justrfb

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OK All,
I finally get to post here in the "Crash" forum (unfortunately)... The weather has been real cruddy lately here in Jersey (and other places I am sure), and with cruddy weather comes wind. Now, before you guys start saying "Aaaa, the wind is going to be this guys excuse, next we are going to hear about the "glitches" too...", I started flying RC in 1987 and never achieved more than self assessed, mediocre pilot status (I love to build and I have been told that I build "MUCH better" than I fly. I can never figure out what they mean by that... :stupid: ). I flew until about 1992'ish when our first daughter arrived. This put my flying on hold for some years. BTW, I define Mediocre as take off, fly the pattern left or right, loop, roll, stall turn, split "S"... land left or right (maybe a bounce or two on the landing) and 99% of the time, going home with a plane that can fly again. Well, our 3 children are not infants anymore so about 2 years ago or so, I took the Super Hots that has been 99% done since about 1988 and finished it. It looked nice... I had Vinnie (the guy who taught me how to fly) maiden it for me and I flew it last year and this year (maybe about 15 flights) right up until last night. I went up for my first flight and the Hots was getting tossed around... I landed, fueled up, and got ready to go again. I was taught to not be afraid of the wind... Well, I take off for my 2'nd flight (Seth was already up with his Cap 232) and after I go up, Paul took off with his Ultra Stick 60. We are flying around, well getting tossed around and Seth brings his in. I didn't see his landing but he still had his plane. I should've mentioned that our field sees a cross wind most all of the time, the severity of the wind is the variable... Anyway, I am really getting thrown around the sky (to the point of doing some "Harriers" trying to climb out in the cross, head wind ) so I try to come in for the landing and I was high and fast plus getting bounced around pretty good. I added power and went around... long approach this time trying to keep the power on some, crabbing in the cross wind element and trying to keep wings level. Well, before I could say "RCUniverse", PPPOOOWWWWW!!! My beloved Super Hots exploded in a menagerie of balsa splinters. It looked like the "wind god" grabbed my plane and threw it into the ground angrily, as if to say, "you should have not gone up Rich because you are not an accomplished pilot". I guess my piloting skills are not quite like the "good guys" yet. I couldn't handle all those variables at once and keep the power on and the wings level and land the plane. I try to tell myself that "if you are not that good yet, then you have to fly more, and if you fly when you are not that good, than you will crash". I just hope I get better soon so I can go fly, have fun and enjoy the plane. By the way, after I and some of my field mates collected all the pieces, all you heard was... "TSsss, TSSSsssssss, Tssssss... wipe, wipe..." Everyone was cleaning their planes for the evening.

DBCherry

My Feedback: (4)

Good story about a bad crash.

From what I read, I'd say you're a better pilot than most of the people who boast about their skills. The ones who can really fly don't need to talk about it.
Dennis-

justrfb

My Feedback: (2)

Thank you DBCherry,
I appreciate your kind words. I am dealing with the typical "RC post crash feelings" right now, a few days after the crash of just saying, "forget it and sell out of the hobby". I "post holed" a beautiful CG Super Chipmunk (see my avatar) decked out as Blue Angle No. 5 a few years back and it took a while for me to get back in the air. I almost gave up then too. I put ALOT of work into that plane and it went in on a dumb thumb, panic move from the pilot (me :stupid: )! It takes sooo long for me to finish a plane because I just go slow and don't move on until the step I am on is perfect. For instance, I have been hinging my control surfaces on my TF P51B for 3 weeks now (granted, I don't get too much time in the shop but...) and I am still on the first one. After soo much time, when they go in (I know, I know, they all go in sooner or later) it really hurts. So, what is the point? I don't know, I am just going round and round with my feelings and emotions. Sell out, get an ARF, sell out, just keep going...

egor

Good Story

SORRY BOUT YOUR CRASH

I've got two lt 40s that between them have been rekitted (9) times count'em (9) times. Stuff happens I've seen guys that have flown for years, guys that are sponsered and have big planes and do the show route,and stuff still happens. I build my own planes and I'm picky about things also perhaps not as much as I could be. but when I'm building new I want it to look as good or better than the picture on the box. I also know that one day it will be a pile of scrap or rebuilt. Just sumpthin to think about this hobby is kind of like your kids.. Sometimes a real bummer, sometimes the greatest thing YOU ever built. and always expensive when your not ready for it. You wouldn't give up on yer kids cause sumpthin didn't go the way you wanted it to on a bad day the hobby ain't no different..

I've got the lt-40s the cub the fuse from a tower hobbies trainer being modified to accept the leftover wing from a cg tiger II They fly or will till the pieces aren't big enough to glue back together, when that happens get out the plans the balsa the lite ply and start over. You can handle the challenge.

Happy flying
egor

stuffer

My Feedback: (11)

yeah they don't call me "stuffer" for nothing! At last years pattern meet an accomplished flier "flat stuffed" his multi hundred dollar composite aircraft during competition. Felt bad for him but had to chuckle inside because it just makes me feel that much better when I think about all my stuffs!