A Fall Tale

[Lance Van Nostrand]

Glad you are OK.  I couldn't stand the suspense of the story and jumped to the end to make sure.  the combination of gymnast, ninja and Pastorello never previously occurred in the same sentence before, but there's no denying your props.
--Lance

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Bob Pastorello 
  To: NSRCA 
  Sent: Sunday, May 15, 2005 11:42 AM
  Subject: A Fall Tale


  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
  rcaerobob at cox.net
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