A pirate's life

by squishy | November 8, 2013 | (4) Posted in Just Fun

Over the last few weeks I had the chance to fly at a few different locations. With a wobbly elevion I launched at a windy Mt Lassen overlook. Then some flying at the local spots including Natomas and Elk Grove. While visiting some family in Pleasanton I finally had a moment to glue the elevion back on, and the airplane straightened out nicely. I was immediately muscled out of a public field by some local AMA glider pilots in Pleasanton, so I went up Mt Diablo and found a quiet spot to do some laps. Hope you enjoy the video, I enjoyed making it...

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COMMENTS

Timebom on November 23, 2013
My Renters insurance covers RC actives, always has. Most homeowners insurance will to. So dont just assume other fliers are not covered of we dont have the pretty little card..
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1959 cutter on November 9, 2013
I wont join the AMA for that exact reason....................because "I WANT TO FLY HER BRAINS OUT!"
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sailorJohn on November 10, 2013
Most of us joined the AMA for the insurance protection, this helps with access to public fields and to private clubs ,most public fields require the insurance (AMA) and all sanctioned clubs do too. But if your have nothing to lose or just don't give a crap ,go out and hurt someone and hire your own lawyers. Of course you can sneak into club's field and use their facilities that they spend thousands of dollars to maintain but you may be "muscled" out.
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squishy on November 10, 2013
I understand your opinion and I once was an AMA member for the same reasons. Bit I think you miss understood my post above, I was muscled off of public city park land, not an airfield, not an AMA club, but a public park. By a local AMA club. They have no business dictating what I do on my public land, I am a taxpayer. I have since written a letter to the city about this incident and they are now aware of the AMA's behavior.
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sailorJohn on November 10, 2013
Many cities have outlawed rc flying in parks and many that do allow rc, recognize liability advantages of insurance , we were able to secure a field only if all the flyers were AMA insured and could lose it in a heart beat if we are lax. Right now most police do not know the city rules and a lot of people are flying on soccer fields and similar locations in a irresponsible fashion but strike a child and see how things change.
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Pilotx1 on February 18, 2014
I wouldnt call that muscled off the field... the guy seems pretty polite to you. They want you to fly within the rules because those rules were established for both safety and to maintain the privilege of using that field to go fly. your video has more than a few less than safe flight practices like the very close passes to the flight line.

Another thing to point out that although you claim to be muscled out by the AMA, those people represent a local club, not the AMA as a whole.

The AMA does offer a park flyer membership rate also for about half the price of a full membership, which from the looks of it your aircraft fit within the parkflyer designation.
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squishy on February 18, 2014
This was on public land, land the AMA does not own, control or dictate. Public land, is land that I the taxpayer, have access to freely use as if it's my own because it is. This happened on public land with rules allowing RC flight. Would you like me to approach you on public property and point out all the imaginary club "rules" you are violating? The other "unsafe" footage you site isn't even at that said location, this video was shot over 5 locations spread out of hundreds of miles, some safe some not, but I will make that determination, I was the pilot there at the time. It's sort of ballsy to be telling people what they can and cannot do, on public property. It also ballsy to tell them what they are doing is unsafe when you were not there or lack experience to do it yourself. Try treating someone like this in east L.A. Or off Hagenburger in Oakland ...see how far that gets you, see how free this country can be when it's pushed by bullies...This isn't about the AMA's rules or anything related to RC flight, it has more to do with basic human interaction and respect. If the AMA clubs and members can't even kept their mouth shut where it doesn't even belong, I can imagine how nazi they are on their own fields...I called it muscled off the field because I felt intimidated, outnumbered and bullied. And I stand behind that statement and my feelings. If you would like to call me disingenuous, by all means go ahead and be that guy...Also, people like you! The AMA fanbois that keep defending the obviously bone head actions by these fools is becoming transparent and tried some. Are they paying you to come in here and defend them or do you hold some position in a local club? You are honestly going to sit there and defend someone who is representing the AMA and bullying pilots on public property? Whether you are in the AMA or not, why would you defend that? Unless maybe you were that guy huh? Are you in the Diablo Valley Soaring Society yourself? That's who these nice gentlemen were and they specifically stated they were representing the AMA and they were strongly urging me to join while trying to kick me off a public field...all the while, they were setting up to fly giant fiberglass gliders, most of the time in, excess of 400 feet....
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Pilotx1 on February 21, 2014
the publice fields I used to fly at both require AMA membership, they are located in public forest preserves in my area. Currently I don't have an active membership and haven't since 2010 because i lost interest in the hobby for a while. Ill be renewing this spring though.

I realize I touched a nerve pointing out some of the potentially hazardous practices you did, but i was only using it as an example as to why you may have been approached, sorry for upsetting you. Im not a member of the soaring society, heck Im not even in the same part of the country.

The only thing I am defending is what i saw as a polite and courteous interaction between you and the soaring guy, he never seemed aggressive whatsoever. if it is a requirement that you have AMA membership to fly at a public field maintained by that club then it is what it is isn't it? those are the conditions at the fields I flew at, I didn't get pissed or anything I just went with the program. these guys aren't trying to keep you down, I'd suspect more that they are looking out for the continued usage and well being of that field. I got "carded" a few times at the fields when i was a new face there and id expect it'll happen when i stat flying again as well, no big deal though.
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squishy on February 21, 2014
I think you misunderstood still. This isn't a RC airplane field, it's a city sports park with multiple users, include dog walkers, joggers, baseball diamond with lights, multiple soccer fields and a nice brown field as a buffer (where I was flying). This was just another city sports park, not an AMA park, not a public park with an AMA field on it, not a city park that even requires AMA to use. Just a regular old city sports park. I will completely agree with you that they were trying to be gentlemen, and that is reflected in the brief part of the recording I did share. But the very act, and the fact that they had to try and restrain themselves into being gentlemen points to my point. They should have never approached me like that at all, rudely, nicely or otherwise. The very act itself is insulting and over the line. They could have walked over and said "hey that's cool, what you doing" But instead they choose to try and tell me what I should or shouldn't be doing. It doesn't matter the subject, you just don't go around in the public domain telling people what to do. Sure, they have the freedom of speech and they can say whatever they want to me, but these guys were immediately trying to paint a picture and literally strong arming me out of the park. I am not stupid. But they must have thought I was...and they obviously didn't realize the mic was on... They actually do have an agreement with the city of Pleasanton to fly in that park, AMA membership not required by the city but the club was pushing for signs to be posted saying just that. I found the agreement online. Funny thing is, in the agreement, the city specifically requested the club to keep the agreement non-public, to not advertise it and to not engage in policing the park. I recorded them doing exactly that. I also wrote a letter to the city of Pleasanton to let them know it happened.
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A pirate's life