What do I say?

[TPCrowell]

I was practicing hovers at 40 to 50 feet in my front yard yesterday when my wife decided to walk fron the house to the barn. We live on a fair sized horse farm so there is a fairly large area between the house and the barn. Instead of walking around the area that I was flying, she looked up at the heli and took the shortest path which was almost directly under the hovering Raptor. I felt my hands get sweaty and I moved the machine, as gently as I dare, away from the path she was walking. As she walked past me, I commented that she was a mighty trusting soul. She looked back up at the heli and said that it was way up there and that she trusted my flying abilities not to hit her with it. I know she does not appreciate the extent of the damage a nitro helicopter could do to a person if they should catch a spinning blade, and I am not quite sure I want her to know how dangerous my machine is. She gets quite upset when I push my horse back riding to the limit (I average one trip a year to the hospital from a horse related injury.) so I am sure she would not be comfortable with my hobby if she read some of the stories about poeple getting hit by a runaway machine. Should I go way out in a pasture to fly, should I only fly when she is out riding or not at home, or should I warn her from walking under a hovering heli risking that I might have to tell her how dangerous and unpredictable helicopter is.

[Shawn K]

Should I go way out in a pasture to fly

Yes.

should I only fly when she is out riding or not at home

It would seem safer than the alternative.

or should I warn her from walking under a hovering heli risking that I might have to tell her how dangerous and unpredictable helicopter is.

Absolutely. Or let me put it another way... Would you rather have a wife who was formerly unaware of the danger of a helicopter until she got hurt by one, or a wife who knew ahead of time what could happen?

You'll find that I'm a "Zero Compromise" kind of guy when it comes to safety. I won't even fly myself if I have any reason to believe that there's a compromised safety issue, and I think others should be the same way. Too many people convince themselves that it "won't happen to them", until it happens to them. There's nothing about flying helicopters that's so important that it's worth the risk.

[schwa]

or you could buy her one of those those suits dudes wear to wrestle bears.

http://www.weblogsinc.com/common/images/7818251847282450.JPG?0.26128883038934936

but really, yes you have to tell her, that was not the smartest thing she did and she needs to know why it wasn't to bright.

[kcgraves]

I too have a fairly large horse farm, but no horses at the moment. I showed my wife a couple of the pictures that were floating around of people that got hit by blades so she understands the dangers of a heli hit. But I still go out into the pasture to fly cause you never know when someone will stop by that you are not expecting. While I would ditch the heli to keep from hitting someone it is still better safe than sorry. I have a 10ft. strip I mow in the middle of one of the pastures as my heli-pad.

[heli-cuzz]

Tell the wife not to walk under any heli. When and if something fails mechanically, you never can tell what direction it will go until it happens.
Being honest and upfront about the dangers a heli can pose will give more trust from your wife towards you. ;)
She'll probably be happen that you're concerned for her safety.
Look at it this way, would you let a child walk under the path of your heli?

[bboy]

One question no one has asked is it a loving marrage ":D" can't live with them can't kill them LOL! ;)

[kcgraves]

One question no one has asked is it a loving marrage ":D" can't live with them can't kill them LOL! ;)

Or as Woody once said on Cheers "Women, can't live with them..."
Then he walked away. :D

Or maybe she feels you are spending too much time with your helis and neglecting her. :o

[blax1]

Its hard to imagine she doesn't realize the risks associated with a 1340mm? rotor head spinning @ a couple of grand :eek: But for your own peace of mind and in the interest of safety you better have a chat with her :)
Just my 2 bobs worth
Ralph

[Rappy1]

tell her it chuffs out heaps of oil and fuel so she will get covered and stain her clothes if she walks near it, that should keep her away

[TPCrowell]

That's the best advice yet!

I discussed it with her a little, and found out she was just "messin' with me" more than she was oblivious to the risk. Would I focus my attention on her or on my machine?

This could be a no win situation.......

[mkoutnik]

Are you kidding? :D Focus your attention on her and her safety. Otherwise, it will be a very bad situation, you selfish, uncaring so and so... LOL :D