While flying my first plane, a great planes fling (which i think is very good to learn on, it is very tough) out in a pasture behind my house I made my most embarassing mistake yet. In an effort to save the dying life of my transmitter battery I turned the control off between flights. Only I forgot to turn it on during one flight. Needless to say it went into a tree next to me at the speed that the high start can pull it. The wings split in have and left my plane dismembered in different parts of the tree, about 50 feet up.
I decided that the wings werent in condition to save (from what I could tell, but I wanted to get my fuse down to save the radio equipment. We began throwing heavy, stumpy branch as it at first, until they too, like me other airborne object bacame lodged in the tree. In an act of desperation I went into a neighbors yard across the pasture and jacked some oranges from their orange tree. They worked fairly well at slowing prying the plane from the tree inch by inch but soon became smooshed after hitting the ground and sorrounding trees after so many throws.
Finally we got a bottle of Mad dog 20/20. A cheap flask shaped bottle of wine that I keep in my flight box to drown away the sorrows of such wrecks. But rather than drinking I decided to throw it at the fuse to get it down. Sure enough after several throw came one good lucky wack and it came down. IM ordering a new set of wings from tower hobbies, and maybe ill make a sticker for my transmitter reminding me to turn my control on before each flight .
Moral of the story: bottles of liquor tend to work best at getting your plane out of a tree

MAD-DOG 20/20 !!! After drinking that you'll be seeing 90/30 !!! That stuff is pure 'GET-BACK'!!! [:@] *not that I have ever drank any...

"But rather than drinking I decided to throw it at the fuse to get it down."
"Moral of the story: bottles of liquor tend to work best at getting your plane out of a tree"
LOL I love this hobby!!!!!!

I dont get it if your radio was off how did the airplane become airbourne ?

If it just ran along the ground for long enough after picking up enough speed would it not pick up from the lift the wings give it? Maybe he had it pointed into the wind...

Hey! Thats alcohol abuse!

Hi-start. He stated that in his original post.

I forgot to mention that the fling is a sailplane, and i let it up on a high start. I also discovered my kite in a tree next to it. Its been there since i was like 14. It's mangled, weathered and covered with moss, Its really freaky looking, like an old shipwreck. MY belt finally fell down yesterday. I have a seat belt buckle belt that is really heavy and it got lodged in the tree during my efforts to free the plane, I almost got it stuck again yesterday. Ive really got to stay away from these trees before they swallow everything I own.

I think that tree is a little selfish that it won't share your toys with you. If it can't share i would stop playing with it. LOL

Stay away from trees !!! They always get in my planes´ way, no matter how hard I try to avoid them . Regards.

Claudio

I think I would make a chainsaw as part of my field box and leave the Mad Dog at home.

I drank some of it many years ago. It had a strange effect on me. Without getting to grafic. I will say I could have bent over with my back to the tree. And knocked the plane out. I could also go #2 through a screen door at 10 paces. Needless to say I had to quit the Mad Dog many years ago.



David

You mean you normally leave your transmitter switched on all day long when you go flying...? That's a first to me...

The trees seem to jump in front of planes, beware.