Only problem, I was 50 feet from my transmitter at time of lift-off.

I had waited over two months for lower winds and warmer temp to match my days off for it's maiden flight -- 65 deg's and wind gusts 15 to 20 mph -- just about perfect. I did some final engine idle and cut-off tweaking with the Lady on one of our clubs safety start-up stands. Once ready to go and radio off, I went over to talk with a friend and re-carbonize waiting to see if the wind might lay down a tad. Just the opposite. All of a sudden, a micro burst or whatever brought in gusts 40 to 50 mph and before I could get there and put the plane on the ground, it rose 4 or 5 foot off the stand hitting the ground doing a cartwheel. My new plane broke loose the horiz stab and split the wing holdown plate, pulling out the blind nuts. I thought that weak lite ply plate needed to be replaced anyway.
WARNING --- that plane is too light. Never had this problem with my 20 pounders.

[X(][X(]

Bummer!!!!!! Sorry to hear about that. Next time take a log chain and anchor the plane down when flying in that wind!
I got about a 2 minute exciting flight yesterday in the same wind with my little Pocket Combat Wing. Wind gusts
and swirls around the house flipped it around pretty good and I ended up in a bush. No damage. Gotta love that EPP foam. I gave up pretty quick though. This wind has gotta slow down sometime!!!!

Sorry to hear about your mishap. I too had similar experience with a Hobbistar 60. I was cleaning it at the end of the flying day with it sitting on the bench. I got distracted for a few second to hand to a flying buddy a screwdriver or something. It wasn't a particularly windy day, but wouldn't you know it, a freak gust of wind kicked up in that moment I was away from my plane - and off the bench it went.

Now I NEVER leave a plane unattended unless it's sitting on the ground.

Sounds like about the same amount of damage. My fuselage did a backflip out of my pickup, knocking my firewall loose, busting up my high speed needle valve on my Saito 120 and the horizontal stabilizer.

I first started flying control line and we never used a bench. When I went to RC twenty years we were still starting the planes on the ground. The club I belong to now has benches but I don't use them. I just know that if something falls off the bench it's either lost or broken. I like to keep my planes on the ground untill it's time to fly.