Do not grab a line to avoid a crash!

[frank mccune]

          As the title suggests, I learned the “hard way” that it is much better to permit the plane to crash!  At the time, it seemed to be a great idea but it did not not work out satisfactorily.  Ten stitches later, all I can say is, “What was I thinking?

           Has anybody else made this poor choice?   If so, what your results? Lol


                                                                                                    Tia,

                                                                                                     Frank McCune

         

[Doug Moisuk]

It wasn't bad thinking. You just reacted because you hadn't thought about it before. So a good post for those who have not thought about it before.

[John Leidle]

   I hope you heal soon..
 John L.

[Tim Wescott]

When I did it the wound was small enough for home care.

But I certainly didn't do it again!

[Joe Ed Pederson]

I posted in the thread, "What's the stupidest thing you've done" or some similar title that I had done exactly what you did. It's what I did as a kid when flying a kite.
Fortunately, the lines didn't snap tight before the model hit the dirt.  It was a only later that I thought of what would have happened if the lines had snapped tight.  Boy did I shudder when my mind pictured severed fingers.

I won't ever try to save a model by lifting the lines in the future. 

Hope your fingers heal completely, Frank, with no loss of function.

Joe Ed Pederson

[Avaiojet]

Frank,

"Grab a line?"

I don't even grab a handle. 

[Brett Buck]

          As the title suggests, I learned the “hard way” that it is much better to permit the plane to crash!  At the time, it seemed to be a great idea but it did not not work out satisfactorily.  Ten stitches later, all I can say is, “What was I thinking?

           Has anybody else made this poor choice?   If so, what your results? Lol

   Other people have tried that, with generally disastrous results. A lot of people "run" their lines when using a stooge, on the way to the center with the engine running, or walk in front of the lines in order to be able to grab them and save the airplane if the stooge lets go prematurely. *Don't do that*, there have been at least two serious accidents from getting sliced to bits by line, one of them could have been fatal, since the pilot was flying alone, got sliced up by the lines when the stooge let loose. He was bleeding profusely, by himself, had to drive himself to the emergency room, and as I recall had have 50-60 stiches. Of course he had to leave his stuff, all of which was gone when he got back.

    My Skyray was being flown by Jim Goss, the airplane took off and flew across the circle, and he tried to save it by reaching out and grabbing a handful of line. That was about a 30-stitch decision.

     Brett

[Shorts,David]

          As the title suggests, I learned the “hard way” that it is much better to permit the plane to crash!  At the time, it seemed to be a great idea but it did not not work out satisfactorily.  Ten stitches later, all I can say is, “What was I thinking?

           Has anybody else made this poor choice?   If so, what your results? Lol


                                                                                                    Tia,

                                                                                                     Frank McCune

Wow! Ten stitches. That should make me think twice. I've actually grabbed my up line on a few occasions when I felt the handle wasn't providing enough control and I didn't feel like picking up pieces. Important thing in those instances was that the lines were still fairly tight.

The other day however I had the up-line break out of my handle. I didn't know what happened except my plane was doing a tight outside look (obviously something snapped) and there was a line floating in space somehow a short distance in front of me. I grabbed the dangling line and pulled however the plane was slack by now. Right as the plane impacted the asphalt the lines when tight and ripped the line from my hand. I was holding so tightly the line ended up snapping (.015 not .018) but not before cutting all my fingers off...sorry, just kidding, but it left a good slice through my pinky, index, and middle, along with a slice through the side of my thumb. I made a tight fist will collecting all the bits as the blood started clotting. No stitches required, but definitely could have resulted in needing stitches had I held tighter or had the line not snapped, or...

Somehow I think I could go on for a long time on stupid things I've done, but usually didn't result in loss of blood. But leaving the glow driver on my plane was memorably stupid. There is was, just sticking out the bottom of the plane. When I landed in taller grass it bent it terribly and won't attach anymore.

Or the time I didn't make my stooge line a little slack so it released the moment I walked behind the plane to adjust the needle. I stomped my foot down on the control lines in the grass and the plane did about one circle around me before nosing over in the grass. Miraculously the lines didn't snag or prop break, but I won't repeat that one again.

I suppose that's the reason I'm nervous about having a really nice airplane is I won't be able to be stupid and take my chances anymore. I'll actually have to think twice.

         

[Peter in Fairfax, VA]

Good thread. Sorry to hear of the injuries but glad to know of the risks.

This season, I'm using a stooge 100% of the time.  I do run the lines out as I head to the handle.  I am now realizing that if the plane got loose, the lines would pull through my hand, eventually hitting some turns in the lines and/or the line ends.  Sounds nasty.

This thread is enough to teach me not to run out lines or grab lines when tension goes low.

[Brett Buck]

This season, I'm using a stooge 100% of the time.  I do run the lines out as I head to the handle.  I am now realizing that if the plane got loose, the lines would pull through my hand, eventually hitting some turns in the lines and/or the line ends.  Sounds nasty.

   Not even then, just the lines sliding on your skin works just like a cable saw. Stay away from the line in any conditions that they can slip through your fingers.

    Brett

[Serge_Krauss]

I know how badly this can damage the hands, but I still couldn't resist the reflex action last Fall. Fortunately, I got away with it and actually saved the plane (SkyRay w/Fox .35 that burped to a halt up high). Maybe I kept in mind not to grab hard, and perhaps I used my upper arm too (can't remember), but the controls worked again, and the plane came out of the dive. There was just the start of a tear in the outer skin of my hand. I was very lucky!

[Frank Imbriaco]

Fifty plus years ago, I did the same while flying a friend's  hard-tugging Fox 59 powered  stunter . Broke a line, looped again and again then splat. Deep cut, sutures and a ride in a police car to the hospital. Our club, UMAC in NJ, was having a public demonstration and the circle was surrounded by roughly a dozen spectators. Not knowing if the ship would pop the other line, I made the decision to grab.

[Steve Helmick]

As an alternative plan, I have turned 180 deg. and RUN. Just another idea you might consider. Oh, I held full up elevator while running, and saved the Twister for Tim to destroy it, quite a few years later.  Steve

[Clint Taylor]

I did this once.  It hurt like hell and the plane still crashed.  I don't think that I will do it again.

[john e. holliday]

I have seen enough of this, people getting hurt grabbing lines.   Dad always told me to learn from other peoples mistakes.  I can't remember the guys names, but during a two race my pilot's opponent reached around him and grabbed the lines.   He learned real quick to never do that again as my pilot yanked on the lines real hard.  Yes the plane crashed but the opponent crashed his so he get help to stop the bleeding.

[John Park]

That's something you won't ever catch me doing.  It was bad enough when I was self-launching a small towline glider on a gusty day, letting the line pay out over my index finger: a gust caught the model and the Terylene (i.e. Dacron) line sliced a long way into my finger with the greatest of ease.  That was sixty-four years ago, and I can still see the scar as a thin white line.