Thoughts from the workbench of Radical RC. The online retailer of electronics and kits for radio control aircraft. Dave Thacker shares his thoughts and knowledge of electronics, batteries, kit design and overall enjoyment of the hobby.
If anybody had a photo from that event they could let me add to this article, please forward. Thanks Keith for a fun story!
Hi Dave,
I just got back from the big judged scale meet (Central Ohio Scale) in Westerville. They had a great turnout, something like 47 pilots in 6 judged classes. I entered my Yak UT-1 in Designer Scale and got a third place. The first and second place were last year’s NATS winner and the Runner-Up, so not too bad for my first scale meet in about 15 years…
They had a “Fun Scale” class for beginners and experts, minimal static judging, but regular flight judging. I entered the Wright in Fun Scale Expert just for fun. The concept of doing “precision maneuvers” with the Wright in quite a bit of turbulence gave everyone a good dose of Comic Relief. It was like herding a cat around the sky. Surprisingly, I didn’t place last, as I got great marks for Flight Realism and the multi-motor option.
Early Sunday morning it was dead calm and ***very*** foggy. I flew a flight low and slow to the enjoyment of the spectators and contestants while waiting for the ceiling to lift so that the contest flights could resume. I recharged and waited my turn for the first sunday round. When it came time to fly, it was still very calm, and I had high hopes for a really good flight score. However, when I took off the plane pulled REALLY hard to the right, and full left trim on aileron and rudder and half left stick on aileron and rudder were required to barely fly straight. I struggled mightily to do the required maneuvers, and garnished about the same scores as saturday due to the awkward appearance to the flight and turns. Oh well.
I looked it over after a scary, but safe landing. The high humidity and wet grass had made all the joints on the parallelograms lock up solid. Even with the stain on the wood and the candle wax I rubbed on all the mating surfaces. Once it fully dried out in the sun, everything worked great later in the afternoon. Controls were back to normal, but of course, the winds had come up and the flight scores stayed the same as saturday. Can’t win… 🙂
But it got a LOT of attention, and many favorable comments. At the end of the first flight on saturday, it got a large round of applause and cheering from everyone. I think more photos were taken of it than any other plane at the meet. Hope one of them ends up in the contest write-up for the mags.
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” Edmund Burke
How common is it that the good people outnumber those with evil (selfish) intent and yet evil prevails? Your part may be a small, however, it is an important part of good winning. Step up and speak up when evil is seeking a foothold. You cannot lay aside your responsibility to act or step by step your rights slip away.
I recently was compelled to speak at a public zoning meeting where the City of Riverside was was attempting to use predatory zoning practices under the sweet sounding name of “Urban Compact” in an attempt to force citizens in my neighborhood to pay for a conversion of our properties into an office/shopping/residential complex at the home owners expense. They wanted to require any home that was sold to be brought up to a modern design and zoning standard before it could be reoccupied by it’s new owner. Silly things like selling your home or replacing the siding with siding that has specific vertical groove spacing, building shields to hide any AC units. Shielding any antenna’s from public view. Selling your home or making any repairs in excess of $5000 would trigger the “must update or destroy (refusal of occupancy permit)” zoning clause. Imagine a limb falls and damages your roof or the wind blows and you need a new roof and that the cost is over $5000. What if you have a small kitchen fire and wish to repair it? Now you have to bring your home up to the new standard or sell it to somebody willing to tear it down or make the updates to the new community shopping/office standard. The new zoning rules even included the phrase “no current building will be encouraged to continue”. Clearly, the “Urban Compact” zoning scheme was designed to bring the clinking of bulldozer tracks to me and my neighbors.
The city has made several attempts to clear out the neighborhood for development over the years. This attempt lead to so many people showing up for the zoning board meeting that it had to be moved the city garage. Good people can stand up and defend themselves, their way of life, their country and their property rights.
Don’t lay down for it, get out there and stand up for yourself and your country.
The city’s prior attempt including declaring an entire block of properties including my own as “Blighted”. Mine it was claimed should be turned over to city ownership because it had an area of cracked paint, a crack in the parking lot with a puddle after it rained. Of course they hired an “impartial” service to provide the exact report they wanted for every home and building in the block. This attempt to push people out of their homes was foiled by supreme court rulings before the city’s plan and the citizens rights could be executed.
At this same meeting, I learned of a law passed a year ago banning all signs. Even political ones. In the prior meeting minutes that were read, evidentaly the city attourny had been on hand explaining the problem of denying people free speech. Yes, it required somebody with a law degree to explain it to them.
Those that purport to be public servants over time can become arrogant and lose sight of what being a servant of the citizens is. It is required for citizens to stand up and re-adjust these attitudes from time to time. This is what elections and counsel meetings are all about. Anytime you hear a public official justifying stripping Americans of their rights for the “greater good” you know you have encountered this arrogance (or possibly worse). I can tell you absolutely without any reservation that I won’t lay down for it. Politicians responsible for these kinds of activities should be replaced regardless of party affiliations.
It might shock you to learn that I am of course in favor of the neighborhood developing. However, the right way is for the city to purchase the properties one by one and do with them what they wish. Not to use the mechanics of beurocracy to beat citizens out.
MIAMI TWP., Ohio —
The Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office has declined to file criminal charges against the deputy police chief of the Miami Twp. Police Department, concerning the decontamination of a 17-year-old girl after her July 12 arrest, according to prosecutor’s spokesman Greg Flannagan.
The decontamination was related to the girl being….
A grown armed man representing the Miami Township here in Ohio arrests a 17 year old girl. Apparently before arresting the teen he sprays her with pepper spray. After arresting her and taking her into custody she is transported to the Sheriffs office where she is stripped naked and hosed down with a garden hose by this very Sheriff. The alleged public servents name according to the DDN story is Maj. John DiPietro. Apparently Public Servant John DiPietro was alone in the room with the naked wet teen while he was hosing her down. The department calls this act “decontamination”. Yeh right! This event is a clear abuse of this teen and the public trust.
Asking a local officer in our shop about these situations, he said it’s normal procedure to supply the pepper sprayed individual with a bottle of water and a cloth to clean their face. He said he tells them it will burn again in the shower as some could wash down into the eyes again. Seems reasonable enough to me that a 17 year old could clean their own face with basic supplies such as these. Something less than a hosing down in the nude might, just might have cleaned the face. But then maybe another purpose was being served here. I’m proud to say punishing of crimes and criminals should be left to the Judge and Jury. Certainly forcing a young woman to present herself in the nude to a male officer for a one on one private hose down might be exceedingly out of line, mean and inhumane.
I am reminded of the scene from First Blood where a corrupt and abusive small town sheriff expresses his dominance and power by hosing down John Rambo, a Vietnam war vet in his custody.
We lay back in our society and think that this kind of abuse is only in the movies when in reality this kind of abuse of our citizens and their freedoms goes on behind the doors of some law enforcement offices. What’s worse is these incidents always seem to be ruled “There was no wrong doing”. Often it’s the local prosecutor who is pressured to overlook these incidents in order to have a continued good relationship with the department he works closely with. Often it’s the internal affairs investigators (fellow union members and officer brothers) who arrive at the “Never Guilty” conclusion. It’s a prime example of the “code”. A corrupt system by which horrible servants are allowed to continue in public service. Protecting a member of the group is held in higher regard than the oath given to serve. The idea that a public service employee group could be trusted with honorable self investigation is laughable. These kinds of bureaucratic mechanisms are merely put in place to deflect and dissuade further serious inquiry. I remember trying to enter a complaint with the city of Dayton only to be told over and over “Mr. Thacker, you have no complaint.” It’s bull squeeze on the highest order.
I am completely and profoundly incensed that any male public servant would force a teenage girl to strip naked and then stand over her hosing her down. And to top it all off it’s reported he was in the room alone with the young girl. I make no apologies for defending this girl during this terrible moment of abuse, no apologies for our constitution or how it protects even the accused and I’ll feel no loss whatsoever should the local politicians decide to squeeze this corrupt public servant out and pinch him off.
Shame on you Miami Township for not allowing this girl to go privately in the bathroom to clean herself up. I suppose you think she was not capable of bathing herself without the assistance of a 40 something man. Or perhaps, the entire purpose and intent was to humiliate and punish a citizen who had come under your purview. Since a high ranking officer was involved, there is a strong implication that this quality of public service is accepted practice in Miami Township. Additionally are no reports of any other officers attempting to stop this abuse AND the hose was available inside a room where subjects are interviewed/searched or “decontaminated”. The hose being available inside this room suggests livestock-like treatment of citizens in this way is routine. The situation is sickening. Shame on you.
My name is Dave Thacker and I’m doing something about it.
Contact info follows. I encourage you to let these people know what you think. Miami Township of Ohio Township Offices
2700 Lyons Road
Miamisburg, OH 45342
Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Phone: (937) 433-9969
Fax: (937) 433-8709
Prosecutor’s Office who declined charging this officer with anything: Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office
P.O. Box 972
Dayton, OH
45422-0972
Telephone: 937-225-5757
General Information: info@mcpo.com
5 other women in Stark County Ohio violated by Police Strip Search See Controversies
Men in Stark County Strip Searching Woman. She after being beaten in a parking lot and calling for help she was eventually arrested. In interview she was asked “Have you ever considered suicide?” She asks “Do you mean now or ever?” Upon this question they decided she was suicidal and should be strip searched and jailed. Woman later won a settlement against the Stark county sheriff department.
News talk show about her sexual assult in Stark County.
This kind of treament of any citizen needs to end with the officers tried and jailed just as you and I would be had we tortured her.
AMA Club Charter: #524 Formed: Oct/1958 History:Works History
Club Dues: $100Â (Junior 25)Â Average Membership: ??? Memebership Limit?: No
Flying Hours: 10AM thru 9PM. This site is on a full scale grass strip. Although full scale visitors are rare, right away must be given.Â
Guest Flying:I have flown at the field as a guest during events in the past. I am sure they would welcome any vistors if you want to check out the field.
Map from US Airforce Museum to WORKS: View Larger Map What you’ll find: This is an outstanding grass strip with plenty of flying room and depth. I was immeadiately comfortable flying there. There is a shelter with picnic tables, safety fence and worktables near the flightline.  FThe club extends and open invitation to Old Timer flying every Thursday.Â
Satelite Image with PILOTS and MODELS
View Larger Map Special Notes From Dave: It’s always “Gentlemanly” to observe the AMA Safety Code as a baseline at any new field until all local rules, etiquette and customs are learned. Be aware some fields have routine full scale air traffic nearby, others very little or none. It takes time to become aware of all the special concerns and routines at any new flying field.
