A Fall Tale

[William C. Harden]

Bob,
 
I am so proud of you!!  You saved the plane!  Amazing.  You stupid
clutz!   But you saved the plane.   Took the bruzin you did, but saved
the plane!  Ahhhh..  You're the man!!  
 
A very funny story and I am ashamed to say I have been there myself.
Although in my stories I wouldn't have saved the plane!!  
 
Bill
 
-----Original Message-----
From: discussion-request at nsrca.org [mailto:discussion-request at nsrca.org]
On Behalf Of Bob Pastorello
Sent: Sunday, May 15, 2005 11:43 AM
To: NSRCA
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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