We have had a pretty mild summer with lots of good flying days at Mission Bay. For the most part everyone has been using common sense and flying safely. There are however a few things that I see starting to be issues. In no particular order here are things we all need to work on:
1) Call out ‘takeoffs’ and ‘landings’ in a clear loud voice so people up and down the flight line can hear!
2) Takeoffs and landings should be aligned with the long axis of the runway and into the wind—taking off across the width of the runway is just plain bad practice which risks not only your model but others who may be landing.
3) When there are other people, flying please follow the standard “race track” pattern with the upwind leg aligned with the near edge of our runway and the down wind leg 100-200 feet further out. This helps avoid mid air collisions.
Regarding the entry gate—please follow these simple guidelines:
1) First person in opens the gate and should leave it open for other members or visitors.
2) Last member to leave should inform any visitors that the gate is going to be locked when they leave and that they should leave to avoid being locked in.
3) There maybe situations where the gate should be closed after every entry or exit to prevent the flying area from being used as a parking lot for special events—if this is to be implemented members will be told in advance.
Homeless people—We have some homeless camps in the areas near our field and there have been a few cases where our members have had some physical altercations with persons that clearly were having some mental issues. Try to avoid these people and if you feel threatened call 911. Let the police deal with the problem—retreat to your car and avoid contact. No good will come from any physical interaction with these people!
Stay safe and enjoy nice flying weather!
Steve Neu
