Christchurch and District Model Flying Club
Sloping Off - our newsletter

DIARY OF A FLIER BY B LEONARD WISE

B. Leonard  Wise has his A certificate and wants the  B.

I have decided to try to get my  B Certificate. Crispin my son walked through it. I consider myself to be of a superior intelligence to this teenager (he is now 17), so I should be able to do it as easily as him. (as he did – Ed). I have changed from Engines to Electric. I did try to change years ago, but matching up the props batteries and speed controller did not seem to work for me. I was always having problems with one of them and on one occasion the plane caught fire. It was suggested that I try a Foam Aero Wot but I consider then to be toys and beneath man of my skills I have bought a Sukoi specially for the practice and the test.  It is a built up plane  1120 mm in span which is a bit small for me but it flies well. I want one which is reliable, and easy to steer, although a bit underpowered for a fast flyer like me. I am an accomplished  flyer but I do not want to have to fight the plane and the examiners. I understand there will be two of them.

I can do all the aerobatics required but I know they are untidy. My loops, whilst they are loops are not perfect. The Spin I cannot get to come out straight after three turns and face into wind. I do need more practice. I am thankful that I do not have to do a Knife Edge and the long slow roll is a real problem. It is the fault of  the plane which does not like and it and will not hold the line and the height.

This is why I was at the field in the late afternoon on a quite windy day just before it started to get dark. I thought I would have more practice at a spin. I took it up quite high and did good spin. I got it right, then I lost control It  would not steer. Now I have confidence in myself, but the first thing I always think is that I am doing something wrong which is often the case. Walter was standing with me and said you have a radio failure. Which turned out to be true. The plane of course turned and flew down wind. Being a responsible person I have installed fail safe. When the signal is lost the throttle goes to just under a third which means the plane will descend but not in a horrible crash. At least that is what is supposed to happen.

Our site is open but two hundred yards away is a clump of trees. They are supposed to be the limit of the flying area but it is surprising how many people manage to hit them. The plane of course set sail straight for them. I hope that it would clear the tops and then descend in the field which came next. However you know how awkward planes can be and this was no exception. The wind had increased and it slammed the plane into the top of a large tree, and there it stuck.

Walter and I went over to look at the situation and sure enough it was stuck about forty feet up. There was a dead branch which had speared through the wing and it was fixed. We looked  at it and realised there was nothing we could do. It was getting dark and the wind was rising I could only hope that the wind would bring it down. We had to leave it there and I.went home a sad man.   My son Crispin was at home, he knew about the plane and even had a picture on his phone. Walter had sent it. I have an idea how to get the plane down he told me. I felt it unlikely that a teenager would have a better idea how to get it down than a man of my intelligence, but as I was at a loss I agreed to take him there in the morning.

What will Crispin do ?  You must wait and  see.

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