My first airplane was a yellow pusher with a vee tail.
Firestorm, I think it was called.
On a chilly March afternoon, I head out to a school field in winds to high for a beginner.
I launch it, it flies upwards and makes a nice turn.
Realizing that the wind is carrying it away, I turn it back, but am too afraid to let it crash.
I add more power.
The little high-wing ducks behind the school building, out of sight.

By now, it's landed. i know not where. I look and look. I even ask the AC maintainence people to check out the roof.
Finally, I spot yellow. It's a wing. Hooray!
but wait. It's the same wing , but it has a flame decal.
I specifically remember putting on the spare wingwithout the decal on it.

Someone must have flown the exact same model airplane and crashed it, like I did mine.
Does this particular field have something against little yellow pushers?
All I know is it consumed mine.

Don't feel bad dude. I flew my aerobird off to the horizon when I first started. Hell, it could have flow for miles. Gotta learn somehow a guess. I quickly learned with the Aerobird that if you think it is going to fly away, its much easier to just bring it down, wherever it may be.

Better luck next time.

Wings,

Rule number 1; when you THINK it's going to fly away, it will. Always cut the throttle when in doubt, even if you crash, it's better than a plane that goes ?????????? and is never seen again.

Jetts

A-man, Brotha

I learned the hard way,


Wings,

Wings,
At least you learned, Larry lost at least 3 planes, 'cause he wouldn't cut the throttle. He would just keep tipping his head from one side to the other, trying to figure out which way it was headed until they disapeared.
Sometimes it's better to conceed defeat, and just land where-ever it lands, and go get what's left while you can.
BTW,- Owl, maybe you can use the plane you found with your radio? You said it was the same kind.
Just a thought.

Jetts

Who's Larry?[&:]

Wings,

cmon wings, EVERYONE knows larry, no really jet star who is "larry"? and also, welcome back ![8D]

Thanks, it's really great to be here!......uh, no really....
TRUE STORY;
Larry was this guy I tried to teach to fly for TWO YEARS,...after that time he could fly for approx. 30 seconds before I had to take the plane. He wouldn't listen to a word I, anyone else told him, brought planes to the field with the elevator hooked on by some scotch tape, brought his dog against direct orders, (which I ended up putting a tournaquet on after it was hit by his plane) built a solid plywood delta that had 200 square inches of wing, and weighed 6 lbs. of which 4 lbs. was window irons to "balance it" with an a .15 for power, spent THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS, tried to take off with his radio "in the red" more time than I can count, and finally, after walking through the woods for over two hours to find a plane he lost after I told him not to fly without me there, decided it was THE PLANES and went out and bought, and crashed two heli's!! (a lite machines and a concept 30)
One day he came to the shop and announced- " I didn't take my medicine today, so were are going to stay up and build this sailplane until it's ready to fly, even if I have to kill you to do it." (of course, he thought that was funny, but everyone else left real fast, and we DID get the plane done by 5:30 the next morning- which he promptly turned right back into a kit)
Finally to stop the bloodletting, I told him I was giving up the hobby, and he should sell all of his stuff, and not come to the field anymore. Guess who was there with ANOTHER new ARF the very next weekend?
LARRY!!!![X(]
Last I knew he was filing for bankruptcy, and under the care of a doctor of psychiatry for maladies unbeknownst to me.
I think he finally did give up the sport/hobby.
I only hope he found something a little more his speed, like watching his toenails grow, or making harmless jello sculptures. Truth is stranger than fiction.
So...LARRY, IF YOU ARE OUT THERE, AND YOU READ THIS, AND ARE FLYING ANYTHING BUT A SIMULATOR, DROP THE TRANSMITTER ON THE GROUND AND BACK AWAY SLOWLY.....



Jetts

Jetts,
That HAS to be every instructor's worst nightmare! [:@]

I've been lucky, but know of one guy in our club that just can not learn. He's been at it for close to three years and has never flown a full flight by himself. He's kind of a horse's patootie, and everyone cringes when they see him coming.

Now, I'm the type of guy who tries real hard to get along with everyone, and can honestly say that I haven't known more than one or two people in my life that I really couldn't stand, but he's close to becoming one. He tries real hard to fit in, but I doubt that he ever has, anywhere.
Dennis-