Flying Foot Doc

My Feedback: (2)

That is the title of a regular column in a flying magazine, and it was true for me today again. I was flying in a fun fly and hurried my preperations and didn't follow the rules! What rules? The ones that keep you safe and your plane safe. This WAS my Tiger 60. I had just gotten done describing it as my Chevy, my favorite plane to fly, always reliable, it's had 5 or 6 different engines on it, lots of little repairs and 1 big rebuild over the years I've had it.

So I just ran a long wing bolts in, started it up, almost wrong and almost caught a finger, launched it and I was off, just not quite right, seemed like the tail was dragging and it wouldn't quite level off. went into the bomb drop manuever anyways and it just wouldn't come out of the dive...at all. The domb drop included the whole plane, straight in lawn dart maneuver.

The failures.....look at the wing bolt pinching the elevator push rod and if you could turn the camera around, you would see the pilot that was responsible too. Doc

AERORICH73

Ok Doc, as a retired aircraft mechanic there must be more to this crash. With all of the previous flights, when did the wing bolts get switched to the long ones? Usually the bolts are stored in the fuse holes, and are removed just prior to installing the wing. From what you have said, the ground flight surface deflection test was missed. I been to our club field, and watch a member take his Katan off with the aileron servo connection forgotten. Not a pretty sight either. Having been around full size planes, I have learned to operate very cautious around live aircraft, and carried this attitude into my RC flying. Recently, I had a TX problem where when hand extending the antenna the throttle servo shut the engine off. Did not see the problem until the restart and saw the carb linkage move. Removing the wing, all the servos were moving when I touched the antenna. My 1993 Futaba TX was finally junk.

I am really sorry for your loss, but happy you, and no one were hurt from the flight. Now you have a great opportunity for a new plane of your choice. Have fun shopping.

Rich S.

pkevinb

I took off without doing a control check on my Goldberg Eagle II once. Got in the air and found I had no ailerons! Forgot to hook up the aileron servo to the receiver. I got lucky and realized what happened right away and flew it back around and landed using the rudder.

I have never forgot to do a control check since then!