As well as cycling, one of my other hobbies is free flight
aeromodelling
i.e. flying without radio control. I have just learned
that a prominent modeller was killed on Sunday at
Barkston Heath, an RAF air base whilst recovering his
plane by bycicle.
This should reinforce the need to dismount and seek shelter
in thundery weather. I've experienced a thunderstorm at
Barkstone and it wasn't a pleasant experience as an airbase
by its very nature has very few places to take shelter and
it's all too easy to be the highest object for several
hundred metres. I had advance warning of the impending storm
as I was receiving electric shocks through the metal lines
of a control line plane....I was effectively flying a 60'
long lightning conductor and the storm hit 15 minutes after
my first shocks, I'd packed up immediately and retreated to
the car within minutes of the shocks. I just wonder if there
was much warning of the storm and how much notice the
modellers took. Some of them are *so* competitive that they
take unecessary risks
Don't take risks with thunder storms it's gamble that I'll
no longer take as I don't feel as invulnerable as I used to
as a feckless youth :-)
Here's the report of the incident.
"It is with great sadness that we inform you of a tragic
accident which occurred at the Free Flight Nationals on
Sunday 30th May.
Peter Harris from Kidderminster who was a very well known
and respected member of the Free Flight community was
cycling across the airfield during a very sudden and violent
thunderstorm when he was struck by lightning. First aid was
administered at the scene and an ambulance crew arrived
within minutes to take Peter to hospital in Grantham. Sadly,
Peter died of his injuries.