FIELD RULES

Revised 5/2025

The field rules are designed for safety and courtesy, in order to provide maximum enjoyment while at the flying field. The rules apply to all RAMS members and guests without exceptions. Strict compliance with these rules will help safeguard our field. Field rules will be enforced by the Safety Director with the support of the Board of Directors. All members are encouraged to remind others of these rules, guidelines and best practices for safely flying model aircraft.

Emergencies

Caution! FLY ALONE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Remember that a second person can help give or obtain medical assistance, and thus provide additional insurance for your continued enjoyment of the hobby.

 Dial 911 in case of a medical emergency.
 RAMS Field address is 2529 Macedon Center Rd.
 Notify the Safety Director and/or any other board member in the event of an emergency or serious incident.

General Flying Rules

All solo pilots must have current Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) membership.
All pilots must fly in compliance with the AMA Safety Code found here: https://www.modelaircraft.org/system/files/documents/105.pdf
Absolutely NO flying shall be allowed by any person known to be drinking, or to have been drinking intoxicating beverages, or who is using drugs or medication which impairs judgment or reflexes whether illegal, over-the-counter, or prescription.
Aircraft must be flown within the boundaries of the RAMS property.
Students enrolled in the AMA Introductory Pilot Program (IPP) are allowed to operate models under the guidelines of the IPP program.
Guests/Visitors to the club must fly under the supervision of a club member. The club member is responsible for the guest following all RAMS rules.
Non AMA spectators must remain South of the pit area when any model is being operated or flown.
Pets must be leashed and remain South of the pit area at all times.
Children must be supervised at all times by a responsible adult or parent. Any child who wishes to fly must be an AMA member or enrolled in the IPP and fly under the supervision of an IPP mentor pilot.Revised 5/2025
No intentional flying over the pit area, the flying stations, structures or parking areas.
Model pilots must yield right-of-way to any full scale aircraft in the area. Use the “Blue-Sky” method. See definition in Appendix 1.
No smoking / vaping in the pits or on the flight line. See Appendix 4 for diagram of field.
Flight operations should stop if thunderstorms are near the field.
Pilots must communicate their intentions. Request permission from those already flying for takeoffs, entering the runway/flying area. A positive response is required before proceeding. Pilots in the air should declare intent to land, make low passes, or if they have an emergency. Landing and emergency aircraft have priority. A “dead stick” airplane has highest priority in all cases.
A person needing to be on the runway to retrieve a model must ask permission from pilots currently flying models. That person must wait for permission from any flying pilots before entering the runway. Expect that other pilots may NOT give permission, in which case communicate where your model is so they can avoid it. Members must minimize time on the runway if models are in the air. Enter the runway at a 90 degree angle close to your plane. Once off the runway, call “clear”. If returning from areas north of the runway, communication will be difficult. Observe and wait until planes are not in the air, or return to the pits area by going around the west end of the runway.
No taxiing in the pits area.
Pilots using radio frequencies other than 2.4GHz must coordinate frequency sharing and ensure that interference does not occur

Model Operating Rules

All aircraft will share the field equally.
No model combustion engines to be run before 9:00 AM or after sundown.
All combustion engines must have a functional muffler or exhaust system.
Each aircraft’s sound level must not exceed that level allowed by the Macedon Town Code. The Town Code sets the maximum sound level at the nearest Residential Property line to: 65 dBA from 8 AM until 6 PM and 55 dBA from 6 PM until 8 AM. (https://ecode360.com/34112939?highlight=65&searchId=38021135988253537#34112939)
Combustion engine models must be equipped so that their engine(s) can be shut down at any time via the radio transmitter
Electric models should have transmitter programming to disable the throttle (throttle cut).
If the aircraft’s receiver is capable of a “Failsafe” mode, it is up to the pilot to be sure it is functioning properly.
Models with electric motor power systems must be armed (Electronic Speed Control initializing) only in the pit area. If possible, the aircraft must be restrained on a starting stand, tail leash or by another person.Revised 5/2025
Combustion engine models must be restrained on a starting stand, tail leash or support, or a person holding it when starting engine(s).
No models are to be flown or operated during runway/pit grass mowing or runway maintenance. Restrictions during other mowing and maintenance is at the discretion of the Safety Director or the Field Director
No more than 5 models in the air at one time. Exceptions will be made for airshows, competition events, or at the discretion of the Safety Director.

Field Use Rules

RAMS field is a Carry In/Carry Out facility: Take trash with you. Do not leave broken airplane parts on the field or in the pits. Take pride in our field, please keep it clean.
Club members must lock the driveway gate when they are last to leave and must lock the clubhouse if it has been opened.
If an aircraft crashes off field- in crops, trees, or off the RAMS property, members must follow Appendix 2.
The solar charging station and/or generator are available for battery charging: See Appendix 3
The RAMS field does not close for winter, however the driveway is not maintained. Do NOT get stuck!!

Appendix 1: Blue Sky Method

The modeler should maneuver the aircraft in such a way as to increase the amount of blue sky perceived between the model and the manned aircraft. By increasing the blue sky separation, the question about depth perception is taken out of the equation and the modeler need not worry whether the model is closer to him than the manned aircraft or further away. Increasing the blue sky between the

model and the manned aircraft automatically increases separation between them. -AMA “See & Avoid Guidance” web document.

Appendix 2: Lost Airplane Recovery

Background:

Not all landings end up exactly where you planned; this section will address these accidents and how to go about retrieving models. RAMS does own a lot of land (see the property boundary section of the RAMS Field Diagram appendix) but it is possible to reach the neighbors or land in crops or trees--follow these guidelines to ensure our relationships with our tenant and our neighbors stay healthy.

Make every effort to know, as exactly as possible, where your plane is. Establish the “line”. This will make recovery much easier. Ask for assistance from observers with location and recovery. Airplanes in trees: Keep in mind that both tree “landings” and potential tree recovery result in significant damage to models. As soon as your model hits a tree it is no longer the aircraft it was when it took off. Tree recovery can be difficult, time consuming, expensive, or not possible at all. Do Not Fly Into Trees!

On RAMS property:

In areas farmed by our tenant- the crops belong to the tenant and we must not damage them. If your plane is in those crops make every effort to locate it without crop damage. Walk along the rows, not across them (especially for soybeans). Crop conditions allow for better searching in the early fall, a plane that is not immediately located can be found later.
The power-line and gas-line right of way- the gas-line is regularly mowed by RAMS, there are areas under the power-lines and around the towers that are mowed. Elsewhere you will have to struggle with brush and bushes. Any plane caught on the lines or towers is un-recoverable- do not fly over the power-lines!
In trees: The club has a large fiberglass pole that can be used to poke at planes. It has its limits. In the past, professional and insured arborists have been hired to climb and retrieve airplanes. The club will not bear any costs associated with a recovery. There may be trees that can be cut (only at the discretion of the Field Director) to recover a plane. This work will ONLY be done by the Field Director or with the Field Director's approval, a 3rd party. If a tree can only be felled into crops, no action will be taken until the crops are harvested. Large trees will not be cut.

On neighboring properties:

In Crops- follow the same rules for recovery as on RAMS property. Absolutely do not damage crops. If a plane is not promptly found, you must report its approximate location to the Field Director. He will communicate with the neighboring farmers/landowners to avoid farm equipment damage or obtain permission for larger search parties.
In trees- Trees on the boundary of RAMS property will not be cut because of the crops and difficulty knowing who the tree belongs to. Use the pole, or a professional climber, or wait for wind. In trees off the RAMS property, club leadership will have to contact the landowner(s) and determine a best course of action. Our relationships with neighbors are important and we will be sensitive to their rights.

Appendix 3

The solar recharged 12V charging station is provided for modelers to recharge electric flight packs or to top off batteries used in combustion models. It has limited capacity and is designed to allow a pilot an additional flight or two- not replace charging packs at home prior to arriving at the field. Keep your fellow pilots in mind when you use the system.

By design the lead acid battery array can charge approximately 30 2200mah 3S packs in one day or equivalent- assuming the storage pack is fully charged. It will then require sunny conditions and no use the next day to recover. Cloudy days, weekends (high use), multiple back to back busy days, or charging large batteries, etc. can quickly reduce the available capacity of the system.

Larger batteries CAN be charged on the system- at the expense of the total capacity and instantaneous load pulling the supply voltage down. Smaller 4s packs can be charged on the system, but 6s packs should be charged on the generator or some other power supply.

Generator Power Supply Use Guidelines:

The club owns a 3200W Honda inverter generator that was donated for use by club members for charging. We have a secondary, independent, system under the shelter for AC power supply from this generator. There are 4 weatherproof AC receptacle boxes under the charging system shelves. These can be powered by the generator via the plug in cord that feeds the breaker box. AC chargers or pilot supplied AC-DC power supplies will be necessary.

The generator is mounted to a wheeled cart and is positioned in the clubhouse. It should be rolled out to the south side of the shelter and plugged in- this will allow more members access to it. Do not run the generator unnecessarily- shut it off when nothing is being charged! The field director or other maintenance crew will refill it with fuel. ONLY CLUB SUPPLIED FUEL IS TO BE USED. Those who use the generator are responsible for returning it to the clubhouse.

NOTE: The generator does not, and cannot, charge the solar station batteries or provide power at those outlets.

Appendix 4

Pits, Flight Line, Safety Line. North is up.