If you happen to witness an rc airplane doing something that the pilot didn't want it to do, here are some handy tips on how to react, a bit of 'rc airplane crash etiquette', if you like...
* Keep quiet for a bit - let the pilot have the first word.
*Cover your ears if you don't like swearing or blasphemy.
* Let the pilot walk back to the flight line, don't go running over to him ready to initiate a group hug.
* Don't offer him $10 for his transmitter.
* Don't hand him your plastic bag, let him use his own - it's part of the wreckage collection ceremony.
*Offer to help look for the wreckage if the plane came down out of sight, but don't go sprinting across to the crash site - this indicates your urge to salvage the good parts to sell on eBay.
* Don't offer to take photos until the pilot mentions the idea, and hide the fact that you had your camera turned on before the plane impacted the ground.
* Don't make comments such as "I would never have tried that maneuver myself", or "It's so easy to get disoriented sometimes", or "Are you sure you remembered to put the radio gear on charge last night?"...
* Instead, offer constructive, tactful comments such as "Well, think of what your Christmas present will be!", or "Well, it doesn't look so bad - maybe a bit of epoxy resin here and there", or "Well you said you wanted to build a new model"...
*And whatever you do, never ever ever mention pilot error!
This last one is a definite no-no. Instead, just sympathetically nod your head in agreement with whatever the pilot blames. And if he blames himself (very rare), disagree with him completely and reassure him that the crash was caused by an outside influence beyond his control.
You'll be friends for life
And the most important point of all...
Don't let this page put you off rc flying!
Calendar
