Kat, there is a time starting right after you solo and depending on your skill, say six months later, that you are going to burn up a lot of planes. The day I soloed, one of our old timers told me, "now you can start to learn to fly". It wasn't but two or three weeks later that I put my first 4* in. Just like you, I got disorenated, and in a panic, I pulled full up elevator. One of the wildest loops you ever saw. It cleared the runway by about 1/4 inch and I actually got it back on a level footing. Then I saw it was going right into the pits and again, Full up elevator and a lot of ailerons at the same time, and this time a full speed half loop. Panic sets in when you are disorentated. Trying to control it and make smooth moves to try to figure your orentation are called for. Inexperience dooesn't allow for that. Sticks to the corners and pick up the pieces. I've done this more times than I like to remember, sure hope I'm done, but I doubt it.

Even the seasoned guys, some of my instructors, have done some really dumb things at times. I watched one coming in for a landing and he was to slow and the plane was wobbling arround badly. He then froze. A couple clicks of throttle and al would have been good. Instead he wobbled it right over the pits and dropped it on the hill side behind our field. I haven't seen a single instructor I flew with that hasn't crashed at least one, and most two or more since I flew with them on the buddy box. It happens.

Now to your delima. Offer to replace his plane. Not buy him a new one, but hand him back a plane that is the same as he lent you. He'll probably tell you no. Then your idea of taking him and wife out for a dinner, you join in and pick up the tab, it would be a good gesture. It all depends on the guy. Anyway. sorry to hear you had another crash.

Don