Safety Thong - saved the day

[Keith Miller]

Flying a Flight Streak today, the wind was moving around a bit.  While generally keeping track of maneuvering space and wind, I must've lost track overhead.  The Streak came off the lines overhead and when she hit the end of the lines again behind me, she yanked the handle right out of my hand! 

My noose-style thong snapped tight and the Streak flailed around a bit until I could grab the handle again.  Unfortunately I got it back in my hand up-side down  .  After a couple of harried turns, I tried to quickly rotate the handle back to up-right and got it there just prior to direct impact.  I pulled up just in time to pancake on the belly, breaking only the prop and suffering a slight crack below the horizontal stab.

Had I not used a thong, the model could have ended up anywhere - in the pits with my friends and family, into a car or possibly worse.

Instead, I get to glop some glue under the stab and fly again.

[John Cralley]

A video of that would have been awesome!

My thong experience has resulted in a lawn dart (I fly over turf)!!

[John Stiles]

On Memorial day I forgot the to loop the thong around my wrist, and a gust caught my Super Clown, it went over the top, lines went slack and I was waiting till they got tight....when they did it snatched the handle out of my hand and lawn darted itself, breaking the stab off at the LE! I have a movie, but it doesn't really show when the handle left me! Glad ya saved it, and thanks for the thread.

[Motorman]

I've had a few fly across flights before thongs. When you know it's happening put a death grip on the handle and pull it back as far as you can then when you feel it tighten up punch to the plane. Haven't lost one yet but these days I use the thong in case I pass out lol.

Gif