Large r/c plane collides with Pitts | FerrariChat

Large r/c plane collides with Pitts

Discussion in 'Aviation Chat' started by toggie, Aug 20, 2010.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. toggie

    toggie F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Nov 30, 2003
    19,036
    Virginia
    Full Name:
    Toggie (Ron)
    #1 toggie, Aug 20, 2010
    Last edited: Aug 20, 2010
    Video is on this web page.

    http://jalopnik.com/5617310/video-crash-of-rc-plane-into-real-one-sparks-dogfight-over-air-rights

    Looks like a fly-in and r/c air show is being held at a small airport.
    A guy on the ground is flying his $8000 r/c model that is built to 1/2 scale.
    That's as big as a UAV, in my opinion.
    He hovers it straight-up over the center line of the runway and then lets it start to climb.

    Meanwhile, the pilot of the Pitts comes down the runway to do a low pass for the crowd.
    He has his smoke going, so he is easy to spot.
    The planes collide over the runway.

    The r/c plane is destroyed.
    Thankfully the Pitts could still fly and the 2 people in it land safely.

    Wasn't anyone listening or using the CTAF?

    Any why couldn't the r/c folks do their show on the taxiway instead of the runway?

    .
     
  2. teak360

    teak360 F1 World Champ

    Nov 3, 2003
    10,065
    Boulder, CO
    Full Name:
    Scott
    Here are some thoughts:

    Is that really a Pitts? Doesn't look like it (not that it matters).
    FAA says plane with people has right of way over rc planes.
    FAA says don't fly so close (the biplane) to people! (Unless you are taking off or landing).
    Looks like the biplane pilot was hot-dogging.
    How do you not see a model plane that big hanging in front of you (biplane pilot).


    Lack of communication somewhere obviously.
     
  3. ApexOversteer

    ApexOversteer F1 Veteran

    Feb 15, 2007
    5,968
    Smoky Mountains, TN
    Full Name:
    T.A. Bell
    I want to know more about this "event". If this was an bona fide airshow, whether the place is a controlled airfield or not, then the folks organizing and scheduling the event have to be at least partially, if not fully, to blame.

    This isn't some guy sneaking his R/C plane out onto the field unannounced. Nor is it some pilot hot-dogging for no reason. Somewhere between the two is someone that was supposed to tell one pilot or the other "negative ghostrider, the pattern is full".
     
  4. GoFerrari28

    GoFerrari28 Formula 3

    Jun 16, 2004
    2,313
    Ridgemont, CA
    Full Name:
    Jeff Spicoli
    I saw something very similar albeit without a collision about 16 years ago. My architect, his son and I flew from Sacramento to Madera for the annual RC pylon race, and the airport had issued an advisory with the FAA for all pilots that the airfield would be closed from 10AM until about 5PM IIRC, and in the middle of a heat, some fellow and his wife in a mid-wing homebuilt aircraft landed on the runway causing all the RC pilots to scatter their planes. The pilot of the full size plane really got reamed by the airport administrator and I'm quite certain it resulted in some form of discipline by the FAA. Don't automatically assume that the RC pilot was at fault here. It's not like the idiots who intentionally flew an RC plane into the Goodyear blimp some years ago.
     
  5. MaxPower

    MaxPower Two Time F1 World Champ

    Mar 28, 2006
    20,786
    At sea ... aahhh ...
    Full Name:
    MP
    common sense would dictate that a real plane with people has priority over a toy.

    lack of communication just made it potentially fatal for those in the pitts ...

    just glad no one was injured, or worse ...
     
  6. wax

    wax Five Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa

    Jul 20, 2003
    52,415
    SFPD
    Full Name:
    Dirty Harry
    #6 wax, Aug 21, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    NOT ANYMORE!

    Private strip throws a wrench into whole mess.
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     

Share This Page