2010 AMA Safety Code
by Jim Rice, Chairman AMA Safety Committee
There will be an article in the
next issue of Model Aviation concerning the new
Safety Code. Please encourage all of your club
members and friends to read it.
The changes to the code are
significant in my mind in that they put the most
important two paragraphs up front instead of buried
in the rest of the code, and they begin a
streamlining process that I hope will continue over
time. Aside from cosmetic/grammatical changes, the
more significant changes are outlined for you here:
• Introduction of “See and Avoid” with the inclusion
of a PDF to explain the procedures.
• Strengthening of airworthiness requirements for
events, which now includes pilot skills and
execution of all maneuvers intended during the
event. The addition of the word “anticipated” would
mean dead stick/emergency landing procedures or
anything else one might try to anticipate.
• Deletion of the dangerous fuel additives from the
code as they are antiquated technology.
• Deletion of the paragraph about children under six
on the flightline. In fact the point made by one of
the Safety Committee members was that anyone not
flying, undergoing instruction, or spotting should
not be allowed on the flightline regardless of
his/her age. This should be taken care of by
parents, club officers, and safety coordinators not
mandated by the organization. I used my 5-year-old
grandson as a spotter when flying on a private
airport. Of course I briefed him on the duties
before taking off.
• Deletion of the speed reference for night flying.
The rule was written as a knee jerk reaction to a
one time situation and is nearly impossible for a
club to enforce because of difficulty in measuring
the speed of the aircraft in the first place.
However, there is no proof that flying more than 100
mph is any more dangerous than flying a high wing
loading airplane or flying by a pilot with limited
skills at night. Requiring the aircraft to be lit in
such a manner as to provide the pilot with a clear
view of attitude and orientation at all times should
self regulate speed by requiring better lighting for
faster aircraft or slower speed to stay within
sight.
The audience for this newsletter is the top level of
volunteer leadership in our organization. We should
all understand that model flying has to be not only
safe but also perceived to be safe by all who
encounter it. This is important to new modelers,
spectators and others who share the National
Airspace with us.
Please review the Safety Code at your next model
meeting and take the time to become familiar with
and review the “See and Avoid” PDF with your club
and friends as well. Both documents are available on
the AMA Web site. Q
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