Ever have one of those days???

[wizard]

It has been on of them for me. First due to work yesterday and 24 hour shift tomorrow, I couldn't make the St. Louis Huckfest. Then the wind was way to strong here for me to fly today. Finally about a 1/2 hour before dark the wind laid back.

So I go and grab my slow stick I have just for this type of time. Go out beside the house and fly. This is the same place I have flown many, many times. Well as I was making the turn at the far end of the area a fing tree jumps out and grabs it out of the air. It's now about 15 minutes before dark and my slow stick is about 45 feet up in a tree. Now the plane staying in the tree wouldn't bother me, but the li-po battery, the brushless motor and speed control, and receiver staying there until Monday bothered me.

Well the first thing I try was the old weights on the fishing pole routine. After loosing a bunch of 2 oz weights, I decided to try something else. So I go grab 2 sections of one of my 60 foot ladders (two sections actually extend to about 36 feet). Put them together and lean them against the tree. Grab about 15 foot of poles and go climbing. Get to the top of the ladder and can't even see the plane. Try a few pokes anyway and have no luck. By this time it is full on dark. I climb back down and cuss for a few minutes, then start thinking. No those that know me know that me thinking usually ends up in trouble. So off to the garage for equipment.

I head back toward the tree wearing a harness carrying 50 feet of rope and my trusty chain saw. I tie the chain saw onto one end of the rope hook the other end to my harness and start climbing. I get to the top and tie off to the tree, and tie the ladder to the tree. I fire up the chain saw and proceed to get the bar pinched in the tree. By this time I'm not a happy camper. So now I'm sitting on the top of a 36 foot ladder in the dark, with a chain saw pinched in the tree and my cheap little plane still stuck. So I start to thinking again.

I tie the end of the rope that I had tied off with to the chain saw, pull up a few feet of rope and tie to the tree about 3 feet above the saw. Climb back down the ladder and go get the van. I tie the end of the rope to the hitch on the van and take off. The top of the tree breaks off and falls over, but is still held by the rope. The slow stick floats to the ground with only the prop damaged. I unplug the battery and put it in the van.

Ok, so now I have retrieved the plane. Remember all this started because of a plane, that with all the equipment is only worth about 150 bucks. I still have about 30 feet of tree hanging by a rope, and a $500 chain saw at the top of the ladder. Then I notice that the portion of the tree that is hanging is hanging right on the ladder. I have to climb the ladder through the tree top that is still hanging by the rope. I finally get to the top and find that the part of the tree that I cut/broke off is actually not on the rope but, on another large branch that is broken but still hanging onto the tree. So I tie off to the tree again, check out the chain saw and find that it is fine. Fire it up and use it to, first cut the rope that is attached to the hanging part of the tree (there was no way I was going to get it untied.) Then I cut the other branch loose from the tree. Both parts of the tree now go sliding down the ladder and pile against the bottom.

So now I'm sitting at the top of the ladder looking down at branches leaning against the bottom of the ladder and covering about 10 feet. My father was there watching this whole performance and tried to move the branches from the ladder but couldn't get them to budge due to the weight. so I climb down until I get the the branched then swing around to the back side of the ladder and go the rest of the way hand over hand down.

I cut up the limbs and pull them away from the ladder, pick up the tools and call it a night. The ladder and limbs are going to stay there until Monday when I get home from work.

I started flying about 8:15. I flew for about 6 minutes before the tree reached out and grabbed the plane. I finally got back inside with the plane about 11:30.

The funny part about the whole situation was that I never got mad and having a good time during the entire "recovery operation". Sorry no photos due to the fact that most of this occurred during hours of darkness. I almost wish that I had the whole thing on video.

I just though I would share the strange things we do sometimes because of our love of the hobby.

[RED]

I was at a fly-in and lost a nice foamy in a tree. I climbed about 30 ft into the tree (way to far) and threw a rake at it (twice).
I hit it both times but did not free it. Fearing for brakes and bruises, I gave up. Fortunately, a couple of teenagers saw me and when I left, stayed at it. About 2 hours later, they showed up with my plane. Gave them a $20 and thanked them. Next time, find some teenagers that are bored.

[3D-Seth]

HAHA! I think we all have had those types of days!

I think Dad once put his trainer in a tree, parked his semi trailer below the tree, stood on a 15ft ladder, and reached up with a 10ft metal pipe to get the trainer down. Then about fell off the ladder when the plane made the pipe swing way out to the side.

Always something fun and interesting that happens! LOL

Seth

[luv2flyguy]

	Quote: Originally Posted by wizard
	It has been on of them for me. First due to work yesterday and 24 hour shift tomorrow, I couldn't make the St. Louis Huckfest. Then the wind was way to strong here for me to fly today. Finally about a 1/2 hour before dark the wind laid back. So I go and grab my slow stick I have just for this type of time. Go out beside the house and fly. This is the same place I have flown many, many times. Well as I was making the turn at the far end of the area a fing tree jumps out and grabs it out of the air. It's now about 15 minutes before dark and my slow stick is about 45 feet up in a tree. Now the plane staying in the tree wouldn't bother me, but the li-po battery, the brushless motor and speed control, and receiver staying there until Monday bothered me. Well the first thing I try was the old weights on the fishing pole routine. After loosing a bunch of 2 oz weights, I decided to try something else. So I go grab 2 sections of one of my 60 foot ladders (two sections actually extend to about 36 feet). Put them together and lean them against the tree. Grab about 15 foot of poles and go climbing. Get to the top of the ladder and can't even see the plane. Try a few pokes anyway and have no luck. By this time it is full on dark. I climb back down and cuss for a few minutes, then start thinking. No those that know me know that me thinking usually ends up in trouble. So off to the garage for equipment. I head back toward the tree wearing a harness carrying 50 feet of rope and my trusty chain saw. I tie the chain saw onto one end of the rope hook the other end to my harness and start climbing. I get to the top and tie off to the tree, and tie the ladder to the tree. I fire up the chain saw and proceed to get the bar pinched in the tree. By this time I'm not a happy camper. So now I'm sitting on the top of a 36 foot ladder in the dark, with a chain saw pinched in the tree and my cheap little plane still stuck. So I start to thinking again. I tie the end of the rope that I had tied off with to the chain saw, pull up a few feet of rope and tie to the tree about 3 feet above the saw. Climb back down the ladder and go get the van. I tie the end of the rope to the hitch on the van and take off. The top of the tree breaks off and falls over, but is still held by the rope. The slow stick floats to the ground with only the prop damaged. I unplug the battery and put it in the van. Ok, so now I have retrieved the plane. Remember all this started because of a plane, that with all the equipment is only worth about 150 bucks. I still have about 30 feet of tree hanging by a rope, and a $500 chain saw at the top of the ladder. Then I notice that the portion of the tree that is hanging is hanging right on the ladder. I have to climb the ladder through the tree top that is still hanging by the rope. I finally get to the top and find that the part of the tree that I cut/broke off is actually not on the rope but, on another large branch that is broken but still hanging onto the tree. So I tie off to the tree again, check out the chain saw and find that it is fine. Fire it up and use it to, first cut the rope that is attached to the hanging part of the tree (there was no way I was going to get it untied.) Then I cut the other branch loose from the tree. Both parts of the tree now go sliding down the ladder and pile against the bottom. So now I'm sitting at the top of the ladder looking down at branches leaning against the bottom of the ladder and covering about 10 feet. My father was there watching this whole performance and tried to move the branches from the ladder but couldn't get them to budge due to the weight. so I climb down until I get the the branched then swing around to the back side of the ladder and go the rest of the way hand over hand down. I cut up the limbs and pull them away from the ladder, pick up the tools and call it a night. The ladder and limbs are going to stay there until Monday when I get home from work. I started flying about 8:15. I flew for about 6 minutes before the tree reached out and grabbed the plane. I finally got back inside with the plane about 11:30. The funny part about the whole situation was that I never got mad and having a good time during the entire "recovery operation". Sorry no photos due to the fact that most of this occurred during hours of darkness. I almost wish that I had the whole thing on video. I just though I would share the strange things we do sometimes because of our love of the hobby.

Wizard- It's 2:15 am EST, I couldn't sleep and I'm reading this and it's better than a comedy flick! Glad you recovered it.

[capcanuck]

Good story! Glad you didn't break your neck, your chainsaw, or your plane! I had a similar story. Last year at the Canadian Nats a bunch of Ottawa boys were flying a stick foamie with LEDs on it at night behind the motel. They let me try it and I said to my buddy Craig "hey lets try the Intermediate routine with it" So he calls out the first part of the sequence and I almost immediatley put it into the highest tree in the area. It got stuck real good and after futile attempts to free it we went to bed with the glowing plane visible in my window. The whole next day at the contest all I could think of was ways to get it down from the 100 foot tree. Even had my wife buy some fishing line, and a small ball to throw at it. Between rounds I drove over to try this and as we rounded the corner, there was no sight of the plane. Drove to the base of the tree and lo and behold, there she was in the grass, with one broken prop blade and a little poke in the wing. Guess the wind blew her out, or the tree didn't like the taste...but it saved me a couple of hundred bucks I would have paid to make up for a few seconds of foolishness!!

One more day to pre register for the Canadian Scale Aerobatic Nationals!
CapCanuck

[wildhare]

As one gets older one becomes aware that there is almost no airplane loss that can equal the cost of a trip to the ER.

TF

[appydriver]

Doesn't it amaze you how things can go down hill so fast. That sounds like a page out of some of the s--t that happens to me from time to time. Kind of like gooey mud, the more you fight the deeper you get. Glad all ended well and thanks for sharing, it lets the rest of us know we aren't by ourselves when we have similar stuff happen to us.

[exciter900rr]

I flew into the top of a palm tree once.... we figured it was on the better part of 50'+... same thing with climbing and head scratching, shaking the snot out of the tree just dug the frons deeper into the plane.... A bystander knew a "dude" and proceeded to call him up. this is all after threats from a nearby resident that hates the noise and all (grumpy older crab type..) by threats, I mean he remarked that he was "going to get his shotgun, and blow it out of the tree"

Being the rational, level headed man that I am, I negotiated with him and the situation was resolved.. (He was risking wearing the shotgun "on the inside" of, well.... you know.... Well... his a$$..) after the negotiation process was completed, "The dude" showed up. This is on a sunday mind you..

New negotiations were in order.. We settled on 65 bucks for him to climb to the top, recover the plane **damage free** and climb down with it intact. damage during the recovery would have resulted in a 50% discount... Needless to say, He was up, down, and counting 65 bucks in almost a minute flat...
but I got my plane! and got a few more flights that day as well!!

[robertp17]

I think im having one of those lives...

[Al Lewis]

Ahhh!!! Remember Grasshopper, when light goes away in the evening so does depth perception! Very important thing to remember! LOL Glad you got it all worked out okay Wizard!!

[lomchevac]

When you walk out the door in the morning and see this in the sky...


Just go back in the house, pour
another cup of coffee, and stay
there. It probably isn't going
to be a good day.

[Xpress..]

LOOOOOOL

Hmm, jeese. How many times have I flown into that one tree in the parkinglot across the street?

At least 3 times already. And I missed the other 30 of them, lol!

The last time I flew into the tree, it was with my slow stick, which has everything the tree can grab. I got out my ladder to see if I could reach it (after shaking the shiz out of the tree), but had no luck. Then I get this idea that I can throw mu shoe at it, and get it down. Got that stuck too, lol. So, after about 20 minutes of trying to get my plane (and my shoe) out of the tree, I finally decide to go get a pole, and puch it back up and out. Finally got it down then, with a bunch of branches and a few scrapes in the wing. Then it was onto my shoe. So, about 10 minutes later, I finally was able to shake it out.

Went home, fixed up the plane, and flew it again minutes later. Stayed far away from that tree for the rest of the day though.