BobHH

My Feedback: (18)

I gave a local tree trimmer $20.00 to come down and climb a 75 ft tree to retreive one some years ago. Funny, a tiny stem turned the switch off when it landed in the tree. I could have cranked her up and flew some more when he got it down!!!

Bob Harris

turbojimmy

I could have tried that but the battery popped out on impact. I was able to retrieve it. My brother, for whom this has become an obsession, visited the plane yesterday. With a pair of binoculars he was able to observe why the tree won't let go of it. It seems as if a twig is wedged between the aileron and the wing in addition to the landing gear being caught in a 'v'. It's wedged in there pretty good.

I think I'm going to try the PVC-pipe pole method. I need to get 4 more 10-ft. lenghts and couplers. A 100-ft. length of rope almost goes up, around the branch and back down so I figure 50 feet of pole will do it. It's going to be wobbly but it might hold up.

Jim

KMR1

Ha great fun, from a distance!
Get yourself a tank of Helium (kids balloons) some garbage bags, string, hooks. once you hook it slide more bags up the string.
Don't let go!
$60 for a fullsized cylinder (100#) of helium. I launched bags of He for days after the wedding.

Sharku

i dont know about planes [cause it has not happened to me ...yet.... ] but i do have experience with 6lb gliders[when they fall... they fall....]i got one suck in an willow tree[worst ..tree.... ever...] i got it out in an strange way [read on..]

since its up pretty high there IS a way to slowdown falling object[ human+plane=parachute on back] fishing string [or whatever you call it!] 1oz weight and huge parachute [the glider was 3'*3'] so i had the parachute about 5'*5' im guessing it will wrap around the tail twice so attach it[parachute] about 1-2' below the weight throw; hopefully it wraps around like some thing in a movie and pull, worked one will work twice just TRY to get it around tha tail [and dont miss cause your wasting some good string xP] well i hope you get it out

clyderik

Hi
If you had a remote helicopter and a good pilot, rig something hanging that would just pull or loosen it but not hook it.
Clyde

turbojimmy

Well we finally got the plane back.

I went up there with 5 10-ft sections of PVC. You can really only put 3 sections together before it gets so wobbly that it's useless. We tried to use the branches on the way up the tree to guide us. After I fell off a tree and nearly impaled my calf with falling PVC pipe, I noticed a guy standing there watching us. He said "got some rope?". I said yes, but it's at home. He asked if it was okay to use what was already hung up in the tree. I said sure. This guy could throw rope like I've never seen anyone throw rope. I said "holy cow - what do you do for a living?". He said "I'm a professional tree climber.". I swear I saw some kind of aura or glow around him when he said that. And he finished with "...and I'm wearing tree-climbing shoes.". And he was.

He tossed the rope with some old 2x4s tied to the end of it a few times and then, like a rocket, he was up an adjacent tree. He had had enough. He was about 25 feet up a tree that I never would have attempted to climb as it seemed too small. I passed a 30-ft. section of PVC pipe to him and he started poking at the plane. On the first poke it shifted enough for some water to run out of it. Second poke dislodged it and the landing gear fell to the ground. Third poke and it fell about 10 feet and lodged on another branch. Fourth poke and it was free, with random branches and brush breaking its fall.

The plane is almost perfectly in tact. I need to make some minor repairs, but it's in great shape. I didn't get the guy's name. I shook his hand and he returned to the crowd where the footbal game was ending. He missed half the game trying to retrieve my plane.

Here is a short vid describing the events of the day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN2IsgEn93I

Jim

webdr

Spacemonkey71

I had this SAME problem on my VIRGIN FLIGHT! "The Tree Goblins" reached up and grabbed hold.... it was 60' up in a pine tree.

It wasn't hard to get down at all. You don't have to blast legumes at it either (although that sounds like a HECK of alot of fun!!!)

We hit home depot and peiced together 60' of 1.5" PVC pipe and a few connecting joints. A short ladder, a helper to hold the ladder, and a little time, and we knocked it down with very little damage to the plane (it got a rip in the mylar on the side, but Tower 60's have THIN mylar anyways - you can poke a hole in it with your finger almost!). If the wing is "rubber band" secured, duct tape a large sharp pocket knife to the end (or box cutter) and slice the rubberbands where they connect (try to avoid poking the wing or the fuselage - it's tricky and a bit wobbly , but it CAN be done! You MIGHT have to reenforce the sides of the PVC with some wooden spars or rebar to keep it from wobbling alot at the base up to about 1/2 way (if you happen to have any around; but then it's really a 2 man job b/c that pole gets HEAVY!)

I know this is a good way to get planes out of trees, because the guys helping me had gotten probably a dozen planes out of those SAME trees over the years!

If you REAllY want to do even less damage also buy ~100' of thin STIFF rope (synthetic plastic "boat rope" works great, just NO FLOPPY NYLON/Fabric ROPE!!!!) and run a "loop" through the end you plan on getting the plane with (this will cost you about another $15-$20 depending on the rope). Drill the PVC near the top and run one side of the rope through it and tie it off. Also, don't forget to put a long screw or wire through the end to keep the rope from slipping back down the tube. (a bent coathanger wire ducted taped in place securely will do the trick. You may be able to "loop" it around part of it, pull the rope on the other end tight and dislodge it that way. If you can "loop" it like this you can maneuver and pull it more and then lower it to the ground alot gentler. (just don't forget to use duct tape LIBERALLY on the joints to keep them from coming loose!) Think of the tool animal handlers use with poisonous snakes and wild dogs and you get the idea (like a "choke stick")

It sounds like you got the problem solved though - this time It's just something you may want to try NEXT TIME (if there is a NEXT TIME [:@] )

franciscan

Hi
I had a plane stuck about 60ft up in a fir wood(small branches at the bottom of each tree getting thicker as you go up). I tried to climb it but no deal due to lack of purchase. ladders were no good. Friend suggested I get hold of a tree surgeon who was up and down in about 5 minutes flat with plane lowered via rope. He went up using climbing equipment just like a rock climber. Much like a rat up a drainpipe.
Very successful for both of us. Ii got my plane and he got a fee and a listing in the club files for any more such events.

turbojimmy

Well, this past weekend that Edge 540T that I fretted over for a week met its demise. It had only been free from that tree for a week.

It seemed down on power, but I continued to fly it as it seemed I was finally getting the hang of it. On an errant loop I got it too close to the ground and the prop dug in. Funny thing about the "Version 2" of this particular Edge is the "unbendable resin prop". The prop was so strong that rather than absorb any of the torque, it transmitted it all to the body of the plane. With the prop stuck in the ground, the nose immediately snapped off at the firewall and continued to twist until I shut it off. I've never seen anything like it. The wires to the receiver were wound together so tight that they actually shorted against each other.

While seemingly barbaric, I ran up and kicked it to make sure that the plane could not torture me anymore. It felt good. I salvaged the electronics and left the rest in the trash.

The next day I took my tried and true Super Cub up to the field and had a great day. Made some videos from the ground and the air, and lodged it in a tree. The great part was that the camera was running when it hit the tree:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXhaEMmlVTM

My Grand National makes a cameo at :28 and I almost lose the Cub at :59 (it was a little gusty).

The good news is that I was able to employ my newly found skills and newly acquired tools to retrieve the Cub. The tail broke off it, but it was weak from several prior repairs. The camera continued to run until it ran out of memory, about another 8 minutes, during which time the plane swayed gently in the breeze. It's too bad there wasn't enough memory to catch the retrieval process - that would've been great. Next time I'll put the 2GB card in it!

Jim

masonman

I parked a H927% Extra 260 50 feet up a pecan. Was makeing a low power slow pass over the field into the wind when the the engine had an episode, I guned it an pointed it up an turned out headed down wind, when it died......... I tryed holding it up off the trees, looked like it was doing 40 mph ground speed, only about 15 of thats airspeed. so i held it off as long as i could an finally the elevator stoped working...............Then the crash. Sounded like when you hit that 3 year old brush pill with the bush hog. There were three of us out there that day an we all looked fot the confeti to fall............There was none...After makeing our way to the seen, We found the plane hanging upside down resting on a wing an the oppisite stab, A few holes poked in the ultra coat but that was it...So we thought. Turns out the spark plug that was ripped out(with the threads from the head) an the new $150 J-Tec pitts muffler took all the impact. The tree was to tall to climb, So my extra spent its first night away from home. The next day I called three tree services, an the lowest price I could get was $375 to remove it in three days. Rain was in the forcast for that night.... Thank the lord one of my flying buddys new a guy who new a guy with the electric company. So they brought out the biggest bucket truck I have ever seen, Two guys went up in it to get the extra,They plucked it from the tree, placeing it nose down in the bucket resting on the leading edge of the wings. Down they come with a model that looks like it could fly agin in a matter of hours, then the crash. The guy slams the bucket down on the rest it sits on ,on the back of the truck. Both wings were busted, both sides of the fus were caved in, broke the wing tube an the sleeve it slides into..........Sucked. messed my whole week up......

Iflyglow

My Feedback: (79)

I have seen it done with a 12 ga (no joke), and with a Poulan "Wild Thing". The Chain saw did not make to many people in the club happy, but he recieved his engine and radio back.

turbojimmy

I sort of wish I had shot potatos at it. I spent like $40 on a portable air tank. I demolished the plane week later anyway. I've since built a fiberglass and balsa Lancair that hopefully will not meet the same fate.

The good news is that through exhaustive testing, I can get at least a dozen 40-60 PSI shots of the 'tater gun off with the portable air tank. Until now I've been tethered to my 240V air compressor. The possibilities are now endless.

Jim

skyraider71

A few years ago I got a Tiger 60 stuck in a tree about 60 feet up. I went to Lowes and got five sections
of 10' 3'' pvc with the bell ends. When I put the sections together, they got heavy and very flexy. I got
some help, and was able to brace the pipe in the crotch of another tree. It didn't quite reach, so I duct-
tapped my telescoping pool cleaning pole to the pipe. I knocked the plane down, but was unable to
catch it. At least I got my new .60 engine and radio back. Hope this helps.

deothoric

Since I know you're all dying to know, my CAP232 is now down. There was a wild storm in VA and Saturday I found it down to about 10 feet altitude. Eveerything is soaking but with clean water and a little patience I resurrected the radio Sunday and all seems well. Even Preston the bulldog pilot is in working order. Patience is a virtue