One new guy, (maybe 2 new guys) and one old guy....

[Paul Taylor]

I took a few days off from the rock quarry and called a few flying buddys that live close by, Eric and Kreth. Eric is one of the newest flyers to join our happy little band of flyers and I gave him a few old planes that were given to me. Kreth being my oldest flying buddy not just because he is old, but we found each other on SSW several years ago and discovered that we lived right down the street from each other. He was my first flying buddy that I hooked up with to fly C/L.
Eric has a son the same age as Ryan and they were collage room mates last year. After talking with Eric at the end of the school year I found out that he flew R/C years ago and that he knew and flew with Kreth years ago in Jackson Ms. Kreth has spent most of this summer helping his son in there bike rental store in Seagrove Fla. So they have not had the chance to met this summer. Kreth and Eric had lost touch with each other over the years and I had the pleasure to reintroduced them to one another at the flying field today.

Eric has been flying a old Shoestring that I got from Ty M. a few years ago. Eric has mastered take off level flight and landings. But today he could not get two feet off the ground before he nosed it in. After breaking a few props we check his controls. He had a lot of down in the the elev. Adjustments were made and a new prop put on. We tried again and the nose went in and prop was broken. After 5 or 6 props were toast, I had him check the controls again. Again he had a little down in the controls. I asked him to give me full up and the elev went full DOWN! There's your Problem. The controls were bassakwards! So I say two new guys because I let him break that many props before we found out the controls were wrong. Guess I am still a newbie too.
A few pictures with a cheap camera below.

[Harleyman]

Lines hooked up backwards?  I've NEVER done that before.     

[Paul Taylor]

When did you do that Chris?

[john e. holliday]

I have met very modelers that would admit to hooking the lines up reversed.  I have done it until I started leaving the up clip on the airplane.  But. when I was trying to teach grandaughter #2 to fly I was having trouble getting neutral in the air.  Once the plane hit the dirt is when I realized she had picked up the handle up side down.  That when the lesson on where the safety thong is was brought into the lesson.

Now for leaving the clip on the up line works for neutral if you have a dedicated set of lines and handle for one plane.  Another idea I have seen in Alan Brickhaus Flying Models article was using Zip Lock bags for dedicated plane, lines and handle. 

Now you have someone to fly with while the young man is getting an education.

[Harleyman]

When did you do that Chris?

I'm not telling.         But, I'm pretty sure we've all done it at lest once.   

[Bill Heher]

I've done it enough times that I now have the lines hooked up at the plane and rolled out, then pick up one line at the handle end and pull, if the elvator goes down - I put that line down on the ground again.
I pull the other line- if the elevator goes up I hook that to the up side of the handle.

Then I pick up the other line and hook it to the down side of the handle.

After both are hooked up I look at the handle, make sure UP is on top in my hand, give full up and look at the elevator-make sure it is up, then full down- check elevator - deflected down; only then do I check / adjust for neutral.

And I have still managed to pick up the handle upside down, but not since I put safety thongs on the bottom!

[Joe Connelly]

Chris isn't telling because it was me, Paul. Can't remember if it was my All American or my Nobler. That's when I learned to paint my up leadout red and also the upline coming from the handle. Still doesn't hurt to wiggle them to check before taking off.

Joe Connelly

[john e. holliday]

Rereading my post,  I see I have not reread it enough.  Hope most of you can figure out what I am trying to relate to you.  By the way if you  find a Zip Lock bag big enough to hold the airplane too, let me  know.   

[Harleyman]

Chris isn't telling because it was me, Paul. Can't remember if it was my All American or my Nobler. That's when I learned to paint my up leadout red and also the upline coming from the handle. Still doesn't hurt to wiggle them to check before taking off.

Joe Connelly

Joe, I forgot about that one.  So there ya go, I think we've all done it at least once.   

I can remember a couple times that I've mixed them up.  Once was an instant nose over and the other I caught soon enough by checking Up, Down and Neutral.  Whew, that was a close one.