Revised Level 3 Flying Restrictions from 14/9/2020 until further notice
Your Committee have reviewed updated BMFA advice and advise the following for members and visiting fliers. This is in addition to the advice already supplied about ensuring your fitness to go to the Down and fly.
It’s a game of two halves, everyday flying and competitions/events
Everyday Flying:
We cannot provide a person at the slope at all times to ensure compliance with social distancing with the result that the default number of people from different households allowed to fly at any one time is 6. In order for this to happen it is important that you email name, date, time in and time out to our track and trace email database at:
We will keep an eye on it and if it is looking busy we will try and let you know.
This data will be kept for 21 days for NHS use if there is an outbreak. It is also important that you also email the above address if you develop symptoms after visiting the Down so that we can inform NHS.
Some members (actually, just Midweek Mike and me) have volunteered to be covid policemen at the time they are at the slope, so it may be possible to run two groups of 6 providing track and trace data and social distancing happens.
Given that social distancing is required at all times, we suggest a flight-line max of 4 people as this should ensure clarity of communication between fliers over the 6 metres
Competitions and Events:
We will do a number of things before hosting an event:
1/ Risk assessment
2/ BMFA questionnaire
3/ Provide a volunteer covid policeman/woman for the duration
4/ Make use of the tandt@whitesheet.org.ukto provide registration and track and trace address.
Once again, we will opt for a flight line max of 4 people and ask that any covid positivity post event is reported to the above email.
Please do use the WSRFC WhatsApp group to let other fliers know of your intended visit.
Please do look and follow the advice given by BMFA on their interweb, our advice, and of course the national orgainisations (Government/NHS/PHE)
Finally, as with any prospective flight, if in doubt – Don’t
The What3words app can be used to aid location in times of emergency. It can also be used for navigation by anyone who has the app on their phone or device. The relevant words for each of our main slopes will be posted, in this case, starting with the SW bowl, they are stressed.reinvest.clash
Had to chuckle as these words can describe some of the emotions that go through our minds when we are contemplating flying.
IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE FOR ALL MEMBERS
Nationally there has been an increase in claims on the BMFA insurance resulting in an increase in premiums for 2019.
Other than an emergency caused by equipment failure this should not happen if members are flying in accordance with club rules and the safety guidance provided by the BMFA.
In particular pilots should:
Only fly when standing on an agreed flightline for the conditions on the day.
Stand within communication distance of each other when flying.
Do not fly over or behind the flightline.
Do not fly over the pits, people, or parked cars.
Before each flight check that the failsafe for your particular Rx is correctly set and consider the SWEETS and SMART Acronyms.
SWEETS.S– Sun
– Where is the sun in relation to where you will be flying? Will it affect your flight patterns? What actions will you take if you accidentally fly ‘through ’ the sun? Should you be wearing sunglasses? Remember that low sun in winter can be a particular problem.
W – Wind
– Consider the wind strength and direction. How will this affect your flights? Will you have to modify your normal launch and, especially, your landing patterns? From your local knowledge, will there be any turbulence with ‘this’ wind direction and strength? And how bad might it be?
E – Eventualities
– What will you do if you hear or see a full size aircraft or helicopter flying at low level near the slope? What if the landing area is suddenly obstructed when you are on finals to land? What will you do if members of the public enter the slope.
E – Emergencies
How will you warn other field users if you have an emergency?
T – Transmitter Control Are you familiar with the system and understand how it works?
S – Site Rules
– Are there any specific site rules you should be aware of? Most importantly, where are the no- fly zones or dead airspace areas on the site?
SMART
Before Connecting Drive battery or starting engine check:
S – Switches ON (Tx before Rx)
M – Model selected is correct.
A – Aerial secure / extended if appropriate.
R – Rate switches all in correct positions.
T -Transmitter voltage good and Trims all in correct positions.
Apologies if this is seen as teaching an elderly female relative to suck eggs, but it is in all our interests to ensure that we operate and fly our models in a safe manner and that we maintain our excellent safety record..
WITH THANKS TO DAVID BRADFIELD AND FROME MODEL FLYING CLUB.
