epoxy123

Does anyone know what the protocol is when you are training with an instructor on a buddy box and the student damages or destroys the instructor's plane?

ifixairplanes

My Feedback: (9)

if its the instructors plane then its the instructors fault. the instructor needs to make sure his plane is in top notch condition. also as an instructor, you should be able to tell if the student is getting himself into trouble. You have the switch, you are in control. I have never had a students plane crash when i am instructing. If the student was practicing landings, obviously they wernt ready to be landing and you pushed them a little too far that day. give us more details of what happened. The student should help you repair it though, just out of common courtesy.

sean

epoxy123

Well...first time out flying and on the second flight clipped the left wing on tree on the go- around. Plane was not destoyed but the wing needs to be replaced.

Montague

IMHO, unless someone did something truely stupid or intentionally over the line, it's the ower of the plane who would fix it. Crashes happen, we all do our best to avoid them, but sometimes bad things happen.

In this case, the instructor new the risk being taken with the plane. And if he didn't take control before impact, he probibly thought it would clear the trees as well. (plenty of experienced pilots hit trees too).

zetor

My Feedback: (2)

I don't think it could be the student's fault under any circumstances provided the instructor willingly let the student take the plane up. I know the instructors at my club assume no responsibility at all when they crash a student's plane. They might go help pick the pieces up but that's about the extent of it. I lost one at the hands of an instructor and had my wing broke on a different plane at the hands of the same instructor. All I got was a "sorry bout that". It's not that I think I deserved more but obviously if that's the attitude with a student's plane, how can an instructor's plane be any different? This is the way things work at MY club anyway.

FLYBOY

My Feedback: (11)

If the instructor let you hit a tree, he isn't a very good instructor. He should have never let it happen. Not the students fault. No way no how. The instructor is responcible to make sure nothing happens.

I have only lost one plane on a buddy box but it was a students plane. We got shot down. It destroyed the plane. I scratch built a new one for him in short order. Didn't have to, but felt it was the right thing to do and it made him happy.

Primodus

My Feedback: (56)

I can't believe noone has blamed the tree yet. You know how they jump out and grab the plane out of thin air

Flyin_High

My Feedback: (1)

"That tree wasn't there when I took off!"

epoxy123

Thanks for the feedback guys.
Makes for a very awkward position to be in since it was his plane.

MajorTomski

My club VP believes trees can jump up to 30 feet just to eat airplanes!

MajorTomski

OOPS and

Instructor was in contrrol, sorry he lost his airplane.

That's why I only teach with the student's plane!

FLYBOY

My Feedback: (11)

Crashem

Maybe you could explain in more detail was your instructor "mad" at you for crashing his plane?

If so find a different instructor!!!!!!!!! FAST.........

FHHuber

Didn'thit the tree on purpose did you? That's about the only way the student is responsible for the airplane's safety... when he intentionally does something which is harmful to the arplane.

The student doesn;t have the experience to judge if the model is going to clear the trees. (A lot of experienced guys don't judge it well either.) Probably the instructor thought the plane was going to clear the tree in is redirecting what should be his disappointment in ihis own performance in a way that looks like he's angry with the student. (it happens.) Given a couple of days... he'll proabably realise... if it could have been prevented, it was his job to prevent it. (not the student's... he's trying to learn how to fly level and keep right and left straight when the airplane is commng at him... )

Jim Finn

My Feedback: (2)

My Instructor was flying my plane and hit a power line. We retreived the plane and I fixed it. He was sure embarrassed! I did not mind because I am a prolific builder and I fixed it. After I soloed weeks later I hit the same wire. I looked at him and smiling I said "You tought me!" Everyone there had a good laugh.

epoxy123

It was an error in judgement...depth perception. He was a good sport about it, I just felt bad about cracking up the wing.

canmann

Some clubs make you sign a wavier before training so that if the instructor crashes YOUR plane he is not held liable.
Makes since the the inverse is true.
I may want to offer to pay for repairs as a show of good faith.
Especially if he flys MY plane next time.

hookedonrc

When I learned, it was with my airplane, and we did have an incident on landing which caused the plane to torque roll into the catch fence. We were using my JR662 which has a 'button' for the training switch. Because of the way it was designed, my instructor had to use his thumb to hold it down. This kept him from adjusting the throttle in order to keep it matched with mine. I was landing and pushed left rudder when it should have been right. When he saw this he released the button, but his throttle was almost wide open and mine was at idle. The engine went to full throttle and rolled over into the fence. My take is that flying is not without risk. When he offered to train me, all that I expected was that he do his best. I never felt that there was a guarantee that nothing would go wrong. BTW: He is a great flyer.

00000000000000

Before my first flight with an instructor, just before I asked him if he would help me, I was watching him fly his Flip-3d. He dead sticked it into the weeds just off of the field and lost his landing gear. I got the idea that there was some risk involved real quick! I even asked him "Can I land my own plane? I see how you land them... " - Joe