been in this hobby for some 60 years. For some reason or other, electric flyers seem to be much more careless in watching out for propellers than the old school of flyers are.

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

There are no clubs around here that don't fly bit turbines and quarter scale behemoths that cost many thousands of dollars. They make fun of people like me with a Slow Stick and Micro Trojan. To them it's all about the money they have and making fun of those who don't. Just makes 'em irrelevant and they're only hurting themselves.

So I fly in parks and a great place to fly around here is open land around churches. They're always glad to see me and never obnoxious. Their kids never chase my planes and when I let them see the planes they're always very careful, as I am careful to fly in a way that doesn't put anybody in danger. And I'm always careful not to fly when they are using the grounds.

It's all about respect. "This simply highlighting that sh* t happens anywhere..
Chill Bro and hit a park" is rooted in disrespect for anything but a personal desire to fly no matter what anybody else thinks and disregarding their rights and preferences. Respect begins with you. Then MAYBE (not guaranteed) others will respect you. The only thing in life that can be guaranteed is failure. Success is always a gamble. A little respect for others makes it more likely.

There's only one thing scarier than an unsafe flyer that's someone that thinks they're safe because they are being 'careful'.
If you are flying in a public park /field, no matter how well you think you've got all the bases covered or how many self imposed rules you have in place you are no better than any other Parkflyer on here .
Have you got liability insurance to cover innocent bi standers in the event of a gear malfunction, plane fly away or collision with a bird ?
No ! Then your personal desire to fly is also at the expense and risk to others.
I'm sure the authorities will take into consideration in the event of an accident that you ' were careful to fly in a way that doesn't put anybody in danger. always careful"
Seen it before personally, people will always want to get close to the action /danger, they think the worst won't happen to them . Until it does and they suddenly want to join the lynching party.
So YOU have a little respect for others holster your sanctimony and fly at a club !!

Originally Posted by jasmine2501

Young lady was hit by a helicopter while walking in a park in Florida and she was seriously injured. If you don't think it can happen to you, please stop thinking that way. I think it's instructive to sometimes relate our aircraft to firearms... with firearms we think in terms of possible and impossible, because probably just isn't good enough for deadly weapons. It is not good enough for aircraft either. Why take the risk? If you fly in parks do your best to make sure you do it safely and respect what you are doing.

The ironic thing about the girl being hit was I think it actually ended up looking not so bad for us, because we had people appear on the news saying how dumb it is to fly big ass helicopters in crowded parks, and showing how to properly fly such aircraft at a club, and we donated a ton of money to help the girl out. Pretty sure she used it to sue the guy who was flying. Do you want that to be you?

If im not mistaken that was a 500 size nitro heli being flown in a crowded park. And yes, that was more than stupid. I will fly a 450 in an empty park and if anyone shows up to watch it Ill land and fly the mCPx or a plane. With a plane you have a general idea where it will end up, helis not so much...

But there is a HUGE difference between a park flyer and a nitro heli of any size.

Originally Posted by verticalspark

If im not mistaken that was a 500 size nitro heli being flown in a crowded park. And yes, that was more than stupid. I will fly a 450 in an empty park and if anyone shows up to watch it Ill land and fly the mCPx or a plane. With a plane you have a general idea where it will end up, helis not so much...

But there is a HUGE difference between a park flyer and a nitro heli of any size.

me thinks people may as well talk to the wall as try to get through to you. And with that ill say goodbye.

[QUOTE=OneLastweedle;22987009].... If you are flying in a public park /field, no matter how well you think you've got all the bases covered or how many self imposed rules you have in place you are no better than any other Parkflyer on here .
Have you got liability insurance to cover innocent bi standers in the event of a gear malfunction, plane fly away or collision with a bird ?
No ! Then your personal desire to fly is also at the expense and risk to others.
.....QUOTE]

I also fly a Radian and a PZ Warbird in our local park when there are families also using it.Life is full of danger,, iif you want to look for it, all we can do is minimise the risk.Perhaps I shouldn'd drive there, in case I have a heart attack while in my ton of automobile, or not ride my horse on a public road in case it spooks?

@SouthParkflyer re: Post #177, not sure why someone hid that post, but in response.

Read my post just ahead of yours, I apparently didn't. Once I rewatched it at WitnessOnly's behest I realized it wasn't what I thought it was.

Originally Posted by JamesNeal

You gotta respect peoples' basic intelligence bro, they can work basic things out for themselves.

Now stop and think how asinine that statement is. If that were the case do you think a cup of coffee from McD's would say "Caution Hot" in large print? Do you think a plastic bag would have a label saying "Do not give to children, or have an image of person with the bag over their head with a line through it?"

If basic intelligence were a factor this thread never would have been started. Enjoying your models is a privilege not a right if you don't believe that follow your own advice and one day your privilege will be taken away.

Ever heard the phrase, "when you make something idiot-proof, the universe makes smarter idiots"?

Originally Posted by dedStik

How often do you make them aware of the danger involved?
I've also had them walk right through my landing area, or stand too close to me while a plane was in the air I'd make them step back behind me.

Oh really ,it's not "your landing area"
and you can't safely establish flight lines & No go zones ? It's a public park. ?