A-Test certificate

[Goto10]

Anyone fancy recording an "A-certificate" worthy flight for me please? I'd like to see one in action. (Got to pass it this year, fed up of being stuck in the corner at the club ) so need some practice of the routine. Would be much appreciated

[jiberjaber]

Tim on trextunning has posted up his hover and lazy 8 as a phoenix rec file

http://trextuning.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6554

[Andy from Sandy]

Remember it is not just about the flying. You need to have a good pre-flight and post-flight procedure. Demonstrate you do by talking through what you are doing whilst doing it. Do a range check! You need to be ready to answer questions while you are getting ready to start your helicopter for what is supposed to be the first flight of the day. Read the BMFA book carefully and thoroughly. Show you have a very good understanding of the safety and respect you need to show your helicopter.

Make this a ritual that you do on the first flight of every session from now until your test. It will then be second nature and you will be a safe helicopter pilot for life, not just on test day.

Tell the examiner you are just going to have a quick hover to check the helicopter is in trim. When on the flight line and you are spooling up look around to make sure it is safe to take off. Be aware of your surroundings. With the blades at zero degrees and the engine spooled up give small cyclic inputs and rudder inputs to check they are responding correctly. Failure to correct an out of trim model is a failure. When you are happy land and confirm you are ready to start.

[jboweruk]

What do you actually need certification for these days? I understood electric helis not an issue, hence now you can fly over parks, indoors, back garden etc.

[Sao]

You cant just take your e-heli and go and fly anywhere! Especially the larger ones, being as they are just as lethal as the Nitro machines.
If you don't have permission to fly there, you aren't covered by your insurance.
The A cert allows you to fly at shows in front of members of the public, some clubs also stipulate you need either an a or b cert to fly un buddy boxed

[Smoothound]

You need a B to fly at shows

[Sao]

bugger, I knew it was one way round or the other

[Disc]

You cant just take your e-heli and go and fly anywhere! Especially the larger ones, being as they are just as lethal as the Nitro machines.
If you don't have permission to fly there, you aren't covered by your insurance.
The A cert allows you to fly at shows in front of members of the public, some clubs also stipulate you need either an a or b cert to fly un buddy boxed

Er Fly-ins you can get away with the BMFA 'A'

Displays and competitions in front of the public you need the BMFA 'B'

Some clubs insist on the 'A' to fly solo.. and if your guested to a club they often say have you passed the 'A'

[Sesame]

Steve, ive seen you fly and I know your flying is easily up to the A level standard, what you need to know and its a drag is read the relevant parts of the bmfa handbook and the club rules.
either Marki or Richard can take you for your A, dont do what I did and pic a force 10 gale to do it in, it just makes is more awkward.

Are you down there this weekend? i'll be at TT on saturday afternoon and sunday morning. I cant take you for your A but I can sure run you through it at the field.

by the way I got around the head loaders incase you were wondering, so didnt need them in the end.

[jboweruk]

So largely (excuse the pun) it depends on the size/weight of your heli. For instance my little Blade CX2 wouldn't be an issue, but my mate's TREX 450 would ...?

[Fixxxer]

Not really , anything that has rotating parts etc can be deemed as dangerous, especially with all the OTT safety bullshit we have nowadays.

[Disc]

So largely (excuse the pun) it depends on the size/weight of your heli. For instance my little Blade CX2 wouldn't be an issue, but my mate's TREX 450 would ...?

You cannot take any BMFA heli cert with a contra rotating helicopter

So Blade CX2 is a no no

T-rex 450 would be fine.

[Jamez]

Think he means from a saftey point of veiw Disc, I would seriously think twice about flying anything in a park. Not least because somebody on here got mugged for the heli and the radio gear...........

[Disc]

Think he means from a saftey point of veiw Disc, I would seriously think twice about flying anything in a park. Not least because somebody on here got mugged for the heli and the radio gear...........

Doh!

read it wrong

Yea I wouldn't fly in any park at all just not worth the risk... from my flying

[Sesame]

its all ok until you hit someone then it all goes wrong and you find any insurance company finding any excuse not to pay out and all of a sudden you find your out on your own with someone suing your ass.

At our club the chief heli examiner so far has said that he wont accept someone passing their A on an electric, that is any electric inc 450, 500 or 600's, but if someone was to push the point im not sure how he would justify that decision. I can understand the contras not being one you can pass on as you could not go straight from a contra and fly with complete confidence say a Raptor 50.