Free State Field Rules

Who can fly at our field?

All pilots shall be FSA members or an authorized guest. All pilots must have an AMA membership and appropriate FCC license. Guests will be permitted to use the field on no more than three occasions and must comply with all field rules including displaying their AMA membership card on their person. More than three visits will require the guest to become a club member. Sponsors must be present and the number of guests is limited to two (2). Sponsors will ensure that guests are checked by a Safety Officer or Field Marshal.

In Regards to Safety

1. Pilots must display their AMA and FSA membership cards on their person while flying. Card holders are available at no charge.
2. Fuel tank overflow must be contained. No fuel shall be allowed to overflow onto the grass.
3. The person who opens the gate shall lock the padlock onto the open gate hasp and the last person leaving the field shall ensure that the gate is secured and locked.
4. All trash and refuse you generate must be taken with you when you leave.
5. All cigarette butts shall be “field-stripped” or placed in the stone area of the parking lot.
6. Verbal abuse directed towards any officer, safety official, or club member in connection with rules enforcement will not be tolerated, and may be grounds for suspension or termination of membership.

General Field Rules

1. All pilots shall comply with the official AMA Safety Code. All participants are responsible to take effective action at the field to ensure compliance with the field rules contained herein.
2. The Safety Officer/s and/or Field Marshal/s have the authority over all aircraft operations at the Club flying site. Either the Safety Officer/s or Field Marshal/s shall have the right to ask a pilot to leave the field if, in their opinion, the subject pilot continues to operate an aircraft in an unsafe manner after being warned. The decision of the Safety Officer and/or Field Marshal shall be final.
3. At all model-flying occasions only those persons essential to the flight operations are permitted into the fenced pit and flight area. All spectators shall remain on the opposite side of the fence for safety and insurance reasons. All Club members are responsible for assuring that spectators remain behind the fence.
4. Persons who are not pilots are not permitted to taxi aircraft onto or off the field unless they are AMA members and have the approval of the Safety Officer and are in the company of a qualified pilot.
5. New pilots shall be assisted until they are judged to be safe by a Club Flight Instructor, Safety Officer, or Field Marshal.
6. All transmitters shall be impounded upon arrival at the site. When not in use, transmitters must be placed in the impound.
7. No transmitter shall be turned on unless the correct frequency control pin is attached to the transmitter antenna.
8. Pilots on the same frequency shall fly in rotation. Maximum flight time is fifteen (15) minutes including pit time if you are sharing a pin with another pilot or other pilots are waiting to fly.
9. All aircraft engines shall be started with the nose of the aircraft pointed toward the fence. Engine exhaust shall be directed away from other aircraft in the immediate area and from pilots in the flight box.
10. No pilot shall proceed to the flight box in preparation for take-off if four aircraft are in the air and/or on the taxi area or active runway. When four planes are in the air and others are waiting to fly, pilots shall fly in rotation.
11. All pilots shall remain within a flight box for the duration of their flights, except that a pilot may be out of the box while hand-launching a plane.
12. Aircraft shall not be taxied in, through or behind the pit or flight box areas.
13. No aircraft shall be pitted behind the flight boxes.
14. Flying behind the foul line and/or other designated no-flying area is forbidden (pit area, parking area, Van Dusen Road, I95).
15. Persons intending to recover unpowered or damaged aircraft shall announce their intentions to other pilots. Unless an emergency exists, other pilots shall acknowledge and honor the request by keeping their aircraft away from the field until the inactive aircraft has been returned to the pit area.
16. The “RIGHT OF WAY” on the runway, in order of precedence, shall be:
    1. Dead-stick landing.
    2. Normal landing.
    3. Take-off.
    4. Touch-and-go.
    5. Low passes.
17. Low passes shall be flown at or beyond the far side of the runway, in the active direction only. The only maneuvers permitted over the runway are approaches, landing, and touch- and-goes, and these shall be done at a safe distance from the flight boxes.
18. All engines shall be effectively muffled.
19. Suggested guidelines are:
    1. Below 7500 rpm 96 db maximum
    2. 9000 rpm 95 db maximum
    3. 11,000 rpm 94 db maximum
    4. 12,300 rpm 93 db maximum
    5. 16,500 rpm 92 db maximum
    6. 20,000 rpm 91 db maximum
    7. above 20,000 rpm 90 db maximum
20. The sound limits shown above may be included in the Club rules if a majority vote of active members instates these limits at a monthly Club meeting.
21. There shall be no flying during work parties or when the mower is present or on the field.
22. Consumption of alcoholic beverages at the field is prohibited.

Helicopter Safety

1. Your helicopter must be carried out to the flight line.
2. The last flight box (at the West end of the field nearest the present impound box) must be used by the Heli Pilots.
3. Only 1 helicopter is allowed to fly if other fixed wing pilots are flying.
4. When fixed wing pilots are up, you will flow in with the normal traffic.
5. All maneuvers such as loops, rolls , etc should be executed over the outer edge of the runway.
6. Be respectful and all out loud all take-off’s and landings of all helicopters.
7. All novice helicopter pilots must be certified by an instructor or designated Club member prior to operating a helicopter at The Club flying site.
8. Certified helicopter pilots may practice hovering maneuvers without an instructor at the designated location.
9. Only one pilot may practice hovering at a time.
10. Hovering maneuvers must not extend beyond a twenty-five (25) foot radius from the pilot.
11. Hovering in the pit area or in the flight line is not allowed.
12. Rotary wing aircraft shall not come closer than the center of the runway to a pilot box at any time. Rotary wing aircraft will take off and land in the designated area only. During normal flight, rotary wing aircraft shall follow the same rules as fixed wing aircraft.