District III
Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia
I intended to write this column about the great time I had at the Lima Area Radio Kontrol Society (LARKS) Vintage Radio Control Society (VRCS) event held May 22, 2021. The pictures speak to the fun we all had; however, I feel it is my obligation to share an experience that nearly turned this good time into a serious medical issue for me.
The VRCS honors the airplanes and people of the past that make model aviation what it is today. Airplanes such as the Taurus, Kwik Fli, Kaos, and pilots and aircraft designers such as Ed Kazmirski, Phil Kraft, and Hal DeBolt, to name just a few. I am showing my age here if you do not know who these men are.
After a great day of fellowship, I decided I would fly my Phoenix for one last flight and call it a day. I placed the aircraft in the starting stand, hooked up the glow driver, and fired up the engine. Instead of my transmitter being next to me on my left, it was on the right side of me. As I reached for the transmitter, I put my left hand into the spinning propeller. Several alert modelers scrambled for a first-aid kit.
After the bleeding was under control, everyone chipped in to disassemble my models, load my van, and drive me to the emergency urgent-care facility. After what seemed like an eternity of answering questions about insurance and how this happened, I was admitted. Nine stitches later, the wound was repaired. Throughout the years, I have had cuts from propellers, however nothing this serious.
Driving home, I had time to reflect on what went wrong. Before I started the engine, I should have had the transmitter by my side as I always do. I had become complacent and decided it was no big deal to simply start the motor, grab the transmitter, and go. My luck ran out!
Moral of the story—always follow your personal safety procedures. If it requires you to
delay your flight, then so be it. My wound is healing, and I am sure I will have a scar on my hand for the rest of my life. This scar will remind me to fly safely.
Thank you to everyone who assisted me during this emergency and for all of the follow-up phone calls and emails. There is no doubt about it—the model aviation community is the greatest group of people in the world. If you took the time to read this, I hope my experience will be of some value and that you might think carefully about the safety procedures that you and your club follow.
Stay safe and fly safely.
