The Green Peg Award

The Green Peg Award was put in place as a means by which members can demonstrate a minimum level of safety awareness, competence and proficiency.

The Green Peg is awarded on the basis of a demonstration, set out below, which is carried out in front of a committee member.  It is designed to show that a flyer can safely operate their model before, during and after a flight, and that they are aware of the rules and procedures that we operate under on the flying field.

New members who do not already posses a BMFA "A" certificate or better for the type of model they intend to fly are expected to pass the Award before they will be allowed to fly solo.  Existing members who have no formal BMFA certificates are encouraged to take the Award, but doing so is not compulsory, although the majority of existing members have already done so.  Existing members who are part of our training scheme, however, are expected to take the award before flying solo.

Members who have been awarded the Green Peg (or have a recognised BMFA certificate) will use a frequency peg coloured a distinctive green colour with their name and frequency on it. The club will supply suitable pegs (when we manage to find some).

Existing members who have yet to receive the Award or who are unwilling to do so should continue to use a conventional peg which indicates their status to others flying.

Requirements for the Green Peg Award

In order to be awarded the Green Peg, members must demonstrate the following procedure to a committee member.   The procedure has been written with IC powered planes in mind, but there are variations at the end for large and small electric models.

IC Powered Planes

1. Position model in pits facing out.

2. Check condition of model, including all control surfaces (do not switch on).

3. Check receiver battery state.

4. Put peg on peg board.

5. Shout your frequency, switch on your transmitter with aerial retracted and check its battery state.

6. Check model is tethered with an approved restraint. 

7. Start engine, carry out range check, and carry out pre-flight checks.

8. Taxi out/or helper to carry safely to takeoff point, shouting “On the strip” and "Clear", stand in pilots box.

9. Extend aerial, take off.    

10. Hand launced models may be launced by the pilot or helper from the runway, the pilot to return to the pilot box.

11. Fly one right/left into-wind rectangular circuit.

12. Fly one right/left down-wind rectangular circuit.

13. Low pass (less than 5 metres) along runway, up-wind.

14. Low pass (less than 5 metres) along runway, down-wind.

15. Rectangular circuit, call landing and touch down on the runway within 30 mtrs of the pilot box.

16. Shout “On the strip” stop engine, remove model from strip and shout “Clear”.

17. Switch off receiver then transmitter, carry model back to pits.

18. Carry out post flight check and take peg off board.

Large Electric Planes (10 NiMh/4LiPo and more)

1. All large electrics must have a method for deactivating the speed controller from the flight batteries – either by removing a battery lead, use of a connector or suitable switch.

2. When in the pits and if the flight batteries are activated for testing, the model must be restrained with an approved restraint at all times.

3. If the model is carried and not taxied out, then the flight batteries must be deactivated.

Small Electric powered planes (10 Nicads/3 Lipos and less)

1. Small electrics are less dangerous and may not have an undercarriage – an approved restraint is not required, although if the throttle is tested in the pits it must be held tightly or restrained in some way. 

2. It is acceptable to have flight batteries activated when carrying out to the strip (recognising safety issues).