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From the Rogue Eagles R/C Club, Medford, Oregon

RC Helicopter Safety Tips

1. Whenever you start your helicopter, whether it’s a nitro, gasser, or electric, always hold the blade grips tightly. If your throttle is not all the way down, or there’s a glitch, your helicopter can spin out of control and cause damage.
2. Always stand a minimum of five to ten feet away from your helicopter and never fly toward yourself. Similarly, don’t fly around other people or pets.
3. Blade tips can be spinning in excess of 250 mph and a carbon fiber rotor at those speeds can do some serious damage and even cause death.
4. Always disconnect your battery/motor before trying to adjust anything on your helicopter.
5. If a blade separates during in flight, it can fly in excess of 100 feet, so make sure your nuts/bolts are tight.
6. Perform a quick preflight check to make sure everything is as it’s supposed to be. Make sure nuts, bolts, and screws are tight, linkages aren’t loose, and your batteries are charged.
7. Don’t fly alone if it can be avoided and always have a cell phone or other means of communication available.
8. Don’t fly near trees, power lines, or other obstacles.
9. Avoid flying your RC helicopter in close proximity to another helicopter to avoid contact and a potentially fatal crash.
10. Don’t fly a nonelectric RC helicopter indoors. The fumes are toxic and not good for your health.
11. Practice new moves on a simulator first for safety and your wallet’s sake.
12. When flying on windy days, always fly upwind from your RC helicopter so a gust doesn’t blow it toward you. Better yet, don’t fly when it’s windy out.
13. Don’t adjust the radio when your helicopter is powered. If you accidentally reverse the throttle, bad things can happen.
14. Avoid flying your RC helicopter at head height. If something comes loose or there’s a glitch (electrical or human) you’re less likely to lose an eye.
15. If you want to manually slow down the blades, do so by adding friction to the button and keep loose clothing and other bodily parts away from them.
16. When walking toward your helicopter, make sure that your transmitter’s throttle hold switch is turned on.
17. Only use hardened bolts for any bolt that has a load being placed on it. If possible, stick to stock parts.
18. Program fail-safe settings into your receiver if possible.
19. If you’re new to RC helicopters, make sure that an experienced helicopter pilot checks out your aircraft and radio setup prior to your first flight.
20. Don’t fly powerful RC helicopters indoors that were meant for the wide open spaces of outdoors. Q
     

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