Beware Sh#% Happens

[Danimal]

My brother-in-law is a trop leader for a grope of mentally handicapped scouts and last week I was telling him that I thought it was really cool of him to do that. Being the type to seize an opportunity he asked me if I would like to do a demo flight for his scouts. After making a fuss about his selfless contribution how could I say no? ( wouldn't that make me look like a real loser ) So we started talking safety and thought we had covered just about every possible scenario I was starting to feel pretty good about the hole thing. I spent the next 3 nights tuning-cleaning-polishing and just being anile about making a good impression.

The day of the flight I pack my Heli's in the truck and drive the 4 1/2 hours to meet Brian ( my brother-in-law ) and check out the flying site. Up until now all that I have seen is pictures but its the perfect indoor field an empty warehouse about 80 feet wide and 120 feet long with 40 a foot sealing (SWEET).

So Brian left me to set up everything and went to get his scout troop. When they got there everything was ready it was grate to see how excited they were about the helicopters none of them had ever seen one before. After they checked them out and asked all the questions that they had it was time to get down to the flying. But first we did some run for cover drills first (remember these kids are mentally handicapped ) I took an idea from robot256 in another thread and used some caution tape one for how close they could get and one that we set out about 30 feet in front of the first that if for some reason a Heli went past everyone was to run in to the hallway rite behind them if someone yelled GO.

OK flight time. Started off with my little fixed pitch just hovering , flying circuits and landing on things. Then to the blinged out 35 after using up the battery I was filling pretty confident so I got out the full CNC-CF 3DX and got it hovering about 15 feet out in front of me and hit the idle up switch and was starting with some tic-tock's I was coming back over the top when the grate big 8 x 12 foot door slid open right in front of me. Not the role up kind but the type that slides from side to side. The guy that let us use the place was the father of one boys and decided to bring the rest of the family and all his friends. Well the wind was blowing pretty good outside and as soon as he opened that door a big rush of air hit me head on before I could comprehend what had just happened the helicopter was racing back over my head. I can hear Brian yelling GO GO GO out of the 13 boys all but 3 were gone from site. The 3 that were still out there decided it would be more fun to try to catch the screaming out of control heli. So now I'm nose in idle up and fighting a head wind with three mentally challenged teens making a grab for it. I know I cant hit the kill switch that will drop it right on them so I push both sticks up thinking at least I can get the wreckage moving away from the scouts.The heli jumped from 9 foot to about 20 and in all most the same movement it is now in a fast forward dive coming straight for me ( Man I wish I had thought that last move through a little better ) as I hit the floor I pulled both sticks down after that I'm not sure what happened next. As I was rolling on to my back holding the TX with only two fingers in my left hand I realized that I could still hear the motor running and found the heli was on the floor sliding back at me again but this time it was a simple flip of the switch and everything settled down everything except my hart. The hole thing happened and was over in seconds but my hart was still pounding 20 minuets later.

SAFTY FIRST always but no mater how hard you try to be safe you cant let your guard down for a second these things can get Real scary Real fast!

[sportygreg]

Wow! That will leave skid marks in your shorts!

[Aztek1701]

Scary thing to happen, glad everyone got out of it safely. It is amazing how you can think youve planned for everything but still a curveball gets ya. Good job you had the contingency plan.

2 Questions though ... was the heli in once piece after it? and would you do a demo flight again?

Take care... Azzy

[badastinner]

Quick thinking kept everyone safe and sound...good flying. Did you break anything on your heli?

[Danimal]

That was my first and last flight in front of a group of people any ware other than at a designated field. At least at an AMA field you can eliminate most of the human influence over your flight.

As for the heli it could have been a lot worse. Its times like that when all that bling can pay off. However it did take a beating the CF tail boom and 1 boom support a tail fin mount,main and tail CF blades and the spindle shaft. But worst of all was the CNC tail it looked like someone was using the blade grips for a concrete saw. Even after installing a new shaft I cant get it to spin free looks like I'm going to need a hole new setup.

This probably isn't the place for this but I have to say that there are two things that I had just added that really surprised me with there durability. One is a set of aluminum landing gear that I got because I thought the blue anodized gear looked cool with all the other blue CNC stuff on the bird. They had to have taken one hell of a blow but don't look like they have ever been off the ground. The eBay add said the aluminum has memory I am a believer now. The other thing is a BF Carbon fin set. It was the horizontal mount that broke not the fin. I plan on getting though's two things for my other heli's as well.

[raven_darkcloud]

Thats good to know. I bet they still had fun. and if you ever fly in that building again. lock that door. I'm glad to see that the heli wasnt to badly damaged. What brand of gearbox did you have on there?

[hawkman]

No one got hurt....and you did think it through.........well done for the effort....bet you lock those sliding doors next time I would rig up some netting in future......to keep those boys out of mischeif....

Good luck for next time....good for you to show those youngsters something different....bet they wont forget it


Rob

[Danimal]

Hay guys thanks for your the positive post's I was a little reluctant to pots this fright...(oops I mean flight)...in the first place. I thought for sure I would get flamed left and right for even thinking of doing such a thing.

Your right about the kids not forgetting I got a call from Brian last night to let me know that the hole experience has really F*^#$@ up hi troop meetings its all they want to talk about when they all get together.

raven
The tail is a heli direct CNC upgrade I am not sure of the manufacturer hell I'm not sure what to call this helicopter anymore it started off as a shogun that I upgraded every part on it to the point that the only thing left on it that is shogun is the main gear.