Today, I decided to fly my Avistar trainer, hoping to get in the air. So, I arrive at the field all set to go.


We start it up, and it gets airbone for the first time!
I did a nice loop around the field with a perfect landing

Timed Flight 5 mins.

But that is the first flight,


On the second flight, it was the same as the first, this time though the engine died inflight

But, I glied it perfectly for a perfect landing

Then, the third flight

As I was about to get ready to start the plane, my sister, cousin, and mom, arrive at the field, just like we planned.

So I start the plane and begin flying around the field, on one pass by though, my sister threw a tenis ball right at the plane,

CLUNCK!

I steadied her out and decided to land to talk to my sister, so I start bring the bird in.

But, my cousin (2 years old, fatherless sadly ) comes running by me with my sister , I yell at her to get out of the way and jerk the plane left wing down.

Well, the wing hit the ground and did a pulverising nose dive. I scream at my sister ( ) who just starts histaricaly crying.

Well, what a day! Two good flights then totally carnage! Fixable though so that is good.

2nd pic

3rd Pic

And what was mom doing this whole time? Kids who have no supervision nor concept of danger do not belong out at the field!

This could have been significantly more tragic...

I know, my mom was watching the plane.

Wow, you're probably not the one that needs to hear this, but "THESE PLANES ARE NOT TOYS" Reminds me of my student who once allowed his 4 year old to play with his Tx. I took the plane up for the first flight of the day and had to fight it as all the trim controls were way off,,,WAY OFF. I asked him what was up with the plane and that's when he told me his son was using his Tx as a toy. I grilled him as I almost crashed his $400.00 plane and told him,,,,,"do not let your son play with your Tx or next time you fly on your own" This is an expensive hobby and for a plane to go down because some one throws a ball at your plane or plays with one's Tx, is a recipe for disaster or even worse.

I was once flying and these kids begin to "play" on our runway. I ask/tell/demand my spotter to get the kids out of the way. He kindly asked the kids parents to ask them to move as there is an 8lb missile flying over their head. It really scared me. A glitch/deadstick/structural failure/dead battery or anything for that matter can happen to these planes at any time. Next time, just kindly ask your Mom to help keep them at a distance while you're flying. They'll probably be able to see it a bit better from where they're standing anyway.

Good luck,,,be safe and soft landings.

call me a bit paranoid, but safety is the only way to go.

I think that you could get your parents to pay for the damadge since it was their fault for not supervising your sister.

Flyer29er, sorry for your plane but i think you should get an attaboy for doing what you did...after watching a jet rally tape of a guy that tipped stalled his jet tried to recover and it flew in the pits and into a sun shade were it it a lady in the rear...it could of been worse...all that saw the tape said they would have put it in the ground instead of hurting somebody...i think you are very smart in your flying again sorry for your plane. and i hope you fly it soon....spooner

Hey Justgotr,

Do you have a link to that video? I dont want to see it for comdeic purposes but i'd like to use it for it's safety value.

no i dont.it was from a friend and he was not going to reproduce it . that way no one can use it for hurtfull things and also he does not have the writen consent of all involved...

Our club has a rule: No one that doesn't have anything to do with the actual flying of the model is allowed on the flight line. And any spectators are kept behind a chain-link fence about waist-high. You might talk to your club officials about setting up a "spectator area"

Thanks anyway Justgotr.

The feild that I fly at has a fenced in pit area where only people with aircraft are allowed in. But we have two pits. the reason for that is because when the sun comes up our backs are to the east but after 4:00pm we switch pits and use the west pit so the sun is to our back. And i can't understand bringing a 2 year old to a rc field and letting him run around freely. I'm guessing there were no other people flying because if i were there i would of done something! I mean who throws a tennis ball at a plane even when it's flying. I dont care how old they are! If they were my kids they woulda got a spanking! LOL im old fashioned.

Where in ny were you flying? How does it fly with the la?

that is EXACTLY what my plane looked like... at least you got to do the damage and not someone else....

its funny though the part when your sis threw the ball......still am grinning

...well not more than that...it could have turned out real bad.
just make sure that there is someone to control the kids..if not do not take them to the field..simple as that..

your damage looks not too bad and your instinct to nose dive it was a good move...

anyway lets this be a lesson for all...

I would like to make two points here:

First, as previously mentioned, You should have an area that is OFF LIMITS to anyone who is not currently flying/instructing. Let spectators know to stay out of the area (usually behind a safety fence) And if someone does come out there, give them a good strong "Get out of here!". You may hurt their feelings, but you can apologize after you have safely landed.

Second, For all of you newbies who can't wait to get rid of their rubber bands, take a look at the minimal damage that occurred in this crash. If that wing had been bolted on, there would have been SUBSTANTIALLY more.

SO you say your sister hit the plane with a tennis ball first? DUDE, that kid has a future in some sports that includes throwing things. Get her an interview with the little league coach!

Sorry about the rest of it all.

Wow the hit the plane with a tennis ball while flying. She must be pretty good. But that sucks man. And sorry to hear that. Little kids shouldn't be allowed passed a certain point and told not to distract people flying or touch any equipment or planes. Just set up a playstation and a TV and they will stay there all day.

Sounds like kids that will grow up to be hoodlums or retards if you ask me.

If the parents/parent was there and didn't have the brains to figure out an plane flying with a prop swinging on the front of it was a danger to their kids lord help them when the hard stuff comes around.

Poor kids.

I fly at a local baseball field, I live in Westchester and there isnt a club out here, so I fly solo.

When my sister threw the ball, I was coming in for a landing anway.


EDIT: Even before the first flight, a 3 year old group (4 to 5 kids) came over and started to touch EVERYTHING!! I was very paranoied when my father finally came

Well isn't it common sense not to fly in a public area where you know kids who are three years olf play around. Mabye you should try finding a more secluded place to fly.

you can not fly around people like that. even if you are a very experienced pilot. you could kill someone. it was a small price to pay to learn to fly where there are no risks of killing someone.

Our field has the "no spectators beyond this point" but some people choose to ignore this. We had a kid driving his RC car around the pit area the other day before the authority who was there threw him out. It's dangerous stuff. I'm new to this but already I have seen how easy it is for accidents to happen without proper safety. I can remember one day some guy (couldn't speak or read English i guess) flew over the pit area and crashed into a baby stroller parked in between cars in the parking lot after the baby had been removed only one minute earlier. It would have killed him easily as it was swinging a propeller no smaller than 15 inches.

I have been to a couple of fields and stayed away from the pits unless invited by a pilot. They should be clearly marked and if I was flying i would defiantly want people to stay back.

At a funfly, a lot of the guys had thier planes parked under a big tent. Everybody could walk around them and check them out. made me nervious as I didn't want to trip over them.

Didn't help that I had my (then 5 yr old) son with me running all around.

Flyer29,

If thats the only place you have to fly maybe a small lightweight parkflyer would be a better choice for safety reasons