The end of Cabin Fever!

 The sunny skies and calm winds this week offered a welcome (albeit a little chilly) opportunity to get some flights in. There is cold, wintery weather in the forecast. But, don't forget that it's the second week of March; warmer days will soon be here. 

This is the time to go through your model collection and conduct an annual inspection of all the working parts, control surfaces, and electronics– just like the full-scale aircraft. If you have multiple models, as most of us do, it's a good idea to keep notes on which models you checked and what you have repaired. Don't assume that everything was in top working order at the end of the last season. An annual inspection in the Spring can catch items that are ready to fail, or sloppy field repairs that you forgot to address properly at home.

If you use LiPo batteries, it's a good time to check the internal resistance and voltage of the battery cells. The latest edition of Model Aviation included some useful articles about using LiPo batteries safely. Don't be tempted to keep a battery that's puffed, out-of-balance, or has lost it's capacity. Batteries are relatively cheap compared to the damage a battery failure can do. Although failures are uncommon, when they happen the results are spectacular. 

See you at the field!