Flying People - Recent News

[waynehoskins]

Brad hasn't brought it up here, so it seemed like the thing to do. There's a news story about a tragedy at a church resulting from flying an actor the absolute wrong way, and it's gotten a lot of attention on the forum Controlbooth:
Controlbooth: Actor In Christmas Pageant Dies After 25-Foot Fall

Since, let's face it, we as churches often try to save money by doing things ourselves that we should not be doing ourselves (like rigging loudspeakers with baling wire), we need to be painfully aware of this tragedy.

And for those of you who don't know, the only way to suspend people in the air, especially for performance -- this is freely in the air or even on a swing -- is to hire professionals in flying people. That's a short list, names on it being Sapsis Rigging, Hall Associates, Flying By Foy, and ZFX (and I don't know for certain if Uncle Bill Sapsis actually does human flight, but he's an expert in rigging).

This is one of those areas where doing it yourself is an absolute no-no, not just from the risk of falling, but let's say you choose to use a fall-arrest harness to fly Peter Pan. Peter had better be out of that thing in 13 minutes, because if he's suspended in it for 14 minutes he's dead from circulation cutoff in major arteries.

I hate to bring this up at a joyous time of year, but unfortunately it's something that we all need to be very painfully aware of: 32 feet-per-second per second still applies in the church building, and by that sudden stop at the end the falling object or person is going pretty fast.

And in the news story, according to the CB thread, they're recently starting to ask the right kinds of questions about the harness and flying rig and the lack of redundant safetys.

Everybody be careful out there.

[kbob]

thanks for the sobering reminder of what can go wrong-and just how very wrong it can go-when you don't use professionals in dangerous situations...

[Esoteric]

That is why I always say professional, professional, professional. We went to school, passed tests, and got certified for a reason. This stuff is DANGEROUS!

Please, please, please, as a lighting and scenery professional I implore everyone out there if you are dealing with electricity, things (including people) flying/hanging over peoples heads, mixing water and electrical devices, or anything else that might be deadly HIRE A PROFESSIONAL!

My church has a technical staff for 14 full time and multiple part time professionals. But when we installed new circuits, we bid and hired an electrical contractor. Any time we fly anything we bring out ZFX and local IATSE riggers.

If you have to debate on whether or not you have the skills or knowledge to do a project, if you have to southern engineer anything, or if you do not know the applicable state/local codes, then do not do it yourself!!!

Mike

[waynehoskins]

Originally Posted by kbob

thanks for the sobering reminder of what can go wrong-and just how very wrong it can go-when you don't use professionals in dangerous situations...

Always glad to brighten everybody's day.

[Steve Vanciel]

Originally Posted by Esoteric

This stuff is DANGEROUS!
electricity, things (including people) flying/hanging over peoples heads, mixing water and electrical devices, or anything else that might be deadly HIRE A PROFESSIONAL!

And, in keeping with the title of this particular forum, Pyrotechnics must be included on the list of DANGEROUS things that require professonal training and experience to perform safely. Look up "Station Night Club Fire" for a reminder of how wrong things can go when people don't know what they don't know.

SteveV

[waynehoskins]

Originally Posted by Steve Vanciel

And, in keeping with the title of this particular forum, Pyrotechnics must be included on the list of DANGEROUS things that require professonal training and experience to perform safely. Look up "Station Night Club Fire" for a reminder of how wrong things can go when people don't know what they don't know.

SteveV

Wikipedia Article - The Station Nightclub Fire

Or, eerily similar in yesterday's news:
New Years Fire In Bangkok Club

[Steve Vanciel]

Wayne, thanks for the Wiki link. I had not seen that before, just the original news reports and Stagecraft ML discussions. This is a very comprehensive recounting of the incident and the aftermath. It is significant to note that the "accident" resulted in criminal charges. This is a growing trend in dealing with incidents that result in a loss of life. Have not heard of a Church being dragged into litigation, yet. But it could very well happen. As the saying goes: forewarned is forearmed.

SteveV

[bggowing]

Very good points and everyone should take heed.

When I came back to our church and resumed my role as TD I told all the pastors that while I would find the most value for the A/V equipment there was one thing that was non-negotiable and that was anything to do with rigging lights/projectors or anything from the ceiling. I told them that if they didn't do it right and tried to cheap it out then I would resign. They agreed and we've got probably one of the safest rigging setups, if not the safest, in our area. I could hang from any one of our mounting points with all the equipment attached (and believe me that would stress it an extraordinary amount!) and have my wife and kid sit directly underneath and not worry that anything would come down. And everything is safety wired to a point that's on the building trusses so in the unlikely event that something were to fail the safety wire would secure the equipment.

Contrast that to a church in our area that has a lighting truss hanging by speaker wire using a loop of speaker wire wrapped around the building's flourescent light fixture as the mounting point, and speakers flown by 1/32 cable. I'm waiting for a news article that something came down and seriously injured someone. It's an avoidable accident waiting to happen and the church thinks it's fine.

[BobM]

I've given this subject some time and some thought, not at all wanting to draw away from the safety aspect of the thread. However I wonder if the fault for this accident in some ways isn't the fault of the modern church trying to be relevant. It seems to me that there is a lot of it has to be bigger better more creative/extravagant than the other church in town just to draw numbers these days. I face the same question at my own church in lighting as on Sunday evenings we try to be more creative/modern and use the lighting equipment that we have. but often times I end up feeling like I'm just putting on a show rather than glorifying God.
Well that's my 2 cents worth
.

[[Admin] danroth]

Originally Posted by BobM

I wonder if the fault for this accident in some ways isn't the fault of the modern church trying to be relevant.

I don't think so.

It seems to me that there is a lot of it has to be bigger better more creative/extravagant than the other church in town just to draw numbers these days.

I think that's different from being relevant.

often times I end up feeling like I'm just putting on a show rather than glorifying God.

then that's a problem.

I think it's good when we "entertain", which means "hold people's attention". I think it's bad when we seek to "amuse", which means "be without inspiration".

[Steve Vanciel]

There is a danger, but I think that as long as you are asking these questions of yourself and your program, you might be safe.

The March 2007 issue of National Geographic magazine had an article that really drove this home for me. The title kind of says it all: The Theme-Parking, MegaChurching, Franchising, Exurbing, McMansioning of America - How Walt Disney Changed Everything. As someone who has been doing church productions for nearly 40 years and working at Disney for the past 20 years, I can see the impact.

So, in our quest to be relevant, let us be careful not to become Salt that has lost it's savor by becoming just like the World around us.

SteveV

[Esoteric]

I agree but let us also not be salt that is unused because of our intent to do things "the way we have always done them".

Mike