BlackDirt Squadron Welcomes You!

BLACK DIRT SQUADRON
GENERAL AND SAFETY RULES
January 2023

GENERAL FIELD RULES

 

1. Membership: All fliers must be current members of AMA and the Black Dirt Squadron.

2. Aircraft ownership and weight: Aircraft will not exceed 125 pounds and the owners name and address or AMA number must be in or on the airplane.

3. AMA Rules: All AMA rules will be followed for each type of aircraft as identified in the AMA membership manual.  Only pilots and assistants will be allowed at the flight line.

4. Guest Constraints: Non-club members, who have not previously been a BDS member, may fly as a guest of a member no more than 3 times per year. Guests must always be accompanied by their host, must be active AMA members and must follow all AMA and Club safety rules. Field Safety Officers reserve the right to restrict guests from flying at any time. Host member must familiarize his/her guest with the site and club rules and must ensure guest’s compliance.  

5. Litter: DO NOT litter at the field, if you bring it then take it back out with you.  Never allow fuel or gas to be spilled on the ground.  All crash debris must be cleaned up and removed by the responsible pilot, especially if the crash occurred on another farmer’s property.

6. Children and Pets: Pets must be leashed and not allowed to run free on the field nor be at the flight line.  Children must not be left unaccompanied and can only be at the flight line if serving as a pilot, an assistant or spotter/caller.  

7. Alcohol: Alcoholic beverages will not be consumed prior to or during flying at the BDS field.

8. Behavior: Bad behavior which may be threatening, vulgar, or distracting to pilots and spectators will not be tolerated. Violations may result in suspension of field privileges. Third offense will result in member expulsion.

9. Parking: Vehicles shall be parked only in the parking area - not on the field. The last person leaving the field shall close and lock the gate.

10. Pilot Qualification: Novice flyers are not permitted to fly solo until they have passed a flying proficiency test administered and signed off  by two qualified instructors.  They can only fly with assistance of a qualified club instructor.

 

SAFETY RULES

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1. Range check: All new or repaired aircraft will undergo a range check and be safety inspected prior to flight.

2. Radio Impound & Frequencies: All transmitters that are not on 2.4 Ghz/Spread Spectrum must be impounded unless the pilot is in possession of the frequency pin.  

3. Frequency Pins and Member ID Cards: All pilots must display their BDS membership card either on the frequency board when obtaining the 72 Mhz frequency pin or on the 2.4 board prior to flying if on 2.4 Ghz.  For those pilots on 72 Mhz, when flying, retrieve the frequency pin and place your BDS ID card in the slot.  Pickup your transmitter from the impound area and attach the pin to your transmitter.  At the conclusion of each flight, promptly turn off and return your transmitter to the impound area (unless no others are on that frequency), then return the frequency pin and either collect your BDS ID card or leave it in the slot.

4. Maximum Aircraft in Air: There will be no more than 4 aircraft in the air.  Flight times will be limited to 15 minutes.

5. Fueling & Fire Extinguishers: There will be No Smoking near aircraft or fuel cans during fueling operations.  A catch can or closed loop fueling system must be used at all times when fueling aircraft to avoid fuel spillage on the grass.  A personal or club provided fire extinguisher must be at the flight line when gas airplanes and or turbines are started and flown.  

6. Engine Start-Up: Aircraft engines must be started at the designated starting area behind the flight stations.  The aircraft must face toward the runway, never toward the pits.  Do not allow anyone to be in the arc of the propeller with the engine running.  Taxiing onto the runway is allowed forward of the pilot's line. When retrieving an airplane from the runway, the engine shall be stopped prior to crossing the pilot's line when returning to the pit area.  Always have someone or a restraining device hold the aircraft during starting and run up of engines.  Never taxi aircraft into or out of the pits.

7. Taking Off and Landing: 1) Announce your intentions to take off, taxi from the flight line onto the active runway and take off in the established direction.  Takeoffs and landings are into the wind.  No aerobatics until past the pit area and never turn toward the pit area.  Ideally, all aerobatics should be performed after the first turn away from the pits.  2) Announce your intentions to land.  Land your aircraft into the wind.  Return to the flight line, taxi parallel to and at least 10 feet from the flight line and stop the engine.  The pilot or helper will announce their intention to move onto the field and retrieve the aircraft.  Never taxi into or out of the pits.

8. Spotters: All pilots MUST have a spotter/helper present.   This is mandatory whether only 1 aircraft is flying, or if more than one aircraft is in the air and/or when flying turbine aircraft.

9. Members are prohibited from flying at the field if they are the only member present.  

10. Over-Flight: Never fly over the flight line, pits, parking area, or spectators.  Don’t fly low over the workers in the fields.  If you must fly over workers, it must be at a safe altitude.

11. Pattern of Flight: If a pilot's aircraft is the only aircraft in the air, he or she may fly in any direction parallel to the runway, however, if more than one pilot is flying, then the established flight pattern must be agreed and flown.  If there are workers in the field west of our field, then we will fly an East/West Flight Pattern.  If the workers are south of the East/West Runway, the flight pattern can extend over the field to our West.  If the workers are north of the East/West Runway then the pilot, when flying in a westerly direction, must perform a turnaround maneuver prior to flying over the field to our West.  Takeoffs and landings will continue to be dictated by the direction of the wind, that is, into the wind.  If workers are present in the field to our west, after takeoff, gain altitude and fly high over the field to our west and immediately enter the East/West Pattern.

12. Engine Test Run: Running of engines for adjustment must be done at the flight line, at the designated starting area or near the ditches that run parallel to the dirt road outside the pit area and away from pilots and spectators.  If the adjustment period is excessively long, it should not be done at the flight line or at the designated starting area, it must be done near the ditches that run parallel to the dirt road outside the pit area and away from pilots and spectators.  Your intentions to run an engine at the flight line, at the designated starting area or in the designated area near the ditches should be announced prior to starting.  Never taxi aircraft into or out of the pits.  

13. Operational Responsibility: All pilots must stand behind the safety gates and be in control of their aircraft while on the ground, taking off, flying or landing and will be responsible for all such actions. A pilot who declares a dead stick has the right of way over all other aircraft. Pilots who lose control of an aircraft must announce an emergency condition. Unsafe flying practices will not be tolerated and will result in a written warning, suspension, or termination of membership.  Aircraft operational right-of-way to use the runway in descending priority is:
    1 - Dead stick or other emergency                      3 - Approach to land with engine operating
    2 - Take-off                                                                 4 - Touch and go traffic​

14. 3D maneuvers: Hovering, torque rolls, etc. are prohibited over the runway and in the flight line pattern when other models are flying (all aircraft). These maneuvers may be performed over the grass, beyond the runway. Pilots must show consideration for other flyers when performing these types of maneuvers.  If a pilot is flying alone, these maneuvers may be performed over the runway but no closer to the pilot then the center line of the runway.

15. Liability: If damage to another airplane occurs due to radio interference and another pilot with the same frequency is violating the radio impound rules, the offending pilot will be responsible for all damages and costs. Disputes will be mediated by the safety officer.

16. Yield to Farm Vehicles on Indiana Road.  Members must yield to farm traffic on Indiana Road, especially to large trucks that are carrying harvested materials.

17. Retrieval of Crashed Aircraft from Adjacent Fields.  If one of our planes crash in the field to our West, North or East, the pilot is not permitted to go onto the farmers field until permission to do so is received.  The process to obtain farmer permission is to call the club President, The President will then notify the club member to enter the farmer’s field and retrieve the plane and all debris.  

18. Turbine Powered Jet Aircraft: Are allowed to be flown at Black Dirt in accordance with the following:
    -Jet Pilots must be in possession of an AMA Turbine Waiver
    -Current BDS Members that wish to obtain a Turbine Waiver must receive the Waiver at the Black Dirt Squadron approved by 2 BDS Members, one of whom is also a CD.
    -Guests are not permitted to fly Turbine Powered Aircraft at BDS.
    -Members that are not yet approved to fly Turbines at Black Dirt, must apply to the BDS Board to request approval to fly turbine powered jet aircraft, provided he or she has an AMA Turbine Waiver.  Once the Board approves the request, the pilot must fly his or her first flight with at least 1Board member present.
    -Approved BDS Turbine pilots that are not Turbine Safety Officers, may not fly their jet powered aircraft unless a Turbine Safety Officer is present at the field.
    -The jet pilot must follow all existing AMA safety rules governing turbine powered jet aircraft as well as the following BDS safety and operational rules:
    -a catch can system or a closed loop system must be used when fueling aircraft to avoid any spillage of fuel on the grass.
    -a fire extinguisher must be present at the aircraft while starting the engine.  
    -a jet blast deflector must be used while the engine is starting or running prior to takeoff.

 

NOTICE

 

Field SAFETY is everyone’s responsibility, if you witness an unsafe act, alert the offending individual.  

Failure to follow General and Field Safety Rules may result in suspension of flying privileges and/or expulsion from BDS.