RE: ....and there she sits.
I did the exact same thing a few years ago with my trainer. It was sitting on top of an 80 foot tree for 3 weeks. I was in that foreset every morning at sunrise before work, and I returned every evening until sunset after work. It rained once and snowed once during that span. I tried many things mentioned in this thread.
Long ladder... I think we used a 30 foot ladder. Too short. And at 30 feet up, I was too scared to move up!
Sling shot... I shot golf balls with kite string taped to it. I hit the plane a few times but never got the string around it to pull it down. I was able to hook a near-by branch and tried to shake the plane out. Unsuccessful. It just caused the tree to sway back and forth calmly. Other lame attempts were made with spears and javlins.
Long pole... No way to lift a 80 foot pole.
Arrows... I couldn't find anyone with a bow and arrows. The owner of a local archery store laughed at me after I explained my situation.
Shot gun... A few people offered to shoot it down. But at the time, I was unwilling to sacrifice my only Rx and engine.
Arborist... AKA, Tree Pruner. These guys make a living cutting down, pruning, and climbing trees. I found one who's office was not far from our field. I told him the situation and he said he could climb it to get down the plane. I reiterated the fact that it was 80 feet up, and at that height the tree doesn't look like it can support the weight of a grown man. He told me "No problem. All I need is a tree trunk with only a few inches of diameter". He told me he'd get it down next time he has a break in his schedule. The next moring he called me and I drove to his office to pick up the airplane. He charged me $50. His business card is still pinned up on the bulletin board inside the club house.
Josh