NEW BERN AEROMODELERS

OPERATING PROCEDURES

Effective September 13, 2001

MISSION

Our mission is to enjoy, in a safe and pleasant manner, the sport of radio control flying.   In addition, we want to encourage and assist those who wish to enter and participate in this wonderful sport.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

The New Bern Aeromodelers is an AMA Chartered Club, Certificate #2361, and shall be referred to hereafter as the Club in this document.  All Club members are required to have a current AMA license and uphold the AMA Safety Code and those rules and regulations enacted by the Club.  The Club has the following rules and regulations.

1.  The AMA Safety Code shall be in effect at ALL TIMES.

2.  Participants in any model operation shall not consume alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs before, or during activities.

3.  The transmitter impound shall be used at all times.  A transmitter shall remain impounded until a pilot has his/her frequency confirmed on the frequency board.

4.  Non-pilots shall not be allowed in the flying and run-up areas, except when invited for assistance or demonstration purposes.

5.  No one shall fly behind the flight line, over the parking lot, spectator areas, driveway, or entrance road.

6.  A limit of (4) airplanes, maximum, shall be in the air at one time.

7.  Only Club members shall fly at the field; however, AMA licensed guests are welcome to fly when accompanied by their Club sponsor.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Club has enacted the following responsibilities.

1.  All pilots and those in the ground-check area shall use the frequency board.  With a maximum of (4) airborne aircraft and (4) in the ground-check area, there shall be a maximum of (8) AMA cards on the frequency board.  A person intending to fly shall place their card behind the card of the pilot on that frequency.  Upon completion of the pilot's flight, the pilot shall remove his/her card from the frequency board.  The next person on that frequency shall have first priority to fly.

2. Anyone who activates a radio that causes an accident of another pilot's flying aircraft will pay for the crashed aircraft and damaged equipment.  The preceding statement is valid if the flying pilot has properly placed his AMA card on the frequency board.

3.  All pilots shall use starting blocks or other mechanical restraints at all time.  The only exception is an assistant may hold the aircraft during the ground-check procedures.

4.  The Club President shall ensure the first aid kit is stocked and in good order.  The first aid kit is under the transmitter impound shelf to avoid vandalism.  If anyone uses the first aid kit for any reason, such person shall inform the president. 

5.  The Club officers and instructor pilots are the safety officers.

6.  All members are responsible for ensuring the safety of each other.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The Club has enacted the following recommendations.

1.  Frequency flags are recommended on all transmitters.

2.  The "Buddy Cord" system is recommended for training.  The Club provides a Futaba cord which is stored under the transmitter impound shelf.

3.  All pilots with new airplanes and those recently modified (i.e. repaired after a crash, new radio, etc) should be checked by another member before being flown.

4.  The Club shall certify new student pilots and document this on the student's AMA license.  The sign off shall be by a Club safety officer.

FLYING FIELD COURTESY AND COMMON SENSE

Club members shall practice good old-fashioned courtesy and common sense in order that the Club can continue to enjoy the present flying field and all its amenities.

1.  All glow-powered engines larger than 0.090 cubic inch displacement must have a muffler.  Diesel engines larger than 0.150 cubic inch displacement must have a muffler.  All two cycle gasoline powered engines must have a muffler.

2.  At no time shall an aircraft be flown over the entrance road behind the two large trees on the east end of the flying field.  All aircraft taking off on an easterly heading shall make a right turn before reaching the two large trees and the road in between.  Aircraft landing on this runway from the east end into a westerly wind shall perform a short tight left base turn to final so as not to go over the same trees or entrance road.  An alternative is to use “Nick's Runway”. 

3.  All Club members shall conduct themselves in a safe and considerate manner.

4.  All Club members shall respect adjacent property when retrieving downed aircraft. 

PILOT TRAINING GUIDE

A Pilot Training Guide is available and intended to be used as a guide in the instruction of those people interested in becoming involved in the safe operation and maintenance of radio control aircraft.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR EARNING A SOLO PILOT'S CERTIFICATE

  1.  Describe to an instructor a general knowledge of the New Bern Aeromodelers Operating Procedures.

  2.  Describe to an instructor a general knowledge of radio controlled aircraft operations.

  3.  Describe to an instructor the operation of the aircraft.

  4.  Start and operate the aircraft engine in the ground-check area and turn off the engine using the transmitter trim lever.

  5.  Perform a radio range check.

  6.  Perform an aircraft flight control check on the aircraft.

  7.  Perform taxiing from the ground check area out to the operating runway.

  8.  Perform a takeoff upon receiving clearance to taxi aircraft out to active runway

9.     Perform a racetrack pattern while maintaining altitude.

10.  Perform a figure-eight pattern while maintaining altitude.

11.  Enter a right or left hand landing pattern and land, maintaining control through flair, slow down, and taxi off the runway.

12.  Taxi the aircraft back to ground check area entrance and turn off the engine.