RCU Forums - Never thought it could happen to ME !!

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Never thought it could happen to ME !!

Please no sympathy or flaming to this post I am writing to warn fellow flyers not to become complacent of how dangerous a hobby this is. I am not going to make excuses for my actions or blame anyone or thing other than myself.

Brief background of myself in this hobby, I am a 65 Yr old male that first became interested in model airplanes as a youth 11 or 12. I flew control line stunt, combat, carrier and then around 16 started flying competetive speed. Back in the day as we say now there was a contest at least once every 2-3 weeks at nearby towns and kept my youthful summers busy either building, practicing or competing and having a great time

Now many years later after several hiatus(s) of 5-10 years I have been back in the hobby for 12 years again with my main interest in RC aerobatic large scale airplanes.

Over the years i've damaged myself every concievable way IE: drill small hole in finger, cut myself with exacto knives, gazillion prop strikes on fingers and on and on.

I belong to a group of at least four flyers that meet almost every weekend to fly at our club, today I arrived first and unlocked the gate , parked my car and unloaded my "new" 71" slick I had just this week completed to replace a previous slick that met it's demise doing 2 rolling circles at a local fun fly 2 weeks before. I ten carried it to the ready area, drove my plane holder in the ground and as I finished my friends started arriving. We chatted and drank coffee as they were unloading their planes, it was a beautiful morning and no one was rushing to start drilling holes in the sky.

I decided to do another preflight on my slick, then start the engine, do a range check etc, that done, I then went back and mingled with my buddies for 10-15 mins. I then told a friend that I was going to "maiden" the new slick which is set up exactly like it"s predecessor on my radio so really the flight would only be to final trim and verify cg etc, normally somone would come over and hold the tail between their legs while I start the DLE 30, but this time they were still readying their planes so I used my plane holder. then..

1. I turned on the radio and waited for it to sync

2. Checked to make sure throttle and aileron were working properly

3. Holding the spinner I pushed down and lifted the tail off the ground several inched to check elevator and rudder with the tailwheel cearing the grass. Now my plane holder is the Midwest model that has one stake in the ground and two rubber covered posts up and slightly angled back to help secure the plane better, however when i backed the plane up slightly to lift the tail I did not pull it forward those several inches to resecure it

4. Choked the engine one flip and it hit

5. opened throttle one click flipped three times, engine started at high idle, jumped forward just as my right arm was completing the stroke and the 19 X 8 prop chewed it's way thru the flesh between my elbow and wrist on my forearm opening a 6-7" gash almost to the bone breaking the prop.

At this point I was stunned watching my blood spurting everyhwere, engine running with broken prop splattering my blood over the nose of the airplane ..MY BLOOD!!!!

Still shocked by what I saw I realized I had to wrap something around the cut and apply pressure until I could get to the ER, I wrapped a towel tightly around it while my friends decided how best to handle transporting me, Alvin rushed me to an ER 15 mins away and was immediately taken to triage where the RN told me the wound was not spurting blood so arteries were intact but the bad news was my blood pressure was 90/47 I stayed in a room about 10-15 min until my blood pressure rose enough for the doctor to sew me up both inside and then skin.

my carelessness almost cost me dearly today and have thought about what happened and I now understand SAFETY SAFETY SAFETY, it also made me think that perhaps everytime we go to the field at least consider a plan if somthing happens, like post GPS coordinates as many people would not be aware our field's remote location, have a throwaway cell phone in first aid kit at transmitter impound in case no one has a working phone, invite fireman from nearest firestation out to visit, police too

Think safety and don't fly alone

I'm sorry for spelling and grammar still groggy from painkillers thanks John