....and there she sits.
12-07-2004, 01:50 AM
#27
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Picton NSW, AUSTRALIA
Posts: 181
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ....and there she sits.
If you are looking for a way to climb the tree then do what the pacific islanders do to climb coconut trees. Get a length of rope about 1.5m long and tie the ends together to get a loop that's about 50cm wide when pulled tight (or wide enough to get your feet either side of the tree trunk). Put your feet in the loop so that they are at each end, keep it tight, hug the tree with your arms and then raise your feet and place them either side of the tree keeping the rope tight. You should then be able to raise your body up and hug the tree higher up, raise your feet and keep repeating till you reach the lower branches. If the tree is very smooth or slippery then try it using shoes with spikes in them like running shoes or football boots, even baseball boots with cleats should work. Don't forget to take a long roll of rope with you to make easier getting back down otherwise you'll have to come down the way you got up.
Cheers
Da Orc
Cheers
Da Orc
12-07-2004, 06:26 AM
#28
My Feedback: (20)
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Lewisville,
NC
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ....and there she sits.
MAN DO I FEEL YOUR PAIN! Earlier in the summer, I lost a plane in to the top of a tree. Adding insult to injury, the tree was about as inaccessible as they come (long story) When my plane finally blew down, about three weeks later, it did exactly what I thought that it would - fell right in to a creek! Believe it or not, the radio was salvagable, all but one servo. That was it though, my once 5lb plane weighed a little closer to 45lbs. It happens man, we just gotta suck it up and go on. You'll fly again.
12-07-2004, 11:22 AM
#29
Senior Member
My Feedback: (2)
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Greenville,
WI
Posts: 882
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ....and there she sits.
I got a way you can climb the tree, but it looks pretty spindly up at the top. I have three screw in steps that are used to get up in a tree stand for deer hunting. You mave want to buy more for saftey reasons, but three works. What I do is screw the three steps in to make a ladder on the tree. Then I stand on the top two, unscrew the bottom one and screw it in above me. Repeat until your at the height you need. Going down is easier because you already have all the holes tapped. Just reverse the process. I would reccomend taking some rope to lower the plane. Its hard enough to screw these steps in with both hands. Here's what I'm talking about:
http://www.cabelas.com/products/Cpod0004907.jsp
http://www.cabelas.com/products/Cpod0004907.jsp
12-07-2004, 11:53 AM
#30
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Reading, PA
Posts: 343
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ....and there she sits.
The Scene: Pre-dawn....the world's still asleep when my alarm goes off. Today's SAR mission is about to start. I stumble across the darkened room, and bleary-eyed, listen to the sound of the rain outside....."OK," I mumble to myself...."just 5 more minutes." Half an hour later, I force myself out of bed for the last time. This mission is important....it must be completed for the good of the hobby! (coffee....I need coffee....)
8am: SAR Team One sets out for the local r/c field....which isn't so local. His rescue equipment consists of two 10 foot lengths of PVC pipe and a coupler to join them. The label reads: "Airplane Retrieval System, Mark One, Mod 0).
8:45am: Arrive at the field, after battling rush hour traffic that could have been avoided if SAR Team One had stayed awake the first time he got up. Don boots for muddy trek to hapless plane. Don insulated coveralls to protect work clothes from inevitable fall on wet leaves and muddy slope. Assemble Airplane Retrieval System. Realize too late that pole is going to be difficult to lift with all this wobbling.
8:50am: Extend assembled Airplane Retrieval System to maximum reach, only to discover it is too short, despite the plane having fallen to a lower set of branches since the initial rescue attempts last Sunday. Curse. Repeatedly.
8:53am: Disgustedly trek through the mud to the car. Disassemble Airplane Retrieval System.
8:55: Deposit Airplane Retrieval System in clubhouse for future use....depart field for work.
9:25am: Arrive at work and begin strategery for Plan C. See below for Plan C. Report to follow.
8am: SAR Team One sets out for the local r/c field....which isn't so local. His rescue equipment consists of two 10 foot lengths of PVC pipe and a coupler to join them. The label reads: "Airplane Retrieval System, Mark One, Mod 0).
8:45am: Arrive at the field, after battling rush hour traffic that could have been avoided if SAR Team One had stayed awake the first time he got up. Don boots for muddy trek to hapless plane. Don insulated coveralls to protect work clothes from inevitable fall on wet leaves and muddy slope. Assemble Airplane Retrieval System. Realize too late that pole is going to be difficult to lift with all this wobbling.
8:50am: Extend assembled Airplane Retrieval System to maximum reach, only to discover it is too short, despite the plane having fallen to a lower set of branches since the initial rescue attempts last Sunday. Curse. Repeatedly.
8:53am: Disgustedly trek through the mud to the car. Disassemble Airplane Retrieval System.
8:55: Deposit Airplane Retrieval System in clubhouse for future use....depart field for work.
9:25am: Arrive at work and begin strategery for Plan C. See below for Plan C. Report to follow.
12-07-2004, 02:17 PM
#31
My Feedback: (32)
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Marana,
AZ
Posts: 2,150
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ....and there she sits.
This is great! 
This story has just about become the highlight of my day!
Lots of good ideas! ok, well some anyway... Didn't someone mention dynamite earlier? I like that idea! [>:]
Unfortunately, I think a LOT of people would have a problem with that one
Good luck Iflyslowplanes! Keep us posted
This story has just about become the highlight of my day! Lots of good ideas! ok, well some anyway... Didn't someone mention dynamite earlier? I like that idea! [>:]
Unfortunately, I think a LOT of people would have a problem with that one
Good luck Iflyslowplanes! Keep us posted
12-07-2004, 02:20 PM
#32
Senior Member
My Feedback: (7)
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Fort Dodge,
IA
Posts: 712
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ....and there she sits.
you could try one of two things.
1) spread the word that the trees are going to be felled to make way for a new highway, when the tree hugging eco-warriers come and make homes in the trees to stop them being felled ask them to pass your plane down.
2) tell the local fire dept that there is a cat stuck up in a tree. and when they go to get the imaginary cat ask them to get the plane
oh i thought of plan 3
3) if fire dept will not go get a cat out of a tree tell them there is an old lady stuck up the tree in a hover round powered wheelchair, man them things can go anywhere on the commercial they had the 2 old lady at the grand canyon.
just make sure it is not an ugly tree that it's in i have a friend that fell out of one and hit every branch on the way down (man he's ugly)
1) spread the word that the trees are going to be felled to make way for a new highway, when the tree hugging eco-warriers come and make homes in the trees to stop them being felled ask them to pass your plane down.
2) tell the local fire dept that there is a cat stuck up in a tree. and when they go to get the imaginary cat ask them to get the plane
oh i thought of plan 3
3) if fire dept will not go get a cat out of a tree tell them there is an old lady stuck up the tree in a hover round powered wheelchair, man them things can go anywhere on the commercial they had the 2 old lady at the grand canyon.
just make sure it is not an ugly tree that it's in i have a friend that fell out of one and hit every branch on the way down (man he's ugly)
12-07-2004, 03:02 PM
#33
Junior Member
My Feedback: (3)
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: WB,
PA
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ....and there she sits.
Where's your field? I'm up in Wilkes Barre so if you need some help, let me know and I'll try to get down there. I put my Funtana up in tree (45 feet) about a month and a half ago and had to shimmy up that thing like a chimp to get it out. I'm 6'3" and come in around 275lbs, so that thing was swaying about 5 feet from center, a little scary. Long story short..I got it down with only a snapped prop and it lived to fly another day...yesterday in fact... when upon landing it caught a little dip in the runway and snapped the frame in half (this plane has been apart more times than brittney spears' knees) Let me know if you need an extra hand.
12-07-2004, 03:30 PM
#34
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Reading, PA
Posts: 343
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ....and there she sits.
Joemang,
Thanks for the offer. It's much appreciated! Our field is down near Hamburg, PA, so it's a little far for you, but the thought is gratefully acknowledged. I really think these tree steps are going to be the answer. For like $20 I can get a bunch and maybe get high enough to poke at it more effectively...for $40 I can reach it and lower it by rope.
cwrr5,
I just figure, what's the point in whining about a bad situation. Might as well give my kindred spirits here on RCU something to laugh about. It's all part of the healing process, right?
Thanks for the offer. It's much appreciated! Our field is down near Hamburg, PA, so it's a little far for you, but the thought is gratefully acknowledged. I really think these tree steps are going to be the answer. For like $20 I can get a bunch and maybe get high enough to poke at it more effectively...for $40 I can reach it and lower it by rope.
cwrr5,
I just figure, what's the point in whining about a bad situation. Might as well give my kindred spirits here on RCU something to laugh about. It's all part of the healing process, right?
12-07-2004, 05:04 PM
#36
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Sterling , CO
Posts: 6,059
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ....and there she sits.
A lot of people still think it is a joke with a Leaf Blower but it works if you can get close under the plane! Blow it straight up or the way it went in. Pulling down will only get it stuck tighter[:@]
[8D]
[8D]
12-07-2004, 05:48 PM
#37
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Cameron,
WI
Posts: 281
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ....and there she sits.
I perched my plane in a tree top last winter, 4 days before Christmas. It sat there looking like it was still flying, only a couple of branches were holding both sides of the wing. Looked really nice, except I was trying to land on the driveway. Anyways, it was 10 minutes before sundown and getting cold. I had some twine that I made a loop on the end of it. I climbed as close as I could without worrying about the strength of the tree, and was ten feet out of reach. Out of desperation, I just starteded shaking the tree as much as I could. The plane came loose and caught on another branch about five feet away. Shoke again, and was within reach. Looped the tail with the twine and lowered it to the ground. The wing was scraped, too much damage. The fuse only suffered a few holes in the monokote.
Since then I have been more cautious about my depth perception. Those trees like to move up on you in a hurry.
Since then I have been more cautious about my depth perception. Those trees like to move up on you in a hurry.
12-07-2004, 09:59 PM
#38
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: abcde,
Posts: 175
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ....and there she sits.
ROFLMAO!!
This is good stuff.
I got an EStarter stuck in a tree just like yours once. Believe you me, I've been in your shoes.
I eventually alked away from it, not willing to risk a hospital bill and PVC pipe costs for a 200 dollar airplane in a tree.
I think you ough to write this little episode up and send to a RC magazine.
Maybe the fee you''l receive will cover some of your losses.
BYW, break a leg, as the saying goes in the Show Biz.
This is good stuff.
I got an EStarter stuck in a tree just like yours once. Believe you me, I've been in your shoes.
I eventually alked away from it, not willing to risk a hospital bill and PVC pipe costs for a 200 dollar airplane in a tree.
I think you ough to write this little episode up and send to a RC magazine.
Maybe the fee you''l receive will cover some of your losses.
BYW, break a leg, as the saying goes in the Show Biz.
ORIGINAL: IFlySlowPlanes
The Scene: Pre-dawn....the world's still asleep when my alarm goes off. Today's SAR mission is about to start. I stumble across the darkened room, and bleary-eyed, listen to the sound of the rain outside....."OK," I mumble to myself...."just 5 more minutes." Half an hour later, I force myself out of bed for the last time. This mission is important....it must be completed for the good of the hobby! (coffee....I need coffee....)
8am: SAR Team One sets out for the local r/c field....which isn't so local. His rescue equipment consists of two 10 foot lengths of PVC pipe and a coupler to join them. The label reads: "Airplane Retieval System, Mark One, Mod 0).
8:45am: Arrive at the field, after battling rush hour traffic that could have been avoided if SAR Team One had stayed awake the first time he got up. Don boots for muddy trek to hapless plane. Don insulated coveralls to protect work clothes from inevitable fall on wet leaves and muddy slope. Assemble Airplane Retieval System. Realize too late that pole is going to be difficult to lift with all this wobbling.
8:50am: Extend assembled Airplane Retrieval System to maximum reach, only to discover it is too short, despite the plane having fallen to a lower set of branches since the initial rescue attempts last Sunday. Curse. Repeatedly.
8:53am: Disgustedly trek through the mud to the car. Disassemble Airplane Retrieval System.
8:55: Deposit Airplane Retrieval System in clubhouse for future use....depart field for work.
9:25am: Arrive at work and begin strategery for Plan C. See below for Plan C. Report to follow.
The Scene: Pre-dawn....the world's still asleep when my alarm goes off. Today's SAR mission is about to start. I stumble across the darkened room, and bleary-eyed, listen to the sound of the rain outside....."OK," I mumble to myself...."just 5 more minutes." Half an hour later, I force myself out of bed for the last time. This mission is important....it must be completed for the good of the hobby! (coffee....I need coffee....)
8am: SAR Team One sets out for the local r/c field....which isn't so local. His rescue equipment consists of two 10 foot lengths of PVC pipe and a coupler to join them. The label reads: "Airplane Retieval System, Mark One, Mod 0).
8:45am: Arrive at the field, after battling rush hour traffic that could have been avoided if SAR Team One had stayed awake the first time he got up. Don boots for muddy trek to hapless plane. Don insulated coveralls to protect work clothes from inevitable fall on wet leaves and muddy slope. Assemble Airplane Retieval System. Realize too late that pole is going to be difficult to lift with all this wobbling.
8:50am: Extend assembled Airplane Retrieval System to maximum reach, only to discover it is too short, despite the plane having fallen to a lower set of branches since the initial rescue attempts last Sunday. Curse. Repeatedly.
8:53am: Disgustedly trek through the mud to the car. Disassemble Airplane Retrieval System.
8:55: Deposit Airplane Retrieval System in clubhouse for future use....depart field for work.
9:25am: Arrive at work and begin strategery for Plan C. See below for Plan C. Report to follow.
12-08-2004, 07:21 AM
#40
Senior Member
RE: ....and there she sits.
Airplane Retrieval System … only to discover it is too short
How about some pictures of a long and light ‘Airplane Retrieval System.’ Waiting on the wind to blow it down is painful. Most of us cannot climb very well.
12-08-2004, 11:48 AM
#41
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Reading, PA
Posts: 343
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ....and there she sits.
BasinBum:
Spoken like a man who never slid down a steep, muddy hill populated with trees whose lowest branches are too high for any ladder you could easily bring to the middle of nowhere, and whose leaves are soaking wet and therefore adding to the slipperyness of the aforementioned slope. We don't do desert on the east coast dude. Aside from the logistical difficulties involved in transporting a tall enough ladder in an Audi sedan, there's the practical matter of finding a way to stabilize that ladder in the mud and leaves on a 45 degree slope. Your input, however judgemental it may have sounded, is appreciated. :-)
edit: BB, I wasn't trying to sound snide in my response...but looking back at it, I could see how you might think so. Apologies!
I'm stealing a page from local hunters who use screw-in steps as shown in my previous post. I'll bring a rope with me to lower the plane to the ground, and I'll remove the steps afterward for use by the club for any future incidents of this kind. That's the plan anyway....
Spoken like a man who never slid down a steep, muddy hill populated with trees whose lowest branches are too high for any ladder you could easily bring to the middle of nowhere, and whose leaves are soaking wet and therefore adding to the slipperyness of the aforementioned slope. We don't do desert on the east coast dude. Aside from the logistical difficulties involved in transporting a tall enough ladder in an Audi sedan, there's the practical matter of finding a way to stabilize that ladder in the mud and leaves on a 45 degree slope. Your input, however judgemental it may have sounded, is appreciated. :-)
edit: BB, I wasn't trying to sound snide in my response...but looking back at it, I could see how you might think so. Apologies!
I'm stealing a page from local hunters who use screw-in steps as shown in my previous post. I'll bring a rope with me to lower the plane to the ground, and I'll remove the steps afterward for use by the club for any future incidents of this kind. That's the plan anyway....
12-08-2004, 09:44 PM
#42
Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: ofallon,
MO
Posts: 98
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ....and there she sits.
OK I have to weigh in here.Get a ladder that will reach to the lowest branch and climb to the plane to release it.Take some rope with you with a long pole tied to it on the ground,in case you can't get high enough due to the branchs getting to small.I've retrieved two planes this way so far.Once I had to park my motor home under the tree to reach the lowest branch.Bythe way your not much older than me soooo if I can do it so can you.If that doesn't work find some over eager overly brave boy and pay him to climb that tree,then tell him he's a baby if he won't do it.All boys are part monkey right?
12-08-2004, 11:13 PM
#43
Member
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Orlando,
FL,
Posts: 84
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ....and there she sits.
Apparently you guys don't climb trees much... go to hardware store. Get a hammer and a bunch of the biggest STEEL nails you can find.. 24D or better.. tie the hammer to a string and hang it from your belt.. use the nails as handholds and footholds and go get your plane.. a climbing belt helps, so you can use both hands to drive the nails. Good luck.
12-08-2004, 11:36 PM
#44
My Feedback: (1)
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Caldwell,
ID
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ....and there she sits.
You can't give up now. This has turned to a crusade. I think the PVC thing is the best bet. Just get the length right and keep trying. Threading it through the tree branches should give you the support and stability you need. Work from the opposite side of the tree then the flight path. Might make pushing it out easier. If that does not pan out, try hooking up with a tree trimming company with a boom bucket. Then call your local T.V. station. Funny stories are good for the afternoon news, the tree company gets free advertising for doing a good deed and you get your plane.
12-09-2004, 05:48 PM
#46
Senior Member
My Feedback: (9)
RE: ....and there she sits.
Get this...
I am teaching a student to fly his plane. He is getting pretty good but needs to work on getting the plane where he wants it for approaches and landings. Anyways, last weekend, we were flying. He is practicing approaches and I say, watch out for the tree, the trees! HEY!! THE TREES! all of a sudden he flew through the top few branches, breaking a few off has he went. The plane omes through the otherside, engine running, still flying. I yelled keep flying keep flying! I didnt want him to think the plane was dead. I got the transmitter back from him and landed safely. There was no damage to the plane. It was a pretty amazing site. He said he thought he was further ahead of the trees and next time he will take my advice when i tell him he's heading into the trees.
Sean
I am teaching a student to fly his plane. He is getting pretty good but needs to work on getting the plane where he wants it for approaches and landings. Anyways, last weekend, we were flying. He is practicing approaches and I say, watch out for the tree, the trees! HEY!! THE TREES! all of a sudden he flew through the top few branches, breaking a few off has he went. The plane omes through the otherside, engine running, still flying. I yelled keep flying keep flying! I didnt want him to think the plane was dead. I got the transmitter back from him and landed safely. There was no damage to the plane. It was a pretty amazing site. He said he thought he was further ahead of the trees and next time he will take my advice when i tell him he's heading into the trees.
Sean
12-09-2004, 07:43 PM
#47
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: FORT WORTH,
TX
Posts: 1,386
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ....and there she sits.
ORIGINAL: crazystix
Apparently you guys don't climb trees much... go to hardware store. Get a hammer and a bunch of the biggest STEEL nails you can find.. 24D or better.. tie the hammer to a string and hang it from your belt.. use the nails as handholds and footholds and go get your plane.. a climbing belt helps, so you can use both hands to drive the nails. Good luck.
Apparently you guys don't climb trees much... go to hardware store. Get a hammer and a bunch of the biggest STEEL nails you can find.. 24D or better.. tie the hammer to a string and hang it from your belt.. use the nails as handholds and footholds and go get your plane.. a climbing belt helps, so you can use both hands to drive the nails. Good luck.
12-09-2004, 08:46 PM
#48
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Reading, PA
Posts: 343
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ....and there she sits.
I got a better idea. Went to the local sporting goods store where they sell all kinds of hunting equipment. There I found a ladder that breaks down into 4 ft sections (16 feet total, and additional sections available if needed). On sale for $30. It's supposed to hold up to 300#, and I only weigh like 195 fully clothed (you don't want to imagine me any other way, believe me). So tomorrow morning, at Oh dark hundred, SAR Team One sets out again on its quest for the marooned plane. This ladder straps to the tree trunk so it should be steady, and long enough to get me to the first branch, with the added benefit that it's very transportable and won't kill the tree (again, it's private property, and I don't want to tick off the landowner, who also happens to lease us our field). Plus, it's re-usable for the next incident, so I'll probably donate it to the club for that eventuality (knowing me, I'll be the only one using it again anyway). From there I can reach the plane with one section of the Airplane Retrieval System. All that remains is to attach a loop of rope to the end to hook the tail so I can try to minimize any further damage to the plane (not that it's worth anything with the intense rain that started tonight, but I'm maintaining an unreasonable degreee of optimism just the same). After action report to follow.
12-10-2004, 06:28 AM
#50
Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Stockholm, SWEDEN
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ....and there she sits.
Using a shotgun for bringing down a plane i a three isn't a bad idea at all. This method was the only one left for me when my pt-40 got stucked between some ugly branches about 25 m up a three. The secret is that you only aim at the branches at a secure distance from the plan. It might require more then one shot, but it's still a much more easier way of bringing it down then using different ladders, vehichles, mashines or climbing up into the three which might even be impossible. If the sourrondings allow you to fire a couple of shots, it will be the fastest and easiest way of managing the task.
/Vismund
/Vismund