Great Planes PT-40 Kit (original) - Manual (Page 35)

model is, attempting to learn to fly on your own is
dangerous and may result in serious or even fatal
injury to yourself and others, and total destruction
of your model Therefore, find an instructor (even if
it means driving a long distance) and fly only under
his or her guidance and supervision until you have
acquired the skill necessary for safe and fully control-
led operation of your model
CHARGE THE BATTERIES
Follow the battery charging procedures in your
radio instruction manual You should always charge
your transmitter and receiver batteries the night be-
fore you go flying, and at other times as recommended
by the radio manufacturer
1. FLY IN A SAFE PLACE
1. The best place to fly your R/C model is an AMA
chartered club field Ask your hobby shop dealer if
there is such a club and join Club fields are set up
for R/C flying which usually makes your outing more
enjoyable The AMA can also tell you the name of a
club in your area We recommend that you join AMA
and a local club so you can have a safe place to fly
and also have insurance to cover you in case of a
flying accident
If a club and its flying site are not available,
you need to find a large, grassy area at least 6 miles
away from any other forms of radio operation like
boats and cars and also is away from houses, build-
ings and streets A school yard may look inviting but
it is too close to people, power lines and possible radio
interference
2. RANGE CHECK YOUR RADIO
Wherever you do fly, you need to check the op-
eration of the radio every time you fly This means
with the antenna down, and the receiver and trans-
mitter on, you should be able to walk 100 feet away
from the model and still have control Have someone
help you Have them stand by your model and while
you work the controls, tell you what the various con-
trol surfaces are doing If the control surfaces are not
acting correctly, do not fly Correct the problem first.
3. GROUND CHECK THE MODEL
The instructor will check to see that you have
the radio installed correctly and that all the control
surfaces do what they are supposed to He/she will
check the engine operation and help you "break in"
the engine on the ground This means that you will
run the engine and use up at least two tanks of fuel
to let the engine get broken in Adjustments are made
to the carburetor so the engine runs at its best The
instructions that come with the engine will tell you
how to break in the engine
ENGINE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Note Failure to follow these safety precautions
may result in severe injury to yourself and others.
Keep all engine fuel in a safe place, away from
high heat, sparks or flames as fuel is very flammable.
Do not smoke near the engine or fuel, remember that
the engine exhaust gives off a great deal of deadly
carbon monoxide Therefore do not run the engine in
a closed room or garage.
Get help from an experienced pilot when learn-
ing to operate engines
Use safety glasses when starting or running
engines.
Do not run the engine in an area of loose gravel
or sand, the propeller may throw such material in
your face or eyes.
Keep your face and body as well as all spectators
away from the path of the propeller as you start and
run the engine
Keep away from the prop loose clothing, shirt
sleeves, ties, scarfs, or loose objects (pencils, screw
drivers) that may fall out of shirt or jacket pockets
into prop.
Use a "chicken stick" device or electric starter,
follow instructions supplied with the starter or stick
Make certain glow plug clip or connector is secure
so that it will not pop off or otherwise get into running
propeller
Make all engine adjustments from behind rotat-
ing propeller.
The engine gets hot! Do not touch it during or
after operation Make sure fuel lines are in good con-
dition so fuel is not leaked onto a hot engine causing
a fire
To stop engine, cut off the fuel supply by closing
off the fuel line or follow the engine manufacturer's
recommendations Do not use hands, fingers or any
body part to try to stop the engine Do not throw
anything into the prop of a running engine
The instructor will usually tell you about flying
rules at the field The number one rule you should
always adhere to is -Do not turn on your radio system
before you first check out what frequencies people
are using at the time If you turn on your radio system
while someone is flying on your frequency, you could
crash their airplane This is called "shooting someone
down" No one wants all their hard work ruined be-
cause someone wasn't thinking and turned on their
transmitter at the wrong time. Always try to re-
member this rule
The instructor will check the model over to
make sure all the screws are tight and that the prop
is tight He/she will check hinges to see if they are
securely glued The instructor therefore checks all
parts of the model to see if it is airworthy The instruc-
tor will recommend changes to be made before the
model is ready for flight.
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