flybyjohn

My Feedback: (2)

R.I.P.
Had a great float fly here in Helena this last weekend. Alot of great planes and old and young pilots. Great weather and water. I had my son flying on a Carl Goldberg Falcon 2 and using the buddy box. Well if of all things that could go wrong, the devise designed to help prevent the loss of an airplane was actually the cause of the accident. The trainer button switch on my transmitter got stuck in the down position on my airtronics radio. I did not relize it at first and was wondering after the crash if I forgot to take my finger off the botton to take control, after 100's of times of saving planes, did I actually forget to take my finger off the botton this once? Well after recovery of the totalled airplane, I got my twin seamaster ready for flight and turned on the radio and plane and I had no control. After several on and off switches, I finally decided to push the trainer button and "click" it started working. The trainer button was indeed stuck, and my mind was set a little bit at ease that it ended up being mechanical failure and not pilot error this time. I informed my son, that from now on, he should fly the airplane all the way to the ground even if he has decided to give the control back to me because he just might be able to save it if there is another switch failure.

Well it is time to put another airplane on floats I guess.

goirish

Sorry to hear about the loss.  Funny, what one little switch can cause. I buddy with a DX7 and their switch is the pits.

TEAMERICA

My Feedback: (77)

WOW! How old is that radio?  I guess that is why they all use a spring loaded toggle switches now.  Then, if you get too tense watching the student fly, you just break the lever right off.  But at least you know what happened right away. [:@]
Sorry for your loss.

flybyjohn

My Feedback: (2)

I have a airtronics rd8000 radio. Bought it just after it came out. It has a spring loaded push, on let off, off switch. It only has about 1/32" to 1/16" travel to it. I was quite suprised that it could get stuck. First time it has ever happened. With a toggle switch, you could actually pull it back if the spring gave up, but I could see someone breaking it off in a tense situation.

scale only 4 me

My Feedback: (158)

I had a similar experience with my Son,, my 8u as the master w/super 7 as the buddy box, he was flying and getting too far up wind and I told him to turn, he says "I thought you had it" I let go of the toggle and nothing. My 72mhz instincts kicked in and I held the TX up high and started running toward the plane,, as soon as I unplugged the trainer cord I got it back.. I'd never heard of that happening either..

I retired that radio and the cord and bought a new 10cg and new cord.