To All Members
Please note that the revised Safety Rules have been placed in the "Downloads" section of this website. We can all thank Ken Elder for doing this for us. These are going to be posted at the field in several locations on weatherproof signs as soon as the signmaker is finished with them. Please take the time to download and read these rules, which have been slimmed down to the bare minimum to keep everybody safe without having the "concentration camp" atmosphere that some other Bay Area clubs so choose to provide for their members. I am sure that by now, everybody knows where the flight line and pilot stations are, but please be courteous enough to follow the rest of these simple procedures that will allow all of us to coexist and actually have some fun at the field. Please get a fire extinguisher if you fly a gasoline aircraft, because once the rules are posted, you will not have the "I didn't know" excuse to rely upon, and you will be asked to not fly or fuel or start your gas plane until you have an extinguisher of your very own. I highly recommend a CO2 extinguisher for it's ability to put out the fire without making a mess. Most if not all safety rules can be traced to common sense. I'm sure there will not be anybody patrolling the flight line with a riding crop or a cattle prod, but if any of you feel the need to bring to someone's attention that they are causing an unsafe condition, or blatantly violating these simple safety rules, then by all means, do so, but don't forget the common courtesy that you would expect if the shoe were on the other foot. It is your club, and you just might save one of us from ourselves!
When the Helipad is installed, there will be an addendum to the rules to govern the use of it. These will be very simple, but very important; 1) The helipad is for hover practice only. 2) Altitude will not exceed Six (6) feet. 3) Pilots will not be allowed to proceed into forward flight from the helipad. 4) One pilot and helicopter at a time on the helipad. 5) Limit time spent on the helipad to one tank of fuel, or one battery pack, not to exceed 15 minutes, at a time. 6) A SPOTTER IS REQUIRED AT ALL TIMES FOR ALL PILOTS USING THE HELIPAD. The actual use of the helipad may necessitate an additional rule or two, but I doubt it.
Once again, I must thank each and every member for their effort to make SPARKS a fun and safe place to fly. It is obvious that everyone has taken the responsibility of being careful seriously. There have not been any serious accidents or injuries to speak of in the last 18 or so months. Now we're having fun!!!
Your Safety Officer
Jaffray Stephenson