A Fall Tale

[L Caldwell]

Ouch!

At least nobody was there to see it.

Larry

Bob Pastorello wrote:

> Interesting start to a beautiful flying day yesterday.  Just gorgeous 
> day.  Van loaded, drive to the field.  Empty!  Yee ha!  Gonna be great.
>     Unloading everything, just taking my normal sweet time, enjoying 
> it.  I get out so rarely, that I was just really enjoying the day.
>     Well, I like to back the van up close enough to the cable ( our pits 
> are separated with 1" oil drilling cable, strung through 2" drill pipe 
> spaced about every 15' - VERY strong stuff) so that getting everything 
> out is less walking.
>     Got the wing out, the flight box, the cradle....then comes the 
> fuse.  Always just a little tricky pulling it out of the van without 
> bashing the tail, or straining the gear....the Icepoint is a little 
> awkward...but I got it out.
>     Turned, holding the fuse by one gear leg, other hand supporting fuse 
> about halfway back.  I very carefully looked down at the cable, stepped 
> over it with the right leg...made sure I'm clear.  Look back to make 
> sure tail isn't bashing anything and step over with my left foot.
>     Almost.  The next few microseconds are somewhat of a blur, but they 
> replay a little more slowly....
>     My left toe snags the cable.
>     I fall forward with fuselage across the front of my body.  Knowing 
> FULL WELL what is about to occur, my mind processes the relative risks 
> of various falls, and I determine that the AIRPLANE MUST BE SAVED!!!!
>     So, as I'm falling, I extend my arms, bracing for the impact that is 
> rapidly approaching.  As my right knee impacts,  my right shoulder 
> (still holding the gear leg in the right hand) impacts, but I kept the 
> fuse off the ground.
>     About 5 mincroseconds later, my LEFT knee hits the earth, followed 
> by left elbow (remember left hand is holding fuse body), and as I fall 
> closer to the ground, I turn loose of the airplane.  It sort of does a 
> horizontal roll and thumps to the ground, falling on canopy and one 
> stab/top of fin, but only from about a foot or so.
>     Me, on the other hand - well, I end up nearly full face flat on the 
> ground, having tripped on a cable strung 20" above the ground.  I 
> thought I had died.  Every limb immediately began hurting, every limb 
> joint felt like electricity was flowing, my forehead was bruised, and 
> dignity SEVERELY damaged.
>                     But I "saved the PLANE".
>  
> Today, I feel like a truck ran over me.....
>                     But I "saved the PLANE".
>  
> I'll be parking closer to the opening in the cable from now on.....
> 
> Bob Pastorello
> www.rcaerobats.net <http://www.rcaerobats.net>
> rcaerobob at cox.net <mailto:rcaerobob at cox.net>
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