A Fall Tale

[Bob Richards]

Judges score:  ZERO. You did not call "maneuver
complete". :-)

Bob R.

--- Bob Pastorello <rcaerobob at cox.net> 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
> rcaerobob at cox.net
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