Club Rules

Field Rules

1.     No member shall be allowed to fly on his own without having qualified at least for an Elementary Flying Certificate. No visiting pilot shall be allowed to continue flying on his own should it become evident that such pilot is incompetent to fly unassisted.

2.     No pilot shall consume alcohol prior to or during his flying any aircraft.

3.     No pilot shall fly without the correct official frequency peg attached to his transmitter. The pilot’s flight tag and/or card shall replace such peg on the frequency board. Pilots using 2.4GHz transmitters are required to use the peg system too.

4.     A visiting pilot must be signed in by a member, i.e. he must sign the register, pay the current landing fee and be issued with a receipt. In order to fly, all visiting pilots are required to be fully paid up with their SACAA approved ARO. Visitors will use their pegs/tags/cards to book frequencies on the peg board. First time / Trainee pilots who have paid their landing fees, will book their frequencies with the INSTRUCTOR’s membership card.

5.     No children or any other unauthorised person shall be allowed into the pit area, or on or near the runways at any time. No children shall be allowed in the clubhouse without proper supervision.

6.     No pets shall be allowed outside vehicles at any time.

7.     Under no circumstances are vehicles of any kind allowed to drive up to or on any of the Club’s runways.

8.     A committee member or senior club member will designate the active runway and direction, and will be indicated by the runway arrow located close to the flagpole. In the event of a change in the predominant wind direction, flying pilots can petition for a runway change. Once general consensus is reached, the arrow will be moved to indicate the new active runway and direction to take-off and land, and pilots already in the air will be notified of the change.

9.     No pilot shall start his motor within the pit area. Aircraft must be started at the designated starting areas.

10.  All pilots shall take care that their aircraft exhausts do not blow towards any other person, aircraft or equipment in or around the pit area.

11.  No pilot shall taxi his aircraft in or near the pit area or the pilots’ area. Pilots are required to cut their engines within 5 metres from exiting the runway after landing.

12.  No R.O.G aircraft is allowed to take off from the grass areas, taxiways or areas other than the runways. Hand-launch aircraft are to be launched and landed on the grass areas next to the runways, on the furthest side of the runway, in such a manner that you are clear of the active runway.

13.  A pilot approaching the runway prior to take-off shall, at a distance of approximately 3 meters from the runway ensure that there is no aircraft coming in for a landing.

14.  No pilot shall stand on or near the runway except during take-off or landing. Otherwise all pilots shall stand inside the designated pilots’ area.

15.  A pilot who desires to execute a fast or slow low pass shall call “low pass” and shall then execute such low pass only on the furthest side of the indicated flight line.

16.  When 3 or more aircraft are airborne, all pilots will fly in the circuit direction mutually agreed upon between active pilots. All manoeuvres outside the general pattern must be timeously called so that other pilots can take appropriate action.

17.  Prior to take-off or landing the pilot shall call all other pilots’ to his intention to take-off or land.

18.  No pilot shall fly his aircraft at any time over or around the clubhouse, pit area, spectators’ area or car park.

19.  Any pilot who suffers engine failure or any other emergency shall call “dead stick” and will be given immediate priority over all other aircraft in the air or on or near the runway at that time.

20.  Peg time for a single flight shall be limited to 20 minutes. Peg time shall include any preparation for a single flight and the duration of such a flight (excluding 2.4 GHz except when Rule 24 reaches 10 pilots)

21.  All transmitters capable of a “FAILSAFE” feature must be configured to bring the aircraft’s engine to a slow idle or complete cut in the event of interference, signal loss, or similar malfunction.

22.  All gas (petrol) engine aircraft are required to have an electronic engine cutoff module fitted, which can be operated from a switch on the transmitter.

23.  Turbine powered aircraft are only to be flown by pilots who hold a SACAA approved ARO rating for turbines, in the presence with a mandatory spotter/caller, and only on the condition that all the necessary safety equipment (like fire extinguisher) is at hand. Turbines will be given dedicated slots where other pilots will cease flying. Turbines are not allowed during the dry months, only on special request from the farm owner, because of the fire hazard.

24.  A maximum of 20 (twenty) 2.4GHz radio sets are allowed to be used at any one time at the club.