A Message From our Safety Officer:

Our safety officer Erik Newsholme asked me to post a message on the importance of knowing the condition of your batteries before you fly. He has seen some accidents the past few weeks that could have been prevented by knowing for sure if there is enough juice in those batteries for that flight.

Battery and radio condition is more important than just about anything else on your plane. No power. No control. An uncontrolled aircraft is dangerous, not only to the people at the field but potentially to our surrounding neighbors. Depending on how control is lost the plane could fly a very long way possibly damaging property or causing injury.

Though not all of us have an interest in being a battery guru it is important to understand the capacity of your batteries and if they are properly charged and when they are discharged at the field.

A good source of "plain english" information is the RC Battery Clinic http://www.rcbatteryclinic.com/

It's also a worth while investment in a good battery checker such as the Futaba BR-2000 that checks the battery under a load (exactly like when your flying.)

Another good way to keep tabs on the condition of your battery is a charger/cycler/analyzer. These are much better than "wall wart" chargers and give you more information about the capacity, discharge rate, and if the battery needs to be replaced.

Though the information might not seem exciting. And these items may seem like a "luxury" in reality, they are important safety items to protect the investment you've made in your plane as well as protect everyone around while your flying.