Where do you stand?

[Nodd]

I've been flying my little Piper Cub at my local ball field & I'm trying to figure out where I should stand when I'm flying. I'd like to keep my plane in front of me & avoid flying over my head or behind me so obvious spot is along the parks edge somewhere. Recently the wind has been coming from the SE. Where on this field would you stand & why? (use grid coordinates)...

[CNY_Dave]

C4 or so is best for keeping the plane upwind of you, but when I fly not at a club field I like to fly all around myself, especially with the micros, but with my 5lbs trainer too.

So I'd be as likely to stand right in the middle as anywhere else, but not where the wind is coming from.

[firemanbill]

Based on that wind I would stand along either one of the ball fields third base line about where the base would be on the upper field and at the first tree on the lower one. So you would have the whole park in front of you and be in line with the wind for take offs and approaches from either direction.

I like to keep my airplanes in front of me, even at a park like that. turning to follow them can get me disoriented at times. Not a good thing while you are flying.

[stuart]

b6....reasons as follow.

1 i stand on the edge of a field to have a fullflying field in front of me,maximum useable space to fly aerobatics.i can fly above the trees and inlarge the distance i fly by increasing the angle/distance between me and said trees.

2 it looks like a bleacher is there to rest my flight box on and i can see the whole perimeter of the field,if you fly standing in the middle you chance someone crossing the field while your not watching for them....and i know that feeling all to well. stand on the edge and those tresspassers will be seen. they always walk where you need to fly at any given moment your trying to land.

3 if your rog,you can use the bb dimond as a runway,take off on the 3rd base line into the wind...land on the first to second base line into the wind. or practice crosswind landings.....maybe not.at least what ever you choose you'll land into the wind.

4th reason and most important....to fly b6....we all might join ya for a good ol flight in the park... and hang out sittin on the bleachers having a grand time sharing flight stories.

[Don Sims]

G6 because of the parking....

[cbinfl]

I'd fly from third base in the AM and right field in the PM. Keep the sun out of your eyes and fly parallel to yourself.

2 cents.

[TopSpin]

A1 so I could run in case I run it into someones house or car.

[Hit n Run]

Hmmm, based on that field and the shadow cast from the trees, I would fly in either of the two colored lines I added to your picture.

The Orange line is where I would stand to keep the sun behind me, and I can easily fly around the field in a counter-clockwise direction and still take-off/land into the wind to the left of me. (as I have shown in the picture with a crude white circular line/arrow).

The Lime line is where I would tell a beginner, or someone maidening a new plane, to fly simply because it would be the easiest for take-offs. You just place the plane right in front of you and hit the throttle. Landings would still require the "swing around" into the wind, right in front of you.

[Nodd]

Thanks everyone for their input. I've plotted everyone's picks (some from a mirror post on another forum) & in this case the results seem to indicate a preference for the Western side of the field which is somewhat reassuring as that's where I've been standing...



The best part was everyone's reasoning for where they'd stand, great stuff. Here's a summery of what I learned...

Stand on the Edge of the Field
It seems most people like to avoid flying over head or behind, preferring to stand on the edge of the field & keep their plane out in-front of them at all times. This makes sense as looking strait up or having to spin around can be disorienting. Also for safety reasons it makes sense to be able to see the entire field at once so you can spot errant herds of nuns wandering into your flying area.

Keep Airplane Up Wind
Those that chose not to stand on the Western side of the park chose a location near the infield which is on the down wind end of the field. With the wind coming from the SE this means the airplane will always be upwind which is important if you're flying a glider or if your motor falls off. Its nice to know you can probably make it back to the field if something goes wrong.

Keep the Sun out of your Eyes
You'd think this would be obvious but I must admit I didn't think about the Sun until someone mentioned it. If you can't see your plane I'm guessing that'd be a VERY BAD THING. Except during overcast conditions this is probably one of the biggest reasons to stand in a certain location. Time of day dictates this, if possible stand facing West in the morning & East in the evenings.

Access to Parking Area
Fairly low on the list but still a consideration, convenient access to your car & all your gear is nice. At this field the parking area is on the Western side of the field.

Avoid Hazardous Areas
No one mentioned this but I think its a good idea to stay way from the busy road running along the park's NE side. As I tend to takeoff close to where I stand, wouldn't want to get in a situation where my plane enters traffic. Bad for the plane & potentially VERY bad for my checkbook - SWOOP - SCREECH - CRUNCH

Runway Material
The hard packed sandy portions of the ballpark are tempting takeoff & landing sites especially as our local Goose population prefers to poop on the grass, not the sand. As this is the off-season for Baseball the sandy areas haven't been groomed in some time. Consequently they're pop-marked with fairly deep foot-prints & are actually quite harsh on my little Piper Cub's gear. The grass in comparison is relativity smooth but I'd kill for a nice asphalt runway. Because of this I tossed my stock 2" wheels & installed a set of 3" low profile wheels which have made a huge difference.

Anyway thanks everyone for the great advice. Next time I head to a field I'll know where best to stand.

[cyclops2]

People most likely pull into the car lot.
Back to the lot allows you to avoid hitting cars or most people coming to use the field. That is a SMALL field.
Really need 2 people.
If the lot is to your back. You can delibertely crash away from the cars & people watching you .

No one can always pick the right spot for the unexpected.

I am perfect. & I can not.

[cyclops2]

I just reread you geese crap condition.

SICK SICK animal lovers !!
Pick up some of the fresh crap and sprinle it on their lawns so they can enjoy the geese also. Worked in our park system when the animal lovers did not like grand children walking in it or their pets eating it on their own lawns.

" Do as I say ! "
" Not as I want done to me. "

[NFA Fabrication]

E9 for me. I like landing into the wind and think it is more important than taking off into it (Both are recommended). Plus I like to be able to circle smaller parks to loose speed before a landing if needed. That position would offer me the best position for my flight style given those winds.

[hayofstacks]

I like to fly with my back to the sun. In the morning I takeoff and land one direction, in the afternoon I do the other direction. I take of into the wind if its a short feild, or if I'm doing touch and goes. However, I very much like crosswind landings if I have enough feild to do so comfortably.

I think downwind landing are easier then into the wind too. But into the win you get off of the ground faster, which is why I think most people fly that way.

[NFA Fabrication]

Originally Posted by hayofstacks

I think downwind landing are easier then into the wind too.

You mean landing in the same direction as the wind is going? I find the opposite to be the preferred method. I have more control with the wind headed into my wings, and it's slower.

[hayofstacks]

Its slower ground speed, but air speed doesn't matter. The plane doesn't know or care what direction the wind is, until the ground is factored in. The same amount of air passes over the planes wings.

If you stall because the wind is going the same direction as your landing, its because the plane was not moving fast enough. My favorite flying feild is a road with winds west to east. It is always a cross wind landing. there is a small t in the road that I sometimes land on. Not enough room to do touch and goes, but plenty of room to land. I then turn around and take back off. The tree and fence right behind the t, are why I don't do touch and goes.

If the road was more open and the tree wasn't there, I would touch one way, then go back and touch the opposite direction. When I am on the salt flats I really like to do crosswind and down wind landings. I have been accused of landing in a full stall before though.

[rcers]

Originally Posted by hayofstacks

I think downwind landing are easier then into the wind too. But into the win you get off of the ground faster, which is why I think most people fly that way.

You will progress to models where you learn that is a big no-no.

I have one right now that touches down just shy of mach one. Doing a down wind landing would cause smoke from the tires LOL.

MIke

[hayofstacks]

Not trying to be mean, but the heavier and faster a model flys, the less wind effects it. I am flying very light models that are much more effected by wind then a more "advanced" model. Its also just about the only exciting thing the planes really can do. I guess I could keep trying to perfect knife edges on my trainer, or learn inverted better. Right now I am just relaxing and spending time in the air, which is why I fly the models I do.

[Nitro Blast]

All of this grid stuff...... YOU SUNK MY BATTLESHIP!


I'm parking at G2, and standing in G3.

But like Hayofstacks mentions, I'm only flying parkflyers there.

[mclarkson]

Your #1 concern is having the sun at your back. After that, I want to be able to see the biggest area possible.

I mostly hand launch my planes so must physically face into the wind on takeoff. If that requires me to face the sun, I make the best of it and immediately turn the plane out of the sun and do my flying with the sun behind me.

I like to face into the wind where it's convenient and fly the airplane in front of me and upwind of me, but that's secondary to visibility.

I fly out of a not-dissimilar park sometimes with my 'wheeled' planes, because I like the baseball diamond surface for takeoffs and landings. When I do, I typically stand around E5 and use the dirt next to me as a large runway.

[solentlife]

Assuming map is North up .... wind from SE ........ I would stand F4 .. G5 ...

Reason ? I want to see the model on finals, not be at top of field with limited view. I need to see take-off roll and climb out ..... so a mid point along field in my opinion is best.
I don't like being against a limit at back - you never know when you might need to drop in behind yourself ... so a strip behind just in case ... a few steps forward and you have area enough.
But still keeping major area in front as I would face NE .. SE ...

Take-offs I usually like to be behind the model, so if alone or field basically empty - I might be higher up field for T/Off and then stroll to F4 .. G5 during flight.

[solentlife]

Originally Posted by hayofstacks

Not trying to be mean, but the heavier and faster a model flys, the less wind effects it. I am flying very light models that are much more effected by wind then a more "advanced" model. Its also just about the only exciting thing the planes really can do. I guess I could keep trying to perfect knife edges on my trainer, or learn inverted better. Right now I am just relaxing and spending time in the air, which is why I fly the models I do.

Downwind ?? I agree with other guy ........ it's ok with a slow flyer that can handle the windspeed + airspeed to fly ... but a heavy machine that needs decent airspeed ? As other says - that's smoking tyres !

As model wing loading goes up - it's even more reason to put nose INTO wind for landing.

[hayofstacks]

If you guys say so. I just don't think using the wind as a handicap for too small of a feild is that good of an idea.

[Nodd]

Original poster here, wow my old thread got resurrected I see. I've moved onto bigger & better flying fields since I posted this but the info here has helped me make better informed decisions at my new field.

It seems there's no single right answer to my original question, "where do you stand?" Take away all the obvious things like wind, sun, trees, etc & it basically comes down to personal preference & flying style. What I've learned from this is there may not be one perfect spot to stand but there sure are plenty of spots to be avoided.

[solentlife]

Originally Posted by hayofstacks

If you guys say so. I just don't think using the wind as a handicap for too small of a feild is that good of an idea.

The smaller the field - the more important it becomes ... so in fact there are 3 items that say INTO wind ..

a) Anything more than light airs
b) Anything heavier wing loading than a floater
c) Landing area restricted in size ....

[dahawk]

I'd go with between E&F &3 in a left hand pattern where it looks like you have an opening or between C&D and 3 where you can still use the 3rd base line for take offs and bring her in over the parking lot with a right hand pattern. Interesting discussion.