Mahoney45

Well, had a big 'ol learner experience this weekend at the field. After flying a bunch that morning with my Kadet, having a grand ol time flying the pattern, doing some aero and having a great time, I was taking a break. A nice guy who was checking out the hobby was out at the field, and I gave him a nice brief on the plane, telling him how much I loved it and recommended it for him as a beginner in the sport. Then I said that if he could find another radio, I'd buddy box with him and let him fly my plane a bit. So, he managed to find one, and we got airborne. I was feeling good, because I love flying, and I love sharing the flying. He was doing okay, but I was keeping it up high and out of trouble. But, my inexperience with new flyers started to show. I was letting him get too fast. The Kadet will fly great nice and slow, but I had him moving too fast, and it would come to haunt me in a matter of minutes. His control movements we jerky and violent, also a trademark of someone without any stick time on the sim or with the plane. But, I kept him high and was taking the plane back in plenty of time. He was having some problems with the control when it was flying towards him, again, a normal issue. Well, flying a clockwise pattern, he came around and was headed towards us, at an altitude that I thought was safe. Well, I think his brain flipped, and then the thumbs jerked, and suddenly the plane is right wing down and rolling towards inverted, with a steep nose down attitude towards the ground. He was very quick to tell me that "you got it!" I was like..."Yeah, no kidding.....with the speed that the plane had, it was losing altitude too quickly, and still rolling to the right side...I thought the only way I could save it, and keep it away from the pits, was to roll wings level inverted and pull though. Well, we all know where this story ends. My beloved, beautiful Kadet impacted the center of the asphault runway slighty less than perpendicular to the ground and with an tremendous crunch, all was silent. The plane hit the ground, sound stopped, as the plane bounced and then settled to the runway. All was still. My heart fell and I shouted "on the runway" and ran to collect my baby. Upon reaching the crash, I was amazed at the wreckage. The nose was gone up to the leading edge of the wing, but the wing was totally intact! I mean, you could strap it to another fuse and go flying. The vertical stab had snapped at the glue joint, but the horizontal stab was fine. But the damage to the fuselage was monumental. Then, as I'm picking up the pieces, I asked myself...where's the engine? Heck, where's the fuel tank? My plane may have been gone, but I really wanted to find the engine, hoping that mabye, just maybe it would be okay. Well, I found it about 75ft away from the crash. DANG! It was hosed, and the remote needle valve bracket was broken, but the shaft seemed to turning okay, so I had some hope that it was okay. Well, we picked up all the pieces and brought it over to the pits. Everyone came to look and give their advice...the general concensus was that the fuse would take a lot of work, but could be repaired. And they are probably right. But, I'm not a builder really, I'm a flyer, so I don't know that I'll rebuild this one. But it's a shame, because the wing is totally fine! And the part that hurt the most about losing this plane was the custom cut decal job that I had spent probably as much time on as I had spend building the thing! I spent a lot of time making it my own and not some cookie cutter looking ARF. But, anyways...it really hurt, and I couldn't sleep that night, I kept having flashbacks of the impact...wondering if I could have saved it by pushing instead of pulling. But at that speed, and the inverted characteristics of the Kadet...I don't know that it would have climbed out or not. Plus, it may have ended up in the pits then. So, at the end of the day, no one got hurt, and that is the most important thing. Plus, on the up side, I mounted the engine to the stand and got it to start up! SWEET! So, that engine will fly again. But for now, I'm focusing on finishing my T-34, with the Irvine 53 in it, and will be flying the pants off that one...and never buddy boxing it, that's for sure. I'm not opposed to buddy boxing should I get another trainer, but let's just say I learned a lot about flying with a student. I still love this hobby, and losing my first plane hurt like a mother...but I guess I don't have to worry about my first bad crash anymore. [>:]

Katana

If that happens again the first thing to do is bring the power back right away. gives you a bit more time.

Mahoney45

Thanks for the tip...though I don't plan to let myself be in that situation again...at least not with a student! Who knows what I can get myself into...

ifixairplanes

My Feedback: (9)

hmmm. beginners teaching beginners. I dont think it works.

sorry to hear about your loss,

sean

Mahoney45

Well, I wouldn't really say I was trying to "teach" him anything...just do what I would have loved someone to do for me, you know? Give me a chance to get my hands on a plane, but point taken.

jzinckgra

My Feedback: (11)

So did the "student" say anything? What was his reaction?

Mahoney45

Oh, he felt terrible, and said he was really sorry and even offered me some money, but I really didn't feel like I could take it and feel good about it. He was the guy with zero experience, and even though he put the plane in that attitude, I let him get low enough and fast enough to where I couldn't recover it, and that was MY mistake. So, it was ultimately my fault, and that was what really pissed me off...I let that happen to my plane...it wasn't his fault. Even while we were sorting through the pieces, I really tried to encourage him and not let the crash discourage him from getting his own Kadet and getting a real instructor to teach him on it. And I think I accomplished that goal and he'll be getting his own soon. So, in the meantime, I'm drowning my sorrows in my T-34...I just can't wait to get that baby flying

egor

Sorry to hear about your loss. Been there done that now all I can say is I hope you kept the fuse and have it sitting in the corner. I've done this three time with two kadets ( I keep telling the guys at the field I'm trying to improve my building skills,) and yup it's a heart breaker. but always keep the parts, that's what they were to start with. When you get your other plane in the air relax take another look, its should not that hard of a repair. When you get the fuse rebilt take a real good look at the leading edge of the wing and the first rib or two out from the fuse. just to be sure.

Now tell me you did keep the parts right........

We never intend to put ourselves in that position, you didn't plan on it this time and you won't the next,,It'll just walk up and tap you on the shoulder and whisper in you ear I'M BACK..


Egor

Isaiah 40:31

Mahoney, I'm really sorry about your loss. It is very appropriate to take the entire responsibility. This is someone completely unaware of the operation of the model trusting you to keep the craft from their errors. As an instructor that's our "job".

I tried to show others long before I was ready, too. I just was so wound up that it was just a stress to them and to myself! Don't give up on it, though, just give yourself some more experience. It would be a shame for this hobby to not have the richness of your love for it shared with others. I say good on you for your best intentions.

I'm teaching my son to fly, and I'm much more confident in my abilities now, and we're also flying an aircraft that we don't really worry about crashing (a SPAD trainer). In fact it was only after building a SPAD that I ever attempted low inverted flight. We're talking less than 2' off the ground! I would never have tried that with something I'd toiled and sweated over and had cost so much to build.

There is a fine point wh ere you allow the student to get into a position that they have to work themselves out of, yet you have just enough margin to take care of business if something goes wrong. Usually you'll be ok, but once in a while something might happen. I let my son get too low, knowing he could get himself out of it. He would have to if the engine hadn't quit! Hit a fence. If it weren't a SPAD I wouldn't have flown again that day.

All the best with your T-34.J

DragonHeart

Shame you lost your plane.......... But after my first major crash....... someone said if it flys it will crash one day , that maybe true, but in my expereince everyone has bad days, beginners and experts alike and to me thats one thing about this hobby that keeps it alive or keeps a thrill is the thought it might crash. If the thought of crashing your pride and joy is too much then stick to Rc Cars which stay on the ground...

Im sure you wil move on and learn from this good luck with your next plane

Mahoney45

Thanks to everyone for the great comments...yes Egor, I did keep the parts, though it's tough to look at them right now I just got done ordering another trainer (after telling my wife that I promise it will be the last one for a long time!) I may rebuild that Kadet someday, but for now I want to get back up in the air, both with my T-34 and my new Kyosho Calmato that's on its way. I didn't want to be going out to the field without a trainer to warm up on before flying my masterpiece, that T-34. Again, thanks for the kind words all...I love this hobby, both because of the planes, and the people [8D]