Silly stories...

Enjoy this page !

Ok, here´s the first:

Setting up the heli in the garden, i had the >good< idea to store trimming in my transmitter. The heli had power and started, just when i was hitting the key... Pitch and throttle were on minimum, so i could just watch it fly. It took off and flew into a wooden chair. Happily the blades were OK, the only thing damaged was the main gear (180ATS)

Thanks to Rich for the next one:

I just had a piece of luck with my ECO tonight. My ECO was on the shelf for a few months because I had been flying mostly my Xcell 60 and my LOGO. with all the discussion lately about the ECO, I took it out and dusted it off, did some fine tuning and started flying it regularly again. (several times a day) Before it went on the shelf several months ago, I had a failure of my loaded whip antenna which cause it to go piroutting out of control. It didn't land nicely and damaged the blades, and bent the tail boom. I replaced the blades and straightend the tail boom, which worked, but left a wrinkle where the boom enters the sideframes. I have flown it many times since then, and it didn't seem to be a problem until tonight. I noticed my rudder trim had to be changed all the way to the extreme right. I had just before, applied some kyosho grease to the main gear after reading on the Ikarus Web page about how it could extend your flight time. It definatly flew better, and I must have flown for at least 8 minutes (normal about six). Then I started to lose power so I landed. After spool down, I noticed the tail fin was resting on the pavement! I picked up the heli and the tail boom sagged. It had cracked right where the wrinkle was!. I can't believe I flew it all the way to a safe landing. The aluminum was cracked 3/4 of the circumference of the tubing. I guess this was the reason for the change in rudder trim that I noticed on takeoff. I guess now that I have been lucky, I won't expect any luck next time I have a mechanical failure. My odds are used up.

this cool story was contributed by Wyn:

There is a large tree, on the runway side of the pit area, that is related to the Bermuda Triangle. It pulls model aircraft into its web of branches where most meet their doom. Today I had the field to myself and was flying low and centering the aerobatics over the runway. The wind was picking up. The heli entered a loop slightly banked, and with a crosswind. About two thirds through the loop it became clear that the exit of the loop would be much closer to the pit area than the entry, and that the tree with branches outstreched like the tentacles of an octopus was poised to send my toy to heli heaven. I pulled the cyclic back to the limit and pushed left to bank away from the tree. The blades responded quickly, and the heli did what it was told. It was going to be real close... then, the noise that a weed wacker makes when the nylon line strikes some dry leaves or twigs. The noise lasted only an instant and the heli was still airborne. The turn was completed at high speed to an abrupt hover and landing. The tips of the white fiberglass blades were streaked with green from the leaves. Time to be more careful. The tree does not lose often and will try harder next time.

a strange story by Rob

I was at the flying field today trimming out my new Genesis. On the second flight I had just started and was hovering about 4 feet off the ground when a pidgeon flew by. No big deal. The next thing I know I see this pidgeon coming out of the corner of my eye and he decides to attack my Genesis! Well needless to say it wasn't much of a battle. A few flying parts and a bunch of feathers later I had the Genesis back on the ground and the motor off. The helicopter came thru without any damage. Just covered in feathers! A couple of guys who were watching the whole thing also couldn't beleive it! The pidgeon that had flown by initially had done a 180 and came back to attack my heli. No one around here has ever seen or heard of such a thing! I guess he thought he was an eagle!

Enjoy Jostein´s story!

Argggggggh, I hit a seagull with my GPH yesterday! I thought that was almost impossible! The helicopter and the bird fell side by side to ground and landed a few meters apart. The bird was killed instantly, I think, and the GPH looked pretty scary.... full of blood on the main blades and canopy. Luckily the damage was very limited, just the blades and a few other things were damaged. It could have been a lot worse. So watch out for stupid birds!! Jostein PS: What did my girlfriend say when I told her about the incident? -Ohhh, poor bird.... But I think she meant the seagull.

An unusual "EHELI" meeting

I've only seen another heli fly on 2 occasions and it had a glow engine. I "hide" up here in the Mountains at Lake Louise and sneak off to get flights on my electric LMH 110 where the Banff National Park Wardens won't catch me. Lately I've been asked by my co-workers if I am the person flying on the frozen lake right in front of the hotel and the world and I say no, but I hope he doesn't attract the wrong attention:)

Today I saw the fellow walking back from the lake carrying a big heli with the blades removed and a knapsack. I introduced myself and then took a look at the heli - a LOGO 30! I bowed and said "I'm not worthy". He laughed and said he was surprised that a North American would know about the LOGO's. I told him I was hoping that the new LOGO 20 with CCPM would be coming out soon and he said he thought it was available now, so I am checking that out. He said he knew the owner of Mikado. It turn's out that he is a pastry chef ( I think ) from Germany named Mark, and he's working here at the same hotel as me for a while.

He said that the ECO8 was small, so I think he will be amused to see my LMH. He did groan when I told him how the LMH would usually "forgive" a power - on tip over with the blades slapping off the ground and I wasn't too afraid to learn because of this. I think he pays more for repairs:) I sure am looking forward to being a spectator this time!

Just thought I'd share my deprived life with you fellows:) Spared the non-LOGO fliers, though.

Best regards,
Glen