Wellington Model Aeroplane Club
Wellington Model Aeroplane Club

Flying Site Rules – Gladstone

These rules are to be read in conjunction with:

  • The general model flying rules as defined in the Model Flying New Zealand (MFNZ) Club Manual, available online at: http://www.modelflyingnz.org/clubs.html, and
  • Part 101 of the Civil Aviation Authority (“CAA”) Rules, available online at: https://www.caa.govt.nz/rules/Rule_Consolidations/Part_101_Consolidation.pdf , and
  • Controlling authority (council, DOC, etc.) – specific policies, rules or guidelines that apply to this site.

 

Gladstone is used by the Wellington Model Aeroplane Club as a Free Flight site. This area is not a dedicated flying site as it is shared with the public. Extra care must be taken when operating model aircraft in this environment.

Site Specific Rules

  1. Only the following model types are allowed to be flown at this site:
    1. Free flight aircraft
  2. First flyer arriving should select suitable flight line, in accordance with prevailing wind, whilst also noting any crops which may be downwind and positioning flight line to avoid these. Cars should be parked upwind of the flightline-at least 50m from the launch area. If a 100m x 50m ‘box’ is used, the 100m dimension is perpendicular to the wind.
  3. All flight line locations are visible from the haybarn, 100m past the house-if unsure stop at the barn and check N and NE until you locate the ‘in-use’ flight line
  4. Over the winter months (Jul-Sept) the farm may be unusable for flying due to waterlogged ground-check with the farmer,  Call Chris Murphy on 027 3386 383 on whether vehicle access is possible
  5. Lambing generally occurs from mid-July through to mid-August-again, if proposing to fly during this period check with the farmer whether it is OK to come on to the property to fly
  6. At all times be aware of hazards and particularly fire risk in summer-if a district fire ban is in place, the use of DT fuse is also banned. Any fire ban will be notified on line, and in local papers by the local council (cartertondc.co.nz) in the ‘public notices’ menu.
  7. When retrieving ideally ensure you carry a UHF 2-way radio-most regular fliers who use the site have these in their field kit. Make sure you are on the right channel-we generally use Ch11 or Ch12. Cellphone and GPS coverage is good in the area.
  8. When driving keep to the established tracks unless these are so muddy you risk getting bogged-and take particular care driving though gateways as stock has generally churned up the ground on either side. Do not drive over the existing track bridges as these are not suitable for anything other than farm vehicles-there is a suitable ford adjacent to each bridge.
  9. Be aware of the risks of dehydration-especially on long retrieves on windier days, (it is advisable to carry a water bottle with you)-and if susceptible to hay fever note that the site is pollen heavy at certain times of the year.
  10. If you should unfortunately land in a crop-either on the farm or on an adjacent one, take particular care to cause as little crop damage as possible when retrieving-walk down the rows, not across them.
  11. At the completion of flying try and leave in a group, in case someone has a flat battery or gets their vehicle stuck
  12. Take all your rubbish with you-model debris, broken props and rubber bands should not form part of the farm stock’s diet-if left behind they WILL eat it.
  13. General FF flying site etiquette expects glider fliers to rewind their towline immediately after launching; left lying on the ground they may impede others’ flying and can be snagged by vehicles. Likewise if using a vehicle for retrieval, when returning to the carpark area do not drive though the active flying area-you may damage someone’s model lying in the grass or impede timekeepers’ line of sight when they are timing a flight

 

General WMAC Rules

      1. The Club Captain, a Committee member or another senior club member will act as Flight Steward. All WMAC fliers must conform to direction from the Flight Steward in all operational matters. The first committee member or senior club member to arrive at the park will assume the role of Flight Steward. This role can be passed to another qualified member by mutual agreement.
      2. Fliers without a Wings badge must fly only under the active supervision of a Club Instructor or experienced Wings badge holder. Fliers without a Wings badge must not operate a winch / bungee unless they have proven experience.
      3. A frequency control system must be used by all pilots not using 2.4GHz. All intending fliers using frequencies other than 2.4GHz must take active steps to ensure that switching on the transmitter will not result in a shoot down.
      4. Models will not be flown that are deemed unsuitable for use at this site by the Flight Steward. Where specific model type limits or restrictions apply, these are listed above in the site specific rules
      5. No model shall be launched when there is any risk of airframe failure, high speed stall or other uncontrolled manoeuvre leading to injury to a member of the public or to another modeller.
      6. Models considered by the Flight Steward to be of poor construction or in a damaged condition shall not be flown.
      7. Where bungee is permitted, no model will be bungee launched if members of the public are present in the area around the bungee and beyond the anchor peg.
      8. Unless specifically not required at a site: all pilots must be accompanied by an active observer. If, therefore, there are only two members present only one may fly at a time; the other acting as observer.
      9. Electric powered and assisted models must be flown in airspace well clear of glider launch and landing areas.
      10. Any mishaps involving injury (or even manifest fright) to a member of the public must be reported to the Flight Steward or to the WMAC Secretary immediately.

Please be assured that the Committee will take any proven breaches of these rules very seriously.