Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

Well after flying solo all day long, I finally got ahead of myself and got it in a tree, at the VERY top. It hit hard and in fact, the firewall broke and i have my engine. But the reciever, battery, and servos are still in the plane...


We have tried buying PVC pipe and extending it up the tree but that dind't work, it was too flimsy even with 2 inch pipe.


It must be about 60 FT up in the tree.

Somoene said call the fire department and see if they would get it.... anyone got experience in this? Climbing the tree is impossible as there are VERY few branches until you get about 1/2 up the tree.

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

throw something at it. If the front is smashed, you might as well complete the job.

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

Ha Ha but I dont think it would work, its very high up so aim would have to be pretty damn good... Yeah the plane is demolished but I want to get it down for the servos and stuff...

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

I have seen guys at our field use cheap archery sets to shoot small nylon rope over the top of the plane to snag it or shake the limbs. they use deer stand climbing pegs that screw into the trees.....if all else fails.....the "chainsaw" as a last resort.

Hope you get it down with minimal damage.

Rod ;)

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

Any way to get a rope up there? I've heard of people using bow and arrow to deliver the rope...

Good luck!

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

Living in Western Oregon trees are everywhere. The last one we had up a tree at our field could not be reached by a 115' bucket. If it's only about 60' high I'd suggest a fishing rod. Just cast a line over it and pull up a bigger line if necessary. This will most likely break up the plane but you should be able to get it down. If you want to get it down in good condition look in the yellow pages for someone who climbs trees for a living, branches are not necessary to get up the tree. Good luck.

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

try a pool pole, one of those telescopic ones and put a pool net on it.

dave timmer

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

the fishing pole works well some heavy test line and a 2oz weight to chuck it up there or as someone sugjested call a tree service those guys are pretty good at getting up trees

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

Stihl. McCullough, Poulan, Echo to mane a few.

Bill, AMA 4720
WACO Brotherhood #1

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

Train a cat to climb the tree and fly the plane down by steering the servo rods...

JK, but i would prolly suggest just calling a tree trimming service or something...they have gotten stuff out of trees for me before.

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

how high in the tree

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

Fly another R/C plane overhead and drop one of those R/C parachutists down to it? With a rope?
Sorry for the humor!

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

Has anyone thought that the cost of the tree service would exceed the value of the recovered plane parts?:D
Make a few tries with a fishing pole or rope and then write off the loss until it blows out on it's own. Of course the stuff will be junk by then.[:@]
Be practical about this, and don't kill yourself over this plane, it's a toy. Now if it were a 33% Ultimate or something like that, that might be another matter.

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

I don't know what a tree service costs in GA. but in Oregon the cost is generally much less than the recovered parts. I'm sure someone there can give you an estimate. Again a fishing rod should do the trick. After all it's not really too high up.

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

Mmmm,

If it rains in the meantime, just leave it there. Usually the servos will work and the RX will likely 'work' just fine, but I wouldn't risk a new plane on old crashed equipment if it had gotten really wet.

I am assuming it's a trainer with 4 cheap servos, a 4-6 channel FM receiver and like a 700 MaH pack....like $130 worth of stuff.

Also, a thin rope with a weight on one end is perhaps the best way to get to the branches supporting the plane. Once the thin rope is in place, get the weighted end to come back down . Then you can pull larger ropes up or tie sticks to the rope and pull them through to try and dislodge the plane.

There is always the chainsaw option...it is perhaps the most fun and in a year you will have firewood. Use the plane for kindling.

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

Added advantage: You'll never hit "THAT" tree again. Be sure to get permission of property owner first.

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

Learn to fly a helicopter...

Once you have mastered that, put a hook on it and use the heli to get your plane.

On second thought, don't, it'll just get hung up and crach into the same tree.:eek::D

Damn those plane eating trees!

This happened to me last year. My brother and I pummeled it with baseballs until it came out of the tree.

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

Try a shotgun. My son stranded his Air Hog aero ace in a pine tree yesturday in the front yard about 40 feet up. A blast with #8 shot and a full choke 12 Ga cut the limb and set the plane free.

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

I'll second the shotgun! I somehow managed to securely lodge the tail section of a Balsa USA Stick 40 into the fork of a tree 50 or 60 feet up. No amount of rope tossing or rock throwing was going to budge that sucker. A few well placed shots (as well as a few not-so-well placed shots) later, the bird was back in my hands. The tail, of course, was obliterated, but all the gear was recovered safe and sound. :)

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

I feel your pain man. I got a plane stuck high up in a tree this past summer at one of our local parks in the city. It sucked! I spent four of five days trying to get it out; PVC pipes- way to flexy; steel pipes- try lifing a 50ft steel pipe over your head for any length of time! I actually got three baseballs and a football stuck in the tree trying to get the damn plane down. Finally I gave up and started calling tree services. Luckily one of my wifes friends (ex-boyfriend [:@]) is a tree trimmer and was more then willing to climb the tree and get it out. It was up about 65 feet or so. Took him all of about 10 minutes with a rope and harness. I bet you could get a tree trimmer guy to do it for $50.

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

Truthfully, if you have any friends who deer hunt, ask them if they have a climbing stand. My friend can climb up any tree with his climbing stand, and once you get to some branches, you might be able to climb up enough, or be close enough to knock it down with something or another.

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

I got one for ya'll. Find a guy in a cable bucket truck and offer him $ 25 to get it out. It will be done!! LOL



LATER

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

12 gauge shotgun ?

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

It's nice to work for a local utility company and drive a bucket truck home every night! It has come in handy a couple of times. Being from Ga. you probably have some trucks running around there with Southern Company on the side of it.:D

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

i had a buddy land one perfectly in the top of a tree, he did such a good job. we used a 28 foot ext. ladder, climbed an additional 20 feet or so, then used two gopher poles (extension poles for pulling wire, we are phone guys) which gave us an extra 40 feet or so, and we could barely reach the plane. we did get it down, but we had to tear it up pretty bad in the process. oh, the two poles were taped together with duct tape. but i promise you, that was the greatest, smoothest landing into the top of tree that i have ever seen, i swear he meant to do it. oh, he was able to repair it, and get out with it again. it was a tower hobbies mk2 40. i would rate the landing a 10 out of 10, the top of the tree barely moved. GOOD LUCK

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

Oh this landing was 10 out of 10 too, perfectly level, almost like you put it up there by hand...

What happened is that I was doing a loop and at the bottom of the loop, well, the tree appeared.




I GOT MY PLANE DOWN YESTERDAY!


The local phone company had a guy out by my house working on some DSL stuff and he saw me trying to get it out of the tree. He gladly stopped, put on his pole climbers and went straight up the tree and shook it loose!


7CH reciever, Battery Pack, and servos were all in good shape! I did lose one servo though, no telling where it landed.

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

I've noticed that about loops. Most of the trouble happens at the bottom. :D I've never crashed at the top of a loop, not even once. [sm=bananahead.gif]

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

Here's a tip for the next time.Take a spool of 50#test mono fishing line and tie it to a large metal nut.With a slingshot shoot the nut with string attached over the limb the planes is on or in.Let the nut drop out and now you can get a hold of both ends of the string and shake your plane out.Take a pocket full of nuts with you for missed or snagged shots.;)I have gotten a couple down with this method where there wasn't room to sling a fishing pole.

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

Here's another tip for next time> Tie a 50ft length of 20# test monofilament line to the tail of your plane, leave it there when you fly. If you land on another tree, the line will be dangling there for you to pull it down.....:D:D

Seriously though...glad you got your plane back <S>

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

Glad you got it down without great difficulty. For next time consider this:
At my club we've done the string on a rock approach with limited success (we have really tall trees here in middle GA)
We've also cut down trees on a number of occasions and usually we've not incurred much damage to the airframe.
I've seen the shotgun approach with success, but I have a hard time shooting my own planes.
The best approach I've found -assuming you are far enough away from populated areas to be safe, and requiring some amount of marksmanship- I've used a .22 rifle with a scope to "trim" away branches supporting the plane. If you try this, remember that a .22 round can travel over a mile, so this approach is only viable if you are out in the middle of nowhere as is our club.

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

We here in the midwest carry chainsaws in our flightbox, wonder why?

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

For anyone seeking a proffesional plane retriever from tree check out

http://www.isa-arbor.com/findArborist/findarborist.aspx

A professional arborist can rope into and climb any size tree and get your plane down safely, probably actually lower it down on a line, with a minimum amount of damage.

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

There should be an abundance of stupid kids around that needs $20 to climb up and get it for you. Or just crash a nicer plane in their and you'll forget all about the first one[sm=bananahead.gif]

Reminds me of that joke about the guy who accidently dropped a $5 bill in the toilet. He wasn't about to stick his hand in their for $5, so he pulled a $50 bill and threw it in along with it.[sm=lol.gif]

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

How about this take 50 feet of fishing line andd tie it to the back of your plane (before taek off) done! once its in a tree just pull on the line ;)

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

He'd be a guy to get into a club

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

As I complete my plane I notice that these huge trees seem to pop out of my land overnight! I found that My john deere tractor with a loader and backhoe makes it easyer to push them over than cutting it down!!!

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

Just landed in a 65 foot pine tree on someone else's property above the power line. Made a beautiful upside down landing. It's still there. I contacted the power company and they think they can get it down tomorrow. No rain or wind in the forcast. Now that I've had time to think about it, if I could get a line over the limbs supporting the plane with an archery set or fishing pole, a line saw could be pulled up there to saw the limbs off.

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

Find a logger to help you. Instead of climbing the tree use his cutter to drop the tree and shake your plane free.

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

Call the fire dept and say you think there is a cat stuck in a tree looking at an airplane.

RE: Plane in tree, suggestions on how to get down?
 

WHY do people keep landing in trees? Honestly, can you say it snuck up on you?:D