ScottMcM

My Feedback: (66)

I went flying yesterday morning. Took the Ultra Sport and the GP Decathlon (got a K&B 61 with a perry pump and a pipe built in to the fuse.Not real pretty, but boy is it fast) The steering linkage came loose on the Ultra Sport after the first flight...no problem, I put it away and brought out the Decathlon. Deadsticked on the second flight. Came in hot and rolled out into the tall grass at the end of the runway. Flippped over and broke the top of the rudder. I loaded up and went home. Came back yesterday evening with the GP Extra 300, Twinstar, and the Hobbyzone Super Cub (got a "newbie interested, so I thought I'd let him try it) . Theengine quiton the third flight,as I was doing a high speed fly by. My optionswere limited, sinceI didn't have much altitude, so I quickly brought it around to land. This landing was a tad hot, too, and again, it rolled out in the same tall grass.Yanked the gear right out from under it. Decided to let the new guy try the Cub. First flight was uneventful. He did pretty well. I took the sticks and landed it, put in a new battery, and took to the air again. About two minutes after I gave him the sticks, I noticed that the motor was slowing down quickly, so I took the controls.....I had nothing! The battery had died completely (I charged it fully just before we went to the field), and the plane went in. Luckily, there was no damage. I looked over at the Twinstar......and decided not to fly it. 3 planes was enough to repair...didn't want to make it 4. I had moreproblems yesterday than I've had in the last 6 months combined. All the planes are now repaired, and ready to fly again. The damage was light on all of them.....still, I think I'll stay home and fly the sim today

Lnewqban

As amazing as sad story to read.

It may be close to be a record, three in a row!

Glad the damage was little and they will fly again.

Check your fuel for humidity.

outdoorhunting

Sounds like everything came out OK in the end. Reminds me of the old saying, "some days- chickens somedays just feathers".. You shouldn't have to worry about getting "feathers" for a while !!!!

ScottMcM

My Feedback: (66)

I just hopeit didn't scare the new guy out of the hobbyI guess he'll be back...All three of the planes that were damaged were part of an estate that I acquired, and have been in storage for at least 5 years. I'm really not too surprised to have a few bugs that need working out. It's just strange that it all happened in one day. I've flown all these planes on several different occasions without the slightest problem. May I've got a "ghost in the machine"

gboulton

My Feedback: (15)

Scott,

Just know that someone feels your pain.

Best I can figure, after giving it some serious thought for a bit, I haven't come home with all my airplanes in one piece since October. EVERY trip to the field has cost me something...a repair, a refit, an airplane...something.

It's just one of those things.

Personally, I take an "airplane-ized" view of something Col Potter said in M*A*S*H to Klinger.

In keeping with that theory, I'm putting together a 102" Edge.

ScottMcM

My Feedback: (66)

planebuilder66

My Feedback: (8)

I've been there too, and somedays I tell myself it's better to call it off then risk another, but eventually, you have to get back in the air, the sim only gets you so close to flying, it's kinda like making out with a girl, it was fun, but not quite the full experence you wanted.

lejongleur

My Feedback: (10)

I agree - if I smack more than one plane in a day, I always wonder if it's me - then someone else much more experienced than me tells me a story about something more horrific that happened within the last two days at the same field (often to them.)

I think that most fliers actually spend quite a bit of time altering, repairing, refitting, or rebuilding. The people who hate that stuff usually drop out of the hobby.

ScottMcM

My Feedback: (66)

Funny you should say that. There are only 3 of us that currently fly from our field, but several years ago, I understand that there wereseveral more. They were all taught by one fellow. They called him "coach". Not only did he teach them to fly, he also repairedtheir planes when they crashed. He moved away a couple years ago, and every one of those guys quit flying. One of them called me about9months ago. Said he was going to start flying again. Wanted me to tune his Saito for him. He didn't have the slightest idea how to tune it. Coach had done so much for these guys that they were totally lost without him. He brought it to my house, I tuned it, and as far as I know, he still hasn't flown it. Now, don't get me wrong, I'd rather be flying than building/repairing, but after all, it is part of the hobby.

Avaiojet

I've never had that maney planes, that could fly, atany time.

Charles

foodstick

     Well, don't let it get you down,

A friend and I that have flown for years with little problem,
We once had an entire spring season that seemed like someone had cursed us, it does happen.  Its probably the evening out from many seasons with few crashes.

As for the deadsticks, they will teach you to grease it in or glue it back!

ScottMcM

My Feedback: (66)

I don't normally have problems with the occasionaldeadstick, but this time I was flat out, 10-15 feet off the deck, and about halfway down the runway when the engine quit.(Showingoff for the newbie)I had to get it turned around, and lined back up with the runway...and fast. Problem was I didn't bleed off enough airspeed. Not much room for error....and a "go-round"was out of the question. I was too fast, but if I had tried to circle to bleed off speed, I don't believe I would have made it, and it would have gone down in a much worse area. I don't think I did too badly...considering. Not much time to think about what to do, and I didn't have the luxury of altitude.

Minnreefer

We had a fun fly at our field yesterday, a member of RCU attended and had bad luck,  he totally dumb thumbed a beautiful Ultra sport into the ground at high speed from about 30 feet., then he maidened another ultra, something broke off of that in the air, then that plane went down, then he maidened a hog bipe, ant that went down a little hard.  He  at least did not crash two other new planes that he brought with. 

ScottMcM

My Feedback: (66)

Wow....all of a sudden I'm not feeling so bad. There must be something in the air.....and evidently, it isn't planes

WestCoastFlyer

My Feedback: (1)

True, there's something in the air, and sometimes it's a tree! Two weeks ago I paid a logger $100 to climb a 100 ft fir tree to get one of my airplanes. It was pretty cool watching him climb the tree, and the plane was virtually undamaged.

Flying is risk/reward. If you don't fly, you don't get the reward. I'd rather look at it like how many times I've saved an airplane rather than how many times I've crashed.