Patience! Damned close call!

[Nash]

Hi all, Just found the site and thought I would drop in and share a few of my close calls.
Been flying now since last Dec. I fly a DF 22E. Since I have crashed many times and invested in countless parts I decided a couple of weeks ago while flying in my garage and the thing took off on it's own (my fault because I didn't check Tx mode switch) I would try to catch it to reduce the damage and maybe cost repair. HA, Don't try it. Not only did I brake one of my main blades it took out a blade nip and a couple of other smaller parts. What hurt the most was when the main blade broke it was because it met my thumb in the process. Didn't brake thumb but it hurt like crap for about a week.

Next after making a repair in my room I was checking blade tracking. I spun up but forgot to tighten set screw on flybar blade and it barely missed head by a foot.

Last time I had just put two new main blades on and was outside spinning up and about the time it started to lift one of the blades busted at the screw. Still not sure if it was a defective blade or I might have over tightened to much.

All I know now is I do a complete check on everything before each flight. And I will never attempt to catch the thing again. I may also consider eye protection. These things are very dangerous and are not toys and every precaution needs to be taken before flying.

Good flying all.

[jimco]

I have been guilty of flying too close to myself on too many occasions. My wife is always telling me to keep em out a little. About the getting it directly overhead, when we do that, we are asking for a disaster. When it's right over me, I lose all reference . Only thing to do is full power , forward stick and pray. My problem is the limited space that I practice in. If you have seen my picture posts, I live in East Texas, and we are very wooded. If I go forward 40 feet, im in the trees, so have to do a lot of backing up, and 15 feet max on the hover. Tends to make you a more precise pilot, but it's Oh S--t when you mess up . Everybody practise some safety, and we will all be talking later in the year. Jimco

[raven_darkcloud]

OK for the over the head thing (ben there done that) if its drifting or flying not falling, dont do s@#t. If you let it go on its horizontle path it wont hit you and if you are in an open space you wont hit any thing. once past you collect your self and keep flying. If you are too close and above waist power out if below power down and move. broken heli is cheeper than broken people always.
As for catching heli , this is a micro heli trick you must be in Full controll and know your heli is setup solid befor doing. My blade cx I'll catch in flight as a PLANED trick as it is coaxil and verry stable. As for my df, aint no way in hell. I got a whacken once on spin up cuz I didnt check idle up switch. Hot damn that hurt and cut my hand.

[jimco]

Just wait till you have a hot start on a raptor 50, due to not watching your radio. Set my radio down on a table full of my gear, idle up switch got pushed into idle up . I didn't notice, and radio did not beep, fired it up, and man, you talk about Oh S--t. Killed it, checked it out, did not check radio, fired it up again, Oh S--t , again. Well, that took out the clutch liner, and no flying on that one , that day. Guess what???, I now check everything , twice, b4 putting the glow starter on it.

[raven_darkcloud]

Thats same as I do now. Always check twice for idelup position off. I wish it had a easy start to spool up slowly.

[jimco]

Hey Raven: Something else I have made a rule to do. After flying, I always check my battery with a volt meter. I usually recharge after each flight, with a quick charger. I had a 30 v1 raptor, back in 03. Was just getting into hovering when I had a damned bad experience. Was still totally dumb about heli's .
Went to the fly field, actually did my first good hover, in front of a crowd. Held it for about 1 minute, set it down, said whew, actually did it. Cut it off, put it on the table and felt really good. The crowd was my daughter, 3 grand kids, and ex wife. Well everyone had to leave, so I'm by myself, right. Well another buddy shows up, then another, and they want to see the heli fly. Here we go. Started up, tried to lift off, and it wants to go left, huh? Just had perfect hover, I trim right. Lift off again, and damnit, 1 foot off the ground, heli goes full throttle, rises to about 6 feet, turns hard left, and flies straight thru the clubhouse. Had anyone been in there, I would probably be owned by the surviving spouse. Picked up parts for a damned hour. Well, I'm feeling really stupid, trying to figure out what happened. Got to the battery, and guess what?? Under 4.3 volts. And another thing, I had put a 600 MAH in the heli, not knowing that 600 on a nitro is about 4 minutes max time, if your lucky. Shipped that puppy to Wisconsin, for 2 planks.
I now fly minimum 2000 MAH NIMH, and am replacing all batteries with 3000 MAH , NIMH, subc's. As soon as I land, it goes on quick charger till it hits 7.5 or better.
The heli accident in Houston, that killed Ron Kyle, was caused by shorted battery. Heli had just been flown by Ron, he signed off on it as perfect, and thirty minutes later, he was gone. So always check your stuff twice, and don't assumn anything.

[raven_darkcloud]

Thats verry true. I come form fixed wing background so only the idel up and curvs come new to me as far as radio gose. But its easy to forget to check. If parts come undone are electronics fail on air craft it WILL come down, just a question of where and if you can some what controll it down. Any one who calls Rc aircraft toys needs to be slaped. First thing to remember rc aircraft crashes can be deadly and have ben to some good people along with buncha idiots. Best to do a check befor every time she flys and after every time it comes back down.
A rc modelers best freinds are:
tools
locktite
and patience
quick flights often lead to quick crash

[jahatton]

Hi, (head down) I had a real close call yesterday! I flew 2 flight in the morning and decided late in the afternoon to get one more in at another field.
I don't even know what happened, it's still very fuzzy but I think I was in a 3 meter hover and practising backing up slowly towards myself. The car was to my behind right and there was a baseball backstop to the left.
Something happened and the Raven swooped down and attacked me . I ducked out of the way and felt the wind blow over my head. Looking quickly I saw the copter heading towards the backstop. Jamming the stick to the left and giving power I managed to miss the backstop and got altitude.
Now I'm shaking like seeing a grizzly charging at me, I got it on the ground. It had fuel left so I hovered for the rest of the time (still shaking) Then the engine quit! I thought just my luck, almost got killed by it now the engine ceases... 20 seconds later I turned it over with the electric start and it starts! Without the ignitor! I quit for the day!!
Today I went again to get 2 flights in and it was blowing quite hard, nerves are fried! Started shaking again.
I was getting so comfortable with it until now. Still cannot figure out what happened to cause such a near fatal mishap. Chalk it up to a GRAY AREA!
Jim