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Tuesday, March 1, 2011 2:03 PM

From:

"Jose L. Armstrong, M.D." <acumed96@aol.com>View contact details

March, 2011

Membership cards (2011): On Sunday, March 6 at 3:00PM we will have membership cards available for members that recently joined, renewed lately and the cards of those that have not picked them up. Remember that the cards are made based on the member having submitted the 2011 renewal / application form, is a member in good standing, has paid the proper fees and has the AMA reported to us up to date.

Website: Take a look at the website for information about the club. Larry is doing a great job keeping it up to date. It is definitely a great tool to attract new members and inform current members of what is going on. Keep the good work Larry!! As for the password to enter into the members only section, it has been changed to a new password that is on the back of your membership card. Every year we will change the password.

Runway damage: As said in the February newsletter, we had some damage to our runway by trespassing vehicles. Any vehicle or individual causing damage to our property, please try to identify so we can report to the police. The main damage has been repaired by patching two sections of the runway with concrete. Many thanks to the members that helped with this job.

North approach to the runway: A group of volunteers have cleared up the brush and trees that were creeping into the north landing path of the runway. Looks great!!! Many thanks guys.

Newsletter: Well, the February newsletter is history so here I am trying to keep it going with the March edition. I don't have a particular timing for the newsletters. For now is a work in progress when I have enough time.

If anyone has any contributions or comments or articles, send them my way. Larry is taking these newsletters and has introduced them into our website so I guess I can say now that I am a published author.

LiFe lithium batteries: A variant chemistry, cousin of what we know as A-123 Lipo batteries. Overall voltage is 6.6 volts so they are suitable for receiver applications without a voltage regulator as required for regular LIpos, as long as the receiver and servos can handle slightly over 6 volts. LiFe batteries seem to do the job nicely in our experience. Futaba has been the only manufacturer that in an interview, suggested they don't recommend LiFe batteries for their receivers apparently due to their potential for sudden drop in voltage when they are running out of power. No other manufacturer has discussed this concern. In my view, like any other battery, make sure you have a fully charged battery every time you head to the field and after 2-3 flights check the battery under 1-2 amp load and see how the battery is doing. Share with me your experiences regarding Lipo batteries in general and we may be able to share some information useful to all of us through the newsletter.

Joe Nall Fly In 2011: It is scheduled for this year from Saturday, May 7^th to Saturday, May 14^th at the Triple Tree Aerodrome in South Carolina. Some members of our club attended this event on previous years and told me how worth it is to go and so I did, together with J.T, on 2010. It was spectacular!!!. You will see every kind of airplane, from electric to gassers, 3-D to warbirds. There are noon time demonstrations of new products by excellent pilots. The main flight line offered 6 pilot positions all under strict regulations to keep safety. In order to Fly in the mainline you have to have an up to date AMA and IMA and a "spotter" to have extra eyes around the action which gets quite busy.

FAA Regulations: Probably by now you may be aware of the FAA intentions on regulating our model airplane hobby / sport. The latest Model Aviation Magazine from the AMA is dedicated to this topic. Take a look at the magazine or go to the AMA website and be informed. For those of you that like summaries, let me see if I can give you an idea of what is going on. In early 2008, the FAA, directed in part by Home Land Security Concerns, assigned a committee to formulate rules regarding use of unmanned aircraft within the U.S. We fall in the category of unmanned aircraft for recreational use. There are some regulations for commercial use. The AMA went into action and contacted the FAA and has been meeting regularly with FAA officials to give and take input to protect our hobby. Unfortunately the FAA, by law, can't tell the AMA what rules are being taken until the work is done and the rules are made available for public evaluation and comment. That time will be June 2011. The FAA officials working with the AMA hinted to us the modelers, in January 2011, that restrictions will not be affecting us much - Yeah Right!!! Let us be aware of what the proposed rules are and let's be active about voicing our opinions when the time comes. Why these regulations? The AMA, within it's definition of a model aircraft, states that it has to be flown line of sight and not over any populated area or personal propperty. Our technology has become so advance that our models now can be flown with cameras further than what we actually can see the model. Also there is a risk that a model could be used for terrorist activity. Unfortunately the technology we have available is blurring the line between recreational models and commercial unmanned aircrafts. As an example, Troy Built Models sells three types of large unmanned aircrafts to be powered by 30 and 50 cc gas engines. They have enough gas capacity to fly for more than an hour and a considerable payload capacity for cameras and other equipment. Anyone can buy these. Another example is when last year someone flew a small airplane all over monuments and landmarks in New York taking videos and posted them in the internet. This really got the federal government in the alert. Well, I guess the government is getting worried about it. So, the AMA job and ours is going to be to protect our rights as modelers as much as possible and at the same time allow for some sort of regulation that provides safety. The question is how much rights we may need to give up in the name of security. We will see and let's keep informed.

Safety at the Field: Do you know how to react in case of a medical emergency or injury at the field? Well, we are not getting any younger and some of us are one foot away from the grave. A couple of us look like we are ready to kick the bucket. Just kidding!!!! These are my suggestions to guide you on what should be done and take it as advice but each situation requires judgment call and common sense on what needs to be done to help a fellow club member or visitor. In any emergency, assess the surroundings and make sure that providing help is not going to cause you from getting injured. Assessment also includes how severe the problem is for you to decide at once to call 911. If a minor injury or health problem, use the First Aid Kit at the field or improvise with what is available and assist the victim. Apply pressure to a wound, provide water, etc. At any time that you are not sure what should be done it must be a clue you should get medical assistance. If the victim is conscious and can safely be moved, you may offer to transport to an emergency care facility. If for any reason you feel is unsafe to move the victim or the victim is dazed, incoherent or unresponsive is time for 911. A 911 operator is instructed to get your name, location and phone number immediately so if the call is disconnected they can reach you back. Then state the nature of the emergency. This is important because gives the 911 operator an idea of what level of help to send your way. A victim having a heart attack versus a trauma injury is approached different so if the emergency services know ahead of time, they can get the proper needed help. If you call 911, tell them that to reach you by US 1 / Capital Blvd. going north and turning left into Pocomoke and soon right on to Fred Wilder, being the field at the left after half mile and marked with a sign for the RAMS field. If there are other members with you, send someone to wait for the emergency vehicle at the entrance of the field. While emergency services arrive, make sure to get the victim comfortable, move the victim the least possible. If the victim is dazed or very lethargic or slurring their speech avoid giving them fluids. If CPR is needed and you know how to do it, you may need to proceed until emergency services arrive. One last point I want to make is in case of traumatic amputation, as in our hobby, unfortunately it can happen. Although you need to act fast applying pressure and stopping bleeding, make sure you or someone looks for the amputated body part (finger ?) and keep it moist and cool / cold so no time is wasted looking for it and the victim can be transported at once for medical help. Remember that there are two facilities (one from Rex Healthcare and another with Duke Healthcare) with urgent and emergency level care going south on Capital Blvd. from the field. Both facilities will be at your right and are clearly identified. But the last word is, if you are not sure what should be done or where to take the victim, CALL 911!!!

RAMS Front Sign: Greg Koepke (our safety officer) has come up with a new sign for our club front entrance. Looks really nice and stands out nicely. Many thanks Greg.

Dr. Joey