RC Slope Soaring in Hong Kong

Stanley wrote:



Same words that I wish to say to all fellow pilots. I admit that sometimes I am hot-tempered. Please pardom me as well.

Ah Mak wrote:


Ah Mak, don't worry. Shouting and teasing each other is the way I communicate with Stanley!!

By the way, any pilot had paid any miscellaneous item and not yet claimed from me?? Please call me direct. I shall finish the finance report soonest.

Cheers.

Great thanks to all the organizers, participants and voluntary workers.

The Hong Kong F3F Open 2007 is now over and I believe most of you have back to normal working life and as busy as usual.

Actually, I couldn’t sleep well the last few days after the contest, not because I got a DNF in round 7 nor worry about the negative budget issue. I was reviewing what we have done wrong and what we can improve upon for the organization of future contests. I would say we did very well in the organization, but we did badly on the issue of SAFTY. 正所謂「組織一流、安全九流！」

When I said to move the landing area in Robin's Next north slope far out to the right hand side away from the spectators and base A judge. The immediate response from our fellow pilots is “the landing skills of other pilots are not as good as you are, don't push them”. You know my concern is not only to speed up the contest, but, most importantly, is to avoid the approaching planes crashing onto the spectator area. This was proved to be bloody true later when Angus almost got hit in the back by a lost control plane. If the hit point was 1 meter higher, I am sorry we had to rush him to hospital!

In Lobster Bay after we have set up the course, I asked fellow pilots to help clearing a path to the hiking trail so that a pilot can walk to the right hand side far away from the crowd to land his plane. The response I had is negative, no body think this is a good idea, instead they argued even to allow them to land anywhere in both sides of the pilot area. Later I saw many planes crash landed near the pilot area putting everybody at risk; a plane fell onto another pilot's plane damaging its tail putting it out of action; more seriously, a plane with full butterfly on headed down wind and crashed into the crowd on the slope, this time we were just lucky that no one got hurt! It that a professional way of running a contest? I bet not!

In fact, for incompetence pilots, I would say it is even better for them to walk away from the spectator area to land their planes. It would be advantageous to both the spectators and the pilot himself because he can take more time without pressure from other pilots for landing his plane safely away from the crowd. By the way, my opinion is: if you are incompetence in landing, do more training. Nobody can become a master in landing if he is scared of landing training. Please don't ask the organizer to make compromise.

Another issue I want to bring out is the safety of the base judges. It seems that many planes flew very close to the base judges particularly serious in Lobster Bay. We have two ways to solve this issue, give penalty to pilot who crossed the line and move the poles and judges as far back as possible. In most case, the second approach can solve the problem. But we still need to enforce the safety line principle.

I told you we can NOT compromise on safety, a damaged model can be replaced but life can not! Next time if you ask me to compromise on safety again, I would say no, if forced I would rather give up my role as organizer and go away. That's what I say and off!

我很認同 Stanley 對飛行安全的關注。也認同要作出加強。

其實每一位在場人仕，都一樣關心自已及在場親友的安全。相信不會有人反對加強安全性的題議吧。

對選用什麼方式來提高安全水平，大家的意見卻可能不一樣。

例如 Stanley 所題及，在龍蝦灣的場地及當時情況:
龍蝦灣的 pilot area 是在坡上一個凸起的小土丘。如要機手行到其它地方降落，需要走過高底不平的山坡。其間更有小樹、草頭等障礙物，才能到達小路。上到小路後，要行到去另一個 landing site 也不是安全的事，因為倆傍路上，都有比人更高的小樹。如果路途上之任何時間，機手與飛機失去目視接触，飛機就有可能失控、而做成危險。當天風力不大、升力也不很理想。飛機需要近山才取得升力。要把飛機停留於小路上的可目視區，又要其保持於安全高度，是當天大部份時間都不可能做到的。

大家記得 YC 在台灣跌倒，導致飛機失控的事件嗎？
還有，在 VR2005 有多架飛机、因行去 Landing site 時被樹木檔了視線，而使飛機失控！
我自巳就是其中一員。當時失控的其他機手、更是有相當國際比賽經驗的選手哩！

所以我認為行去另一 Landing site 這方法，當天用在龍蝦灣北風場，是不安全的。


至於是否可於 polit 位之左及右邊降落。Polit 兩邊位置都是在賽道之內，而當天風向有時北些、有時又轉東一些。所以並不存在一個特別好的位置。倆個位置是應按當時風向及機手的經驗來使用的。由機手選用其最有信心的 降落方式及方向，才是最安全的方法。

以當時的地型、風力及環境。安全重點是應給機手足夠的時間做 landing、不要加給時間壓力，及題供協助。
機手自巳也應於有需要時、要求幫助。事實上，當天也有賽員於這個陌生的環境降落時、要求其他比較有經驗的機手協助。當時 Angus 多次成功地題供領航，把飛機安全地著陸。這才是我們應該加強的重點。


關於 Base A 及 Base B 的安全問題：

把 safety line 列清楚，及把人員由航道向後移，都是正確的大方向。
記得於 F3F Welsh Open 2007 中，風速非常之高。以致增加了危險性。當時大會立刻把原本離航道約十米的 safety line 打後到約卄米。

"君子不立危牆之下"：
Base A及B 人員的安全，的確是十分重要。最安全的方法、是不要把他們安置於太接近飛行航道的位置。
有時也聽說因飛機飛得太低，人員不走前去就看不見飛機過線！
但這就有如"美女飛刀"表演中的美女，跑到刀靶前、要求飛刀不要打中自已！當然、我們的機手與飛刀手，都不希望發生意外。但我們的 base 人員又不是要表演"美女飛刀"。他們有必要走近航道去冒這個險嗎？
過線時把飛機飛到 Base 人員看得到的高度，是賽員的責任。如果飛機飛得太低， Base 人員看不見飛機，可以不按掣。
如果風力太低而飛機根本就不能於正常高度飛行，應該查一查風速計及風向角度，以確定風力付合 FAI 的 F3F 標準！ 風力不足就應停賽。

Agreed that the safety awareness of organisers, pilots and spectators are insufficinet. Let's hold a de-briefing section in the coming committee meeting to discuss and record for future arrangement.