FF can be dangerous too!

Stuka Stunt Main Forum · 5 of 5 known posts recovered

elmores · Jul 09, 2004 02:28 AM

From BMFA site:

"It is with great sadness that we inform you of a tragic accident which occurred at the Free Flight Nationals on Sunday 30th May.

Peter Harris from Kidderminster who was a very well known and respected member of the Free Flight community was cycling across the airfield during a very sudden and violent thunderstorm when he was struck by lightning. First aid was administered at the scene and an ambulance crew arrived within minutes to take Peter to hospital in Grantham. Sadly, Peter died of his injuries.

All flying activities were suspended for the remainder of the day. The competition resumed on Monday 31st May (it is thought that this is what Peter would have wanted) following a service on the airfield lead by Rev (Sqn Ldr)Stephen J Radley from RAF Cranwell.

I am sure that the thoughts of every BMFA member will be with the family and friends of Peter at this very sad time".

Dave Phipps
BMFA General Manager

and a good reminder about flying in storms/too near power lines!

Tony

http://www.the.elmores.btinternet.co.uk/telmore.html

Randy Ryan · Jul 10, 2004 11:10 PM

#1 source

Thank you Tony for sharing that, as a fre flighter myself I've had experiences with lightning too close for comfort. I will keep his family in my prayers.

Randy Ryan
AMA 8500
SAM 36
I fly 'em all and love it!

Jeff W · Jul 12, 2004 09:40 AM

#2 source

For those of you who fly Free Flight Also, on Labor Day weekend 1976 two fine control line flyers were killed while using an Aeronca Chief to spot free flights as they drifted into the corn field at the FAI semi finals up here in Minnesota.

I mention this because ultra light flyers will sometimes offer to be helpful in today's world. No model is worth even the small risk involved !

I know this is a bit off subject for this forum but we do have a lot of crossover fliers and if a few words make someone think twice, it's well worth the space!

Jeff W

cwmcmillin · Jul 12, 2004 11:26 PM

#3 source

Jeff,
Did this Champ accident involve lightning?
If not then it is just another stall/spin accident?
Flew into the ground because no one was flying the airplane?
There are risks to flying airplanes, but proper techniques make spotting FF models acceptable. Just because guys get killed doing stuff doesn't mean we all stop flying.
Sorry to hear of this, I take it that the accident was recent.
Chris...

Jeff W · Jul 13, 2004 09:44 PM

#4 source

Chris,

As I said above, Labor day weekend 1976 and the plane was a Chief (side by side) rather than a Champ (tandem). The technicalities of the accident aren't important. The point is two people died because twenty pounds of bad decisions added to one ounce of bad luck can kill you. And yes, I do have the hours to make that call, including over 300 in the Chief that crashed.
Whether its flying a light plane or ultra lite where it shouldn't be at all, putting 60' of steel cable into static filled air or near storms, filling a fuel tank with a lit cigarette in the mouth, sticking our fingers through a running prop, or any of the myriad other things we foolishly do every so often,
WE ALL NEED TO REMEMBER THE BEST PREVENTION IS NOT TO BLAME THE TECHNOLOGY FOR OUR MISTAKES BUT TO STEP BACK, THINK (!), AND STAY OUT OF SPOTS WHERE ONE OUNCE OF BAD LUCK CAN KILL YOU!

Jeff W

P.s. Chris, if you still want particulars on what happened please E-mail me at [email protected].