# Tehachapi Loop By (Model) Airplane



## thecitrusbelt (Apr 27, 2011)

Courtesy of Mel Perry, here is what you get when you combine a love of trains, a model airplane and today’s technology:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLb_99f_JSE&feature=player_embedded

Thank you, Mel!!!

Bob Chaparro
Moderator
Model Railroads of Southern California
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Model_Railroads_Of_Southern_California/


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Very cool!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Very nice. I'd love to see that with a music soundtrack added (instead of the plane whirr.)

The footage at 2:15 to 2:30 (of the full loop) is INCREDIBLE!!!

At one point, the engineer blows his horns a few times when (presumably) he sees the R/C plane close to the loco. I wonder if there are any FAA / TSA guidelines / restrictions on how close one can fly R/C to a train? I'm sure they'd nail anyone for flying R/C near a plane. Just curious ...

TJ


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I doubt it, he's tooting when he's way above it as well.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

What kind of plane was it? It sure ran for a long time.
Kind of landed like a helicopter from what I could see?

Cool train loop, I never saw that one before thanks for posting.


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

tjcruiser said:


> I wonder if there are any FAA / TSA guidelines / restrictions on how close one can fly R/C to a train? I'm sure they'd nail anyone for flying R/C near a plane. Just curious ...
> 
> TJ


Model plane flight rules are specified by the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) in a document called Academy of Model Aeronautics National Model Aircraft Safety Code. AMA tends to be pretty strict about flying at designated AMA fields because they don't want people getting mad when r/c planes buzz their homes or crash into their cars and give the hobby a bad name.

It's probably not a stretch to say that the person who took the video violated this AMA rule: "All pilots shall avoid flying directly over unprotected people, vessels, vehicles or structures and shall avoid endangerment of life and property of others."



big ed said:


> Cool train loop, I never saw that one before thanks for posting.


As well traveled as Big Ed is and he's never seen the world-famous Tehachapi Loop? 

It's just a few miles down the road from me. Score one for the West Coast over New Jersey!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

The plane is surely a quad-copter, they're very popular for video platforms and the behavior of this one seemed consistent. My brother is into these big-time, he wears the video goggles to fly it using the on-board video, very cool.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Thanks for the info, El Jefe!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Of course, many folks don't belong to the AMA.


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