Conference vmszoo::rc

    The part about flying alone really hits home.  I got to the CMRCM field
    last saturday morning around 10:00.  Nobody there (except my 6-year
    old son), and good flying weather.  Really wanted to go up and get
    some undisturbed flights, but messages like yours have sunk in and
    I waited for someone else to show up.  Good time to do a complete
    check of the airplane, i.e. all screws in and tight, etc, etc.
    	We have a very secluded field and I can imagine what a small
    kid would go through in an emergency like that.  Thanks for sharing
    it with us, little reminders like that help reinforce safe thinking.
    Maybe this would be a good note for any other horror stories or
    warnings like the safety column in MA.
    							Bill
    

        Re:< Note 189.2 by JOULE::SNOW >

                I built  my own field box with a primitive cradle on top.
        The cradle consists  of  wooden  strips  sticking up and are very
        effective.  By some miracle all three planes fit!  When I want to
        make absolutely sure the plane won't jump out I put a rubber band
        above the tail.
        
                Another safety enhancer is to mount  a spinner and use an
        electric starter.
        
        Anker

    
    		I have, I believe a Dubro plug connector that has a
    	locking ring that applies pressure to the plug. It has never
    	fallen off nor do I expect it to because of the design. I also
    	have a platform that I use to transport my plane on that I 
    	use when starting it up. This platform allows me to run the
    	.25FSR up to max rpm without holding the plane. Ill attempt
    	to draw it;
    
    
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    	Since my plane is a trike the front wheel sits at x, the rear
    	wheels sit in the box that is as tall as they are and the 
    	outside wheel collars fit into holes in the side of this
    	box at +. The width is just a bit smaller than that of the 
    	main gear reqiuring them to be slightly compressed to insert
    	into the box where they spring into the holes. Cannot move
    	once inserted. In this way as throttle comes up it trys to
    	push on nose gear down.
    
    
    					Michael Gallant
    

I suppose everyone of us is allowed one boo-boo in their modeling career; I
can't count the number, or even remember them all. Something about old age,
I reckon. One comes to mind when a few of us were partaking of that wonderful
california sunshine; that's something you just read about back on the east
coast.

I had just cranked up the engine of my brand new low winger and for some
strange reason, reached right through the winding up prop blades to tweak
its needle valve (sound familiar). Again, the prop/engine didn't stop, although
my hand did smart a bit; the thing had laid the skin open above the main
knuckle ('bout an inch long) of the index finger of my left hand; bled like
the dickens for a couple of minutes.

But it didn't look like I was going to die and the engine WAS RUNNING......
NO VIBRATION,,,,,SO..............Punch the thottle and go like mad!

Flew well, too; rung the magnificent steed out painting artistic figures across
the blue, a perfect score if ever a jaded judge should care to look. I landed,
stopped the engine (the blood had coagulated on my finger very nicely by now)
and was very much surprised. Half of one propellor blade was missing, split
lengthwise, the trailing edge half still adhering to the hub. The engine was
still tight in the beam mounts. Never being one to challenge the fates, I 
changed the prop and flew several more flights that day.

We never did find that piece of blade! I suppose it could have been worse;
about the same time this happened to me, a guy at the INTERNATS did the same
thing and he crashed when the blood from his wound seeped into the transmitter 
case and shorted out the electronics. I guess you might say it was a "blood
bath"! Of course, TORP 45s didn't have the power, in 1960, when sitting in the
nose of an ASTRO HOG (the "old one") as the engines of today. I look at the
neat scar on my left hand (no doctoring, no complications) and wonder what it
would have looked like if I had stuck it through the prop of one of our present
day powerhouses. As they used to say on HILL ST. BLUES, "Be careful out there!"

    Al Casey  (RC-AV8R)
    PNO::CASEYA
    Phoenix, AZ 551-5572
    
    After reading the preceding assorted and familiar horror stories,
    I felt compelled to offer a couple of First-aid tips learned over
    many years of prop related mishaps.
    
    I have no medical degree, so if some of you wince at these and wonder
    "Is that really a good idea?", I can only say that i'm still around
    with no ill effects I'm aware of, as are a large number of other
    victims who have received these ministrations.
    
    1.  There's NO substitute for a GOOD first aid kit in your flying
    paraphernalia but if, like most of us, you find yourself lacking
    one when an emergency arises, consider this:  Glo-engine fuel is
    80% alcohol, on the average...what better emergency antiseptic could
    you hope for?  It stings like the very devil but I've NEVER had
    any follow-up infection as a result of this treatment and the wound
    seems to heal faster than normal as a bonus. 
    
    2.  Don't forget yer' Boy Scout first aid training regarding pressure
    to control/stop bleeding.  AND HERE'S THE ONE THAT MAY PROVOKE SOME
    HEAD-SHAKING...once the bleeding is under control, apply Hot-Stuff/Zap/
    Super Jet to the wound and pinch it together 'til cured (almost
    instantly as CYA's are "kicked-off" by moisture, blood in this case).
    A piece of paper towel CYA'd over the wound further seals/protects
    it 'til professional care can be obtained, if required.  I KNOW,
    I KNOW...CYA adhesives contain some ultra-minute quantity of cyanide
    but I suspect you ingest more by smelling the fumes in a one-night
    building session than is introduced by this emergency procedure
    and the end result for me has been extremely fast healing with very
    little, if any, scarring.
    
    3. This may sound silly but I'm dead serious: DO NOT compound the
    situation by taking internally large quantities of alcohol, i.e.
    beer/booze as this thins the blood and slows coagulation, not to
    mention the fact that it can drastically increase chances of going
    into shock.
    
    As mentioned at the outset, use of these first aid procedures has
    proven, over the years, to be highly effective and I strongly reco-
    mmend them to you.

    re .-1 
    
    re 3. booze: Just to clarify a little bit more: Booze will cause
    blood vessels to expand. This has the side effect of having blood
    leave the core of the body (head & trunk) for extremities (legs,
    arms).. There is a built in safety mechanism in the bode to shut
    off or restrcict blood flow to extremities under certain circumstances
    such as hypothermia or sever wound... Wrap youself in in a blaket
    or drink something warm (coffee..)
    

    
    IN line with Al's comments, I have heard that the medical profession
    is experimenting with some type of CA glue in place of stiches.
    It seals better. Also in the case of being impailed with a piece
    of prop. LEAVE IT IN. It's a natural plug. Treat the person for
    shock and any surface bleeding and get the injured person to a doctor.
    
    
    						Tom 

    Al Casey  (RC-AV8R)
    PNO::CASEYA
    Phoenix, AZ 551-5572
    
    Correctez-vous Tom.  They've been using CA's for some years in certain
    applications...that's where I originally got the idea.  In fact,
    I had a hernia repair done several years and they used it on me
    to close the incision with NO stitches...it left an incredibly thin,
    almost invisible scar.
    
    Al

    re: using CA for "field repairs" on wounds - I'm not a medic
    either but I think that's a very ill-advised suggestion.
    There are well-known techniques for stopping bleeding, read
    any first aid manual. It takes a doctor to properly close a
    wound without leaving an incredible scar. Yes, I've heard
    about using CA in surgery and it works good and leaves no
    suture marks, but it's used by a trained surgeon who knows
    how wounds heal. As far as gluing a paper towel on to hold
    it closed, you better bring along a gallon of CA debonder
    to the emergency room because you'll never get it off without
    removing the skin too. And by the way, CA debonder stings like
    crazy on an open cut (I've accidently gotten some in a cut
    on my hand) so you better bring your bottle of booze too because
    you'll need it while they're peeling your skin off.

    Dave

    Al Casey  (RC-AV8R)
    PNO::CASEYA
    Phoenix, AZ 551-5572
    
    Dave,
    
    I can't/won't argue with any of your observations re: the use of
    CYA's for first-aid.  The fact is that most, if not all of your
    points are valid.  I would, however, ask you to remember that I
    used the word "emergency" frequently in my suggestion and that's
    precisely how the procedure should be used...in emergencies ONLY!
    
    I don't suggest that SEVERE wounds should be treated and forgotten
    while one goes right on about the business of flying, nor do I in-
    tend that we "play Doctor" here.  Again, it's just a suggested me-
    thod of controlling a situation until professional help can be ob-
    tained.
    
    Thanx fer' the input,
    
    Al 

    Just to get back on the subject: I got one in the mail the other
    day about a guy flying in a hand glider that was shot down due to
    a collision with a model airplane. He did not survive the ordeal.
    
    md

    And people wonder why we work so hard trying to keep them back out
    of harm's way!!  They just can't seem to realize that getting hit
    by one of these "toys" is probably just as ugly and life-threatening
    a situation as being shot by a 30-06!
    
    By the way, I assume you intended to say "hang" glider, not hand
    glider.
    
    Adios Amigo, 	Al

    
    There was a scary incident at CMRCM sunday, a result of our pit/spectator
    area being so close to the runway.  Someone took off and immediately
    lost control (suspected intermittent in receiver or battery
    connection).  The plane banked around full throttle and dove into the
    pits, missing a few people by less than 5' (Anker was one of them).
    Only the plane that crashed was damaged, but it could have been
    a lot worse.  Makes you think, especially when you read about someone
    getting killed by a 3 lb plane coming in deadstick!
    
    Bill

We had a club meeting last Friday, a very serious accident was reported which
has shaken me. The incident illustrates a number of operational problems within
our club that we are now rectifying, I hope it will help others. 

The incident involved one of our most experienced modellers in the club, he has
been around for many years, he has been involved in freeflight before RC. He is
a well respected senior member of the club and in no way classified as
inexperienced. 

He and a couple of other members were at the field, he was starting a CAP21
with a 90FS up front but forgot to switch on the radio. The motor started on
full throttle, he was unable to hold the model securely because of oil on his
hands and the prop commenced to chop away up his arm until another modeller who
fortunately was close at hand took control of the model and stopped the engine.
What also complicated the situation was the modeller had a hart condition and
had a pacemaker. 

The club has a first aid kit, it was securely locked in the club shed, only the
club exec has keys so no medical supplies were on hand to contain the bleeding
in a sterile manner; none of the modellers present were conversant with the
local geography and were not aware where the closest medical help was, this
resulted in a 40 min drive when there was a medical center less than 15 mins
away. 

What has now been decided by the club is that the first aid kit will be in a
box secured to the shed which can be opened by the field gate key; a durable
notice will be attached to the shed giving the location of the closest medical
assistance; this notice will also show the location of an emergency telephone. 

The incumbent of the injury received a total of 76 stitches, it was said that
the only reason there was no more is that bits were missing. He probably will
never have full use of the arm again. 

What did he do wrong:-

	1. Did not do a preflight check of his gear. (It wasn't switched on)
	2. He did not have somebody helping him with such a large model.	

I know hindsight is easy but I will certainly learn from the incident. Just 
imagine what would have happened if he was at the field on his own, it could 
have been a fatal, he could have bled to death before any body found him.

Very shaken.

John

    A somewhat similar accident happened a year ago at our field, but
    the circumstances of the accident were different.
    
    Jerry (you don't know him) was firing up his Waco with an OS90FS
    in it. The ship started fine and was idleing away. Jerry, holding
    the plane by the top wing in order to keep his arm away from the
    prop moved from his kneeling position to put his chicken stick away
    and in the process nudged the throttle on his transmitter that lay
    on the ground next to his leg. The engine roared into action and
    Jerry's grip sliped. Not enough to unleash the roaring engine but
    sufficiently enough to move the prop arc into his left leg. 
    
    I don't know how many stickes he had but he now sports a scar just
    above his left knee that is about 8 - 10 inches long.
    
    The last note recalled in my mind that Jerry was out to the field
    this past sunday flying his Cap21 with the OS90FS in it. I can also
    recall that now Jerry brings a stake,hammer and a length of rope
    along as standard field gear. He always secures his ship now with
    a loop of rope tied to that stake.
    
    
    MAKE'S YOU THINK.................
    
    
    						Tom

    I noticed that in both of the above accidents, that no helper was
    employed to hold the plane when the engine was started.  With a
    big engine, it is really unwise to fire up while holding the plane
    yourself.  It is easy to have the thing roar off at full throttle
    and overpower your grip on it.  I've seen too many people take these
    large engines too lightly, assuming that it will always behave as
    expected.  I saw one start backwards once and back the plane up
    and snag the guy in the hand.  Also, make sure that your helper
    is concentrating on what he is doing so that he has a firm enough
    grip on the plane.  
    
    I hope we don't hear too many more of these stories.
    
    Charlie
    

   Last week I dropped by our field to watch some action (I only had 1/2 hr
   so I didn't take a plane). At one end of the field a group was fiddling
   with setting up a trainer (Sig Kadet or something similar, I don't
   recall exactly). Anyway, they got everything set up and the engine was
   idleing nicely when somebody noticed that one of the controls was
   reversed. Simple, right? Pop the cover off, flip the reverse switch
   and...  Uh, oh. Whoever did it reversed the THROTTLE so the engine went
   to full power with nobody holding the plane (it was just sitting there
   idleing, remember). Fortuneately it was pointing towards the open field
   with nobody in it's path so it just screamed across the field and into
   the tall grass on the other side. The whole thing happened so fast that
   it was over with before anybody knew what was happening. 

G. Schrader 

    
    RE -.1 : an easy thing to do by accident!  Good advice is to never
    	fiddle with the transmitter unless the engine is stopped or
    	someone's holding the plane.
    
    We had another harrowing experience at CMRCM yesterday, a result
    of pilot error and just plain rustiness.  I thought I'd mention
    it here because one of the safety precautions I normally take
    probably saved my butt!
    
    I was flying the SS20 when one of our co-workers (who will remain
    unnamed) started his takeoff roll.  It was his third flight, the
    first two having been uneventful, but I normally take some precautions
    when someone is taking off.  I get my plane straight and level and
    in a position so I can see the take-off with peripheral vision.
    During his takeoff roll the plane veered right, straight toward
    me, and his panic reaction was to pull up instead of killing the
    throttle.  I had the plane in the corner of my eye and jumped behind
    the club sign, his plane passing through the opening I had been
    standing in.  It continued over the pit area and crashed into the
    dirt road.  It took a few seconds to regain my composure and regain
    control of the SS20 but it worked out ok.
    
    I guess the moral is that accidents like this will happen, because
    you can't always predict how someone will react in a panic situation.
    There are precautions you can take to be less vulnerable if something
    does happen on takeoffs and landings, and in my case it saved me
    from a potentially bad situation.  I didn't even have to change
    my underwear :-)!
    
    Bill
    

    Two saturday's ago, I had the unfortunate displeasure or sharing
    our field with a guy who was extremly impatient and it almost cost
    him a trip to the hospital. Fortunatly, for him, I was standing
    in the way of the oncomming airplane. What happened was this. He
    arrived early and prepared his plane but with three planes flying
    already, he had to wait (he had asked if he could sneak another
    one up but was firmly shot down). A new flyer arrived shortly
    afterwards on the same frequency as Mr. impatient but without a
    pin. No problem, Mr. impatient agreed to share his,and thats where
    the trouble began. The new guy was led out to the runnway with an
    instructor, flew, then the instructor landed for him and began his
    taxi back to the pits (we can taxi to and from but not through the
    pits) Mr. impatient, seeing they were down, switched his radio on
    before the first guy had a chance to shut the plane down. With the
    throttle wide open, the plane screamed forward twords Mr. impatient
    but as I said I was standing in between him and the stray and the
    plane struck me instead, fortunately, not with the prop but with
    the wing instead which spun it into the dirt, killing the engine.
    I didn't realize at the time that this is what happened but it;s
    the only reason I can give for incident happening and it sure seems
    logical after watching his perfomance at the field.

It was interesting to read some of the tips - like using CA to "stitch" deep
cuts, and fuel with its high percentage of alcohol as an anti-septic. Of course
the horror stories made my  stomach turn

Well, since I just stumbled across this note looking for something else, let me
add some emergency tips I learnt in India.

1. You can use brake fluid from your car as an antiseptic. I have seen this
being done. I assume that brake fluid technology/formula being used in India,
and out here, is similar enough to make my tip valid.

2. Kerosene is grrreat as an antiseptic too. My grandmom swears by it, and
has tried it out on all of her grandchildren, myself included. It doesn't sting
like alcohol, and *DOES* promote faster healing. Diesel engines aren't popular
in the US, but remember that 1/3 of diesel fuel is kerosene.

I hope you never have to use any of these measures, but knowledge is power.

ajai

    From the previous note I understand that fuel could be used as
    antispetic.
    
    It could be but, be aware that nitro does not do any good at all. I
    have had a small wound, which had been exposed to fuel.
    It did not cure and only became bigger and bigger.
    
    The doctor that I finally visited, curred it and has attributed
    the problem to the nitro content of the fuel.
    
    Regards
    
    

    Clarification - I was only quoting 189.6 wrt using fuel as an
    antiseptic. 
    
    My own experience deals with kerosene(personal) and brake 
    fluid (observed).
    
    Your point/experience about nitro is well taken though.
    
    ajai
    

    A friend of mine told me that CA glue is used in (some ?) hospitals to
    close open wounds (sp ?). I once tried it when I cut in my finger with 
    a balsa knife and CA glue was the closest what I could reach - it
    didn't hurt at all even I was waiting for a terrible burning - the cut
    was perfectly closed and no bleeding anymore. I would recommend it
    in a case of emergency. I don't know if there are concerns though.
    
    	Bernd
    

    It was originally developed for exactly that purpose. It was a surgical
    adhesive before anyone else used it. Just keep in mind that any dirt in
    the wound will be sealed in for the duration of the layer of skin.
    
    Another issue is how do you hold the edges closed??

>    It was originally developed for exactly that purpose. It was a surgical
>    adhesive before anyone else used it. Just keep in mind that any dirt in

    Yes, particularly popular in internal medicine, where it not desirable
    to have threaded sutures breaking up and causing clots.  Heart Surgury
    is one particular application I've heard about.
    
>    Another issue is how do you hold the edges closed??

    For razor type cuts, you can usually bend the affected area enough to
    close the wound, then you just drop on a little CYA, and viola! instant
    band-aid.

    Re: last-2,
    
    I once, about 5-6 years ago, accidentally (why would anyone do it on
    purpose) drove a number-11 X-Acto blade to the hilt, almost clear through 
    the palm of my left hand between the two bones leading to the 3rd and 4th
    fingers.  It was a Saturday, I was totally wrapped up in whatever I was
    doing and had less than ZERO desire to have to go to some hospital
    emergency room and lose half a day, not to mention run up a big
    hospital bill.
    
    DISCLAIMER:  I freely admit that I'm not a doctor and do not necessarily
    recommend the following procedure.  I'm merely relating what I did and
    that it worked fine for me.
    
    The blade could be seen bulging the skin on the back of my hand but had 
    failed to penetrate...so, I carefully withdrew the knife and tentatively 
    moved my fingers every which way I could imagine, satisfying myself I
    hadn't cut any tendons or muscles.  Thus satisfied, I decided to see if
    I could tend to the wound myself, if only to stem the bleeding before I
    might be forced to go to the emergency room, despite my reluctance.
    
    Remembering my first aid training, I applied constant and firm pressure 
    directly to the wound until the flow of blood had been nearly stemmed.
    I then flushed the wound freely with isopropyl alcohol, OUUUUUUUUCH!! 
    Then, I applied a drop or two of thin CA adhesive and pinched the wound
    together.  (It took a repitition or two of this process until the wound
    was closed to my satisfaction.)  Realizing that normal hand movements
    would be stressing the wound, I determined that something additional
    was needed to help keep it closed.
    
    So, I laid a piece of Kleenex tissue over the wound and applied another
    drop or two of thin CA, then carefully tore the excess tissue away from
    the circumference of this "patch."  Feeling this might be a bit puny, I
    applied another "ply" atop this and went about my business.
    
    In about 3-days, natural skin oils undermined the CA holding the "patch" 
    so, after examining the wound and satisfying myself that no infection
    was present, I replaced the "patch."  This was repeated in another
    3-days and, perhaps, one final time.  The result was a fine pink line
    where the cut had been and what appeared to be a perfect stitchless
    repair in little more than a week.
    
    In another week or so, the color of the line returned to normal and
    within a month or so I was surprised to note that I could just barely
    see where the wound had been.  I finally pretty much forgot about the
    incident and the next time I thought about it, I was pleased to see
    that no trace of the wound remained...to this day, I can't find a trace
    of what had been a pretty serious stab wound.  I, for one, haven't
    hesitated to treat minor cuts with CA ever since this experience,
    always with totally satisfactory results.
						 __          
				|      |        / |\	   	       
      	         \|/		|______|__(o/--/  | \	   	       
      | |        00	       <|  ~~~  ____ 04 ---- | --------------------
    |_|_|        (O>o		|\)____/___|\_____|_/	   Adios amigos, Al
      |     \__(O_\_	        |	  |___/	 o	   (The Desert Rat)

    I've got a pretty strong stomach, but really.....
    
    I take it that CA is NOT poisonous!  Doesn't it contain cyanide?  And
    you guys put it into your blood stream?  And your not dead?  Or brain
    damaged? .....well at least not dead! :^)
    
    Seriously, I thought that CA was poisonous.
    
    
    Ken

    Re: .-1, Ken,
    
    Got to ya', did I?  Seriously, sorry 'bout that...sometimes I forget
    that not eveyone has the nonchalant attitude I have towards cuts,
    blood, etc.  I simply refused to be interrupted/inconvenienced by
    something I might be able to take care of mu'self.  As I said, I don't
    necessarily recommend the procedure I outlined for everyone but you
    should bear in mind that it IS a viable means of treating a serious
    finger/hand injury at the field prior to seeking treatment.
    
    As to toxicity, the name Cyanoacrylate infers the minute quantity of
    cyanide contained in CA glue.  However, as was stated in the previous
    coupla' replies, CA glues were developed specifically for surgical
    applications where cloth or wire stitches are impractical...it is used
    extensively in micro-surgery.  Thus, I'm comfortable with the knowledge
    that the cyanide content is so minute as to be harmless.  Again, I'm
    not advocating this as a regular practice...medical assistance should
    be sought in all cases of serious injury.  But, the knowledge that
    there IS a means available to control and stabilize the situation on
    the spot _could_ be most helpful in the case of a severe, profusely
    bleeding injury.  Many of our flying sites (at least out here) are
    quite remote from a medical facility and stopping loss of blood could
    be a _significant_ factor in this kind of accident.
    
    A noter mentioned a few replies back that the nitromethane in model
    fuel used as an antiseptic might have complicated the healing of an 
    injury he'd experienced.  I, personally, haven't had such an experience;
    all wounds so treated have, for ME, healed [seemingly] more rapidly and
    with far less discomfort but I can readily appreciate that there may be
    some who might be allergic to or react differently to this method. 
    However, I must submit that, in a serious situation, cleansing the
    wound transcends any minor reaction as may result.
    
    Of course, we should ALL carry first-aid kits as part of our field gear
    but I'll bet most of you are like me and have never quite gotten around
    to it.  My purpose to this entire discussion is not to play doctor but
    to remind you that there ARE things in yer' normal field gear that,
    while maybe not perfect, _can_ be used to control a bad situation
    involving injury to yourself or another modeler.
						 __
				|      |        / |\	   	       
      	         \|/		|______|__(o/--/  | \	   	       
      | |        00	       <|  ~~~  ____ 04 ---- | --------------------
    |_|_|        (O>o		|\)____/___|\_____|_/	   Adios amigos, Al
      |     \__(O_\_	        |	  |___/	 o	   (The Desert Rat)

    Oh goody, at last I get to enter a bloody horror story , although
    not as gory as Als'. But on the other hand, don't read this while
    eating lunch.
    While sitting at my workbench last sunday night, I suddenly decided
    I could figure out how to replace the blade in my Zona saw. I've
    had new blade inserts for months but was too proud/stubborn to ask
    the nice hobby shop man how to remove/install them.
    I simply grabbed the old blade with a pair of pliers and yanked,
    and out she came. So far so good. Inserting the new blade wasn't
    hard either, but then I should have left well enough alone.
    
    I really felt the need to test the new blade, could it really
    be sharper than a 3 year old blade ? etc. etc.
    Sawing on a piece of 1/4" spruce while carefully positioning
    my left index finger to maximize the damage in case the blade should
    slip, it proceeded to do just that, sawing well into the inside
    of the finger at about 45 degrees and into the nail for about 1/4".
    Hmmm..I let it bleed into the wastebasket for a few seconds to flush
    things out, then was able to stop the bleeding with direct
    pressure, but what to do next? Luckily I dimly remembered Al's note
    so wiped off the area with alcohol, and holding the floppy piece
    up against the finger, ran a bead of instant CA over the cut.
    Voila ! Everthing sealed up nice and tight. Put a bandaid over it
    for protection and to avoid grossing out my daughter.
    
    Today everything looks pink and no pain so I think it's well on
    its way to a rapid healing.
    
    BTW, new blades ARE sharp.
    
    Terry

						 __
				|      |        / |\	   	       
      	         \|/		|______|__(o/--/  | \	   	       
      | |        00	       <|  ~~~  ____ 04 ---- | --------------------
    |_|_|        (O>o		|\)____/___|\_____|_/	   Adios amigos, Al
      |     \__(O_\_	        |	  |___/	 o	   (The Desert Rat)

    Last week while working in my shop, I did one of those terribly dumb
    things that we all know you should NEVER try.  I was taught NOT to do
    it as a kid, and I in turn taught my children NEVER to do it.  Yet,
    despite all the thorough training and constant brainwashing I have
    recieved over the years, I nevertheless found myself in one of those
    self-deluding situations where I knew I was doing something dangerous,
    and yet I had the total lack of respect for this potential danger that
    made me do it anyway.  I was probably rationalizing to myself that I
    was aware of the danger, but that made me more careful and hence less
    prone to have an accident.  
    
    What I am referring to is cutting something by pulling the knife
    TOWARDS you, rather than AWAY from you.  The obvious danger in doing
    this is that if the knife slips, you get a chance to bury the blade in
    YOU.  And that's exactly what I did.  I was attempting to remove the
    outer insulation from a three-foot length of electrical wire and
    decided the proecss could be speeded up by clamping one end of the wire
    in a vise, pulling it tight with one hand, and slicing thru the
    insulation with an Xacto knife.  Good idea, except I began cutting at
    the Vise end, pulling the knife TOWARDS me.  I told myself this was not
    the right way, but I knew of the danger so I was being VERY careful. 
    Just as this thought crossed my mind, the darn blade slipped out of the
    wire, and due to the considerable pulling force I was exerting on the
    knife, proceeded to bury a 5/8" long, pointed Xacto blade in the end of
    my left thumb (*&$$#@()&&^^$%$$^&&* Whooooaaaaaaa did that hurt!!!!!!!)
    
    The impact caused the blade to sever my thumbnail from top to bottom
    and open up the thumb to a depth of about 1/4 inch.  I chickened out of
    trying the CA glue to close it up, and had my daughter drive me to the
    doctors instead.  By keeping pressure on it for about half an hour, it
    pretty well began to close up, and the doctor decided it didn't need
    stiches, just a bandage.  I think its healing up nicely, and I probably
    am lucky it wasn't worse than it was.
    
    Moral of the story.  Do what your parents taught you about cutting with
    a knife.  They were right, and no amount of self-delusion will ever
    change that.

    My eyes are no longer what they used to be.  Tonight that may be just
    as well.  I was wearing glasses when the following occurred.

    The wing hold down block of the Chup had again cracked loose from the
    fuselage.  At the workbench the crack was obvious but not wide.  I
    squirted some fast UFO into the crack and squeezed the assembly shut. 
    The crack snapped shut and the glue squirted out --- into my face.  The
    glasses now have a drop of CA on the glass in front of one pupil.

    Mr R,
    
    	Glad to read your glasses worked and your eye isn't any worse off
    from the experience.  Kind of makes one think about wearing safety
    glasses.
    
    Tom

    We had a very nearly horrible accident at our fun fly a couple of weeks
    ago....  Luckily, it turned out just scary..  No one was injured...
    
    We were flying a balloon bust event and a pilot was flying a very hot
    Sport-Air 40.  John Backhaus (DECie) was sitting in the open hatch of
    his Taurus wagon.  His father sitting in a lawn chair in front of him
    and his mother and other family members sitting close by.  Their car
    was about 2/3rds the way down the line of cars in the pits.
    
    The sport air caught a balloon on the wingtip, but it did not break.
    Instead, it held onto the wing long enough to put the plane into a 
    knife edge, headed full speed towards the pits.  John and Fred were 
    paying attention and dove for the ground as the plane's wing hit
    squarely into the raised hatch.  The rest of the plane ended up in 
    the back of the car!
    
    As I said, luckily the only damage to people was the shot of adreneline
    that everyone got, especially John and Fred.
    
    In retrospect, I can not fault the pilot one bit.  Everything happened 
    in a split second.  We did find a few faults in our field and fun fly.
    
    	- The field has a bit of a dogleg in it.  As a result, the pilot
    "feels" like he is flying down the center.  But in reality, he is 
    also pointed towards the pits. 
    
    	We have straightened the runway and we are adding more fence.
    
    	- The CD had placed several sticks with balloons around the runway.
    The one this pilot went for was the one nearest the pits.
    
    	After the incident we moved all of the balloons out into the field
    away from the pits.
    
    	In the future, I think we should only use 1 balloon so there is
    less tendency for the pilot to do abrupt manuevers.  What happens now
    is that as you miss one balloon, you jink it around trying to get
    another farther down the line.
    
    cheers,
    jeff