Can You Top This?

[Robert Mathison]

If anyone had seen us yesterday, me and my flying buddy Willis Swindell (who I've been flying with for over 50 years) they would have thought yesterday was the first time we ever tried contol line flying.  After starting the engine, Willis released the airplane, and immediately the flying lines got hung up on some tall grass.  My plane was running around in circles on the ground.  Willis was in hot pursuit.  Later, Willis explained that he could not run fast enough and bend over at the same time in order to pick up the airplane.    The Fox .35 engine ate the brand new set of control line wires I had made up that day, which stopped both the engine and the airplane.   I then put another set of lines on the plane and we started the engine, let it go, and the lines got caught on a blade of grass.  This time I was able to back up and finally got the model in the air.  With only a couple of laps, level flight, I took it inverted for 4 laps and then started to do figure 8's.  When the airplane got overhead, the tension on the lines went slack.  I tried to back up to get tension back on the lines and stepped in a hole, falling down face first.  The airplane was still flying and I quickly starting doing figure 8's while lying face down on the ground.  I was still trying to figure out how I was going to stand up while flying the airplane when suddenly the plane hit the ground.  Can you top this? 

Bob Mathison

[frank carlisle]

About ten years ago I bought 400 boomerangs of varying style and size to sell at outdoor flea markets. On one windy Wednesday at a flea market in a county park I walked a couple hundred feet upwind of my table and launched one of the boomerangs. (They do fly you know). ....ANYWAY..this one flew downrange about fifty yards, made it's turn and was coming back. It must have cought a thermal because it sailed by me about fifty feet overhead and traveled a long way, like maybe a hundred yards. It flew into the parking lot where it beaned a lady who was about seventy years old. It knocked her out cold. The EMS was called.......she was revived and deemed to be o.k. I didn't get any charges made against me ( I guess it's hard to jail a 50+ year old man who is crying his butt off). I was banned from the flea market forever and the lady wouldn't give me back my boomerang.


 

[Joe Connelly]

I think you topped it Frank. Hilarious!!

[Scott Jenkins]

Bob,
It's been a long time since Willis or John T. could bend over an run at the same time at least the thirty years I have known them, and the same thing keeps getting in his way. 

Scott Jenkins

[Willis Swindell]

Bobby
I wish I knew you were going to post our  fiasco I would not have made my promise of  silence. I would have posted my version of what happened, which would have been way more reviling.
Willis

[Joey Mathison 9806]

glad you guys are enjoying your retirement. dad you never tought me that trick laying down face first figure 8's although  i was flying a jet at the nats a couple of years ago and my pants fell off durring the middle of the flight glad i had on underwear.

[Joey Mathison 9806]

allmost forgot i was laying face down with a busted up airplane a jr c speed in the 70's i still hate mustangs to this day.

[Willis Swindell]

Joey
You must be talking about the time you were ridding your bicycle over to my house to show me your new c speed plane. when the guy in the Mustang car hit you and I had to load you, the bicycle and the airplane into the van and take you home. I remember your moms eyes when she saw you all skinned up the bent bicycle and busted plane.
Willis

[Joey Mathison 9806]

yes that is what i was refering to got ran over bye a mustange still got rocks in my knee from that one and the guy driving took off tore up my bike and my plane in one shot a real low point glad you were there to brush me off and make me feel at home.