Flying Home Made Machines

Review

Share |

Is flying home made machines safe? Just ask Wilbur and Orville Wright. They tried and failed. Then they tried again and again, finally succeeding in getting man in the air (if only briefly) in 1903. Maybe the most famous aviation explorers in American history this team of brothers didnâ€™t let fear stand in their way of success. Still, their journey towards building the very first airplane didnâ€™t come without a few close calls.

Since that fateful day more than a century ago thousands of other aviation enthusiasts have tried to build their own man-made airplanes. If you are one of them, steadfastly working on your own handmade airplane, flying scooter or even hot air balloon in your garage, then you will need to learn how to make flying home made machines as safe as possible to avoid disaster. Take a few of these tips from the Wright Brothers:

Never test any aircraft (but especially a homemade one) alone. Always work in a team to keep a disaster at bay.
Never cold-test any type of flying machine with a human â€“ always test your machine with a robot or even a stuffed animal first.
Be sure that you know what you are doing. If you are not absolutely certain that your machine will fly, do not climb in!
Pre-test at low altitudes first. Try testing your aircraft from a low roof or hill before heading toward the closest cliff.
Use every available caution. Wear a parachute; let local emergency personnel know about your test (better yet, have someone on hand to help out in an emergency); etc.

Building and flying home made machines can be exhilarating, but always be sure that you take safety seriously. After all, you want to be healthy â€“ and in one piece â€“ top enjoy your homemade aircraft for years to come.