A Fall Tale

[AtwoodDon at aol.com]

Is that what they mean when they say 'Stuck the landing'?  ;-)))
 
Don
 
In a message dated 5/15/2005 9:43:05 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
rcaerobob at cox.net writes:

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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