What is One Scary Mistake You Made Since You Started?

[eddiemoth]

We all make mistakes - so no shame to share it here. Sometimes, it is because we don't know and sometimes it is because we are careless. I started this thread so we can share our scary mistakes with others for us to learn from each other. For some mistakes, you don't know it until you learn it the hard way.

My most scary mistake I made so far and I'd like others to know so you don't have to learn it the hard way is: I changed the TX throttle (servo reversing) switch from NOR to REV when my battery was connected to the motor. Luckly, it was an Esky Honeybee FP, I was not holding it and nobody was around. I was doing this in my living room. Suddently, my heli shot up to the ceiling like a rocket and dropped back to the floor like a piece of rock. I saw the smoke comming out from the 4 in 1 and I did fly the 4 in 1 by doing it. It scared to me death. I though that I was very very luncky. Imagine what would have happended if it was a bigger heli, if I was holding it or someone was close to it. That is the most scary mistake I made. So guys whatever you do, don't try to switch the throttle switch when your battery is connected to the motor or your ESC.

I hope you can share yours as well.

[medtech]

well, I haven't been flying long but have two stories.

One, I was flying all alone in my front yard, hovered thru about 2 packs, ws totally concentrating. Suddenly out of nowhere comes a voice. "Hey, that's pretty cool". It scared the crap out of me. I spin around and see the mail man standing behind me. Of course it took me a few seconds to realize the helicopter was still 15 feet above me. I spin around just in time to see it heading right for us. I ducked but he didn't know better. Luckily it crashed about a foot from his legs. I hate distractions!! :x

Second, my neighbor came over and was watching me fly. I slowly let the heli down for a nice smooth landing and right then his dog decides my heli would be fun to chase. The poor dog got the main rotors right in the side of the head. It didn't cut the dog but I'm sure it hurt. I didn't even know the neighbors dog was with him or I would have told him to keep the dog away as I've seen my dogs get excited by the heli.

stuff does happen, no matter how careful you are!

[swatson144]

Yep I don't think dogs can see the blades blurr. If that was the corona that poor dog had an ouchy! Which leads me to my first story.

I was in my friends back yard, and it was decidedly too gusty to be flying so we were both putzing around with our coronas. I was nose in and pretty close. Along comes a long gust straight from behind the heli blowing it towards me. I gave it up and it was decidely pitched to go backwards but it only managed to slow it down. I had throttled up also. Now it is nose high and coming at me at the speed of a stroll from 15' away. No problem it'll straighten out. 10' I start wondering if I was as good nose in as I thought. 5' I was getting concerned! I yawed L side in and gave it some right. 3' something was trying to chew a hole in me whitey tighties. I chopped throttle and got three good hits 9", 6" 3" above the knee. It smarted but no real harm just some colorfull bruising. When everyone knew I wasn't hurt (they obviously couldn't see my injured pride). Seems I didn't just perceive it in slow motion it actually happened that way. Keep em away they get to close they need to zoom off.


Shortly after I started with helis I had a Hornet 2 sitting on the floor of my front porch right in front of the open door to the front room . My dog had zero interest in it and was sleeping in the LR. Engrossed in what I was doing with the rotors doing 2800 rpm with CF 235mm blades I look up and the dog was strolling through the door like she was just gonna go around the funny thing on the floor right through the rotor arc. I hit TH and bridged over the heli and held the dog until it spun down. I let her go and she walke right next to the heli and knocked my TX over the throttle went well above 1/2. Throttle hold is a good thing and probably the 1st thing you should setup and definately get used to using it.

Helis are attracted to things you don't care to hit! I was just getting comfortable with tail in hovering and made a FP moth for in my house. The best place in my house is over my bed. So I was trying to get a reasonable hover. The cat was watching from the head board. The phone rang I landed and talked for a couple mins. Dang cat was laying on the bed! I'd been shooing him off all the time and this time I just figured he'd move. So I fired up the vid camera (good way to know how long you are actually hovering) and fired it up. The cat didn't move until the blades hit it. Then it really moved! Nothing was hurt but I was lucky. I got that on vid. Still don't like that cat much.


Steve

[eddiemoth]

Great stories! I begin to like this thread already. So both human and animal audience don't seem to make good friends with RC heli pilots while flying :) Talking about the heli is suddently turning against the owner, I have another scary moment to share.

To get the flying space as big as possible, I always stood close to the wall so I could have a big space in front of me for flying. I didn't know that was not a good thing to do until one day when my Blade CP decided to turn against me with no reasons and I didn't have space to move. It was a typical day when I was trying to finish my pack before going to work. Suddently, I lost control and my Blade CP was going right at me, tail first, at my chest level. No space to run because I was up against the wall and didn't have time to duck. It went toward me so fast. The only thing I had with me was my TX. I used my TX to hit it to the ground.

It is still funny to me every time I think about what I did to my Blade CP on that day. I only got bruises on my hand but half of my TX antenna was cut off and gone. After work, I found it about 20 yards away from where I was flying.

So the lesson learned here is always have enough space to move when flying in a small space in case your heli decides to turn back on you.

[markdeacon]

Flying my LAMA V3 in the house the tail hitting the cup and the stabilizer/gyro thing coming off. Didnt break it but was scary! Nothing compared to you guys but I've only been flying 2 days!

[G-MRM]

Two days and nothing broken, your doing well !! Just keep on flying it, it's the only way !!

[Sleepstalker]

The scariest thing I found out about helis was thinking that I could afford them!! :roll: I got no funny stories yet unless you can picture my cat leaping up at my shogun in a tight hover over her at about 7' high and she's almost doing backflips trying to swat that big "BUG" over her!... :lol: She's sniffed it out while at rest on my tool bench and now distainfully ignores it...Sleepster... 8)

[swatson144]

Ok so I never learn. last weekend I was helping a friend wire his garage 30' x 40' 2 story. the bottom floor was where all the work was going on so when my heli buddy showed up and said "too bad it's so windy" I said "just go up stairs" he did. I heard a couple load thunks and then a good long flight followed by another. Wind was blowing about 25mph and all 12 windows were open :shock:. I soon went up and grabbed my TX and took to flying. Soon Mrs. Watson and some others were watching. Mrs Watson was standing behind me. I was doing nose in and Rick (ever pragmatic) was mentioning that there was a reason he was hiding behind the pole. Closer and closer soon I was standing alone with a Stevie seeking Corona drawing nearer and nearer. When they get so close you can't turn tail in for fear of getting hit with that end It's too late. I finaly hit TH and got out of the way. It went past me over the stairs (I was too close to the railing to back up ALA Eddie). It went by and the blades brushed my cheek like like when you try to brush something off. Hit the wall between 2 windows and fell about 16' to the 4th step below. Broke a LG strut. I flew it later that evening outside with the broken strut.

I'm gonna go back Sat and finish wiring.

I ain't flying a 2 1/2 pound heli inside again.

He has 3 acres of lawn nary a tree. If it gets too close again my next upgrade will be catcher or goalie gear. :oops:

Besides hovers look a lot better at 50' than 6'

No one said "Here's your sign" :?

Steve

[Sleepstalker]

It just ain't right until the right person catches you actin' like a dumba** and say's here's yer sign.... :P

[Ozzyeureka]

Sorry folks, I dont get the 'sign' bit.
But for me, a little co axial Venom got me! These are an 'inside only ' heli, so I was flying in my lounge room. Still learning to fly and the down wash started to cause control problems, but I didnt realise the problem then. All of a sudden the heli came at me, tail first. I had all of a metre (3ft) to work out what was going to happen. I panicked, cut the throttle teh heli bounced and rolled and whacked my ankles with the blades. No blood, but a few very good 100mm (4") bruises ! I told the mates I had been whacked by a whipper snipper (weed wacker to the USA contingent) - that being more acceptable than being run over by a toy heli! :-)

[swatson144]

"here's your sign" comes from some redneck comedians popular over here. There is a whole list of stupid things like

Got a flat? Well no.. the other 3 just swelled up all the sudden.
You gonna eat that donut? No I just ordered it because it winked at me.

Here's your sign. It's implied it says "I'm stupid" or something :wink:

Helis sure hurry to hit something you don't want to hit. Just today I narrowly misssed a tree trunk twice. I finally thunked it real good with the corona. Hit it hard enough it'll probably move to the other side of the lot when I show up in the morning.

Steve

[Ozzyeureka]

Well, I cant get it to fly, but it still got me!
My Walkera #4 was connected up to power, but just sitting there. Teh TX was turned on and only about 2 ft away. I wanted to back the main rotor screws off a touch so I reached for the screw driver sitting just near the landing gear. Suddenly the main motor spun as if the Rxer had glitched badly and so I copped two good whacks on the forearm, enough to draw blood.
SoI learned that no matter how small the adjustment, or how quick it will be, ALWAYS disconnect the battery when working on your heli.
And the funny thing is- in 5 years of working on 1:1 size Skyhawks, Sea Kings and Iriquois, I never once lost any skin or blood to an aircraft, not even when changing the autopilot amplifier in a Sea King! And both of my little electric toys have got me now!

[swatson144]

I'll share this with ya'll since I'd been posterizing about be careful around pets. Please read that last sentance again it's important!

Before you watch the vid I have to say it was nearly 2 yrs ago and I was learning tail in hovering. The heli was a Humming Bird FP V2. The cat is a ornery contancerous Tom my wife and son spent 3 yrs getting me to say OK (some treachery was involved). I'd never hurt an animal I made a commitment to keep intentionally. I take my commitments very seriously.

I was trying to hover inside over a bed. I used a video camera so I could see if the 3 min hovers were in fact 3mins or 30 seconds. The cat was on the headboard watching the idiot try to control the contraption. My business phone rang and I agreed to be there as soon as possible (well that would be after this pack right?) When I went back the Cat was laying in the middle of the bed. At that time if I chased him off he got angry and attacked my legs, relieved himself outside the litter box or found some way to express his displeasure. I figured OK I spool this thing up he'll move right?

Video here (http://www.jacobwatson.com/images/dads%20images/heli/vids/sonic%20gets%20hit.wmv)

Even though it looks like I'm taunting the cat with the heli I was a rank noob with mostly no control of the heli. When it got out of control and headed for the cat I did the only thing I new how at the time and cut throttle. The cat was inspected carefully immediatly after and somehow was uninjured.

Steve

[cmaxim]

I take my commitments very seriously.



Video here (http://www.jacobwatson.com/images/dads%20images/heli/vids/sonic%20gets%20hit.wmv)


Great video and thank you for sharing Steve. I am glad that your cat is alright. Lucky cat !
Chinda

[BSD]

While I was trying to keep my BCP Pro in hover I was SOOO concentrated on it that I didnt even notice how close it was to the antenna of my controller, then WAP!!!! Scared the crap out of me, clean cut the antenna in 2!! Just very minor damage to the blades, very scary, especially for a newbie.

[cmaxim]

Scared the crap out of me, clean cut the antenna in 2!! Just very minor damage to the blades, very scary, especially for a newbie.
BSD you reminded of my eldest son. Last Sunday 12/10/06 my son came to visit us and I offered him to fly my new heli (Blade CX2). With Eddie's instructed him what to do, suddenly I heart a very loud laughing noise. I looked over and saw my son caught the heli with his hand while it was flying in the living room. I knew that my son afraid that he might break my heli. :( :( :( I told him not to do that again because I am so concern about his safety. If my heli break, so what it just cause some money. There is no danger involve. Oh well, may be I am just an over protected mother ? 8) 8) 8)

[eddiemoth]

This happend to me about three weeks ago but I wanted to add it to this thread so we all can learn from it including myself. Don't stand close to the door when flying! With the 2nd pack I was standing close to the door and suddenly the door was opened by someone and hit me on my elbow kicking the throttle stick and pushed the heli to the ceiling and dropped back down like a rock!

[eddiemoth]

OK, I need to register my stupid mistake so everybody can avoid it. I flew my Hurricane 500 with Trex450 model on my radio! Only a few parts got broken but this could have been a lot worst. So always check your model on your radio first.

[swatson144]

I've always been scared of that one. Mine gets checked 3 times before each flight!
once when I set the TX down which is also the check to make sure the TX isn't in a menu mode. This has saved me from not holding the selector down in answer of "are you sure" and not actually switching models as intended.

Once more when the wires are in my hand prior to plugging in. Also the 2nd check for switches and sticks.

3rd check is before clipping the neckstrap on. This is often where I find I didn't cycle power on the TX while changing packs and the timers aren't reset. :oops:

Steve

[G-MRM]

Mine has to be with Brokers Rona, went to reverse the rudder, on its first flight ever, and changed the throttle in error. :( :(

As it was live it went up like a rocket as the ESC don't have a soft start setting.... As I could not make out what was wrong for a few seconds it flew high and fast and ended in our tree after a little flight over nextdoor!

An hour later we cut it free from the top of the tree with very very little damage :D part from my ego :(

Martin

[The Broker]

Martin I'm sorry for having to wash your dirty linen in public but you have a history of starting heli's on full throttle you did it to my Titan once if you remember :lol: :lol: :lol:

[G-MRM]

I think the owner of that said Titan should remeber that they set the model in the Tx for me to start the heli for them ! That said owner had two Titans saved to the Tx one was Ok the other all reversed ! Never did work out where that one came from !!

[The Broker]

A bad workman blames his tools :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[daniel reese]

I cant let you guys have ALL the embarassment! Last month (on my birthday no less) I was flying my TRex 450 in the local gym late at night, nube-ing it arround and trying to get better at hover and flying side to side, forward and back...I was getting downright cocky about it and started to speed up....dumb. (Where was MY sign?)

While flying rearward it accellerated faster than I was prepared to deal with and despite punching forward cyclic, left rudder and dumping pitch, I still took a main rotor strike to the solar plexis..OUCH! Those things get closer than you think, faster than they appear to...

After bouncing off of me it hit the floor and did the dead chicken dance for a second (had already cut throttle but momentum/inertia kept the rotors spinning for a bit) and I was distracted trying to make sure that there were no chunks of rotor blade sticking out of me and that my guts weren't about to spill out). The wooden blades had exploded but I think they did that on my chest before they hit the ground, the rest was the usual casualties of a rotor strike.

Lucky for me, I was using wooden (fragile) blades and still using the factory linear throttle pitch curves so the headspeed was WAY low, otherwise I might have had something worse than a nasty bruise....

Lesson learned- keep them things out in front, AWAY from people.

Had a near repeat last night when trying a nose in hover. It started getting pretty wobbly and I tried to piro out of it but for just a second, I was looking eye level straight down through the rotor disk, the nose pointed right at my feet and at about 80% throttle...It had that cat-about-to-pounce look to it...Having a VERY clear memory about the last time I tried to slow the heli with my body, I reacted more quickly this time and put it down in a nice soft landing before it actually started moving toward me...KEEP THEM AWAY FROM PEOPLE! (holding a mirror in front of me as I say that...)

[The Broker]

Those things get closer than you think, faster than they appear to...

That is so true...at the field I bring the heli back in stages otherwise all of a sudden it is just about on top of you...it is a kinda perception thing cos they are moving faster and are nearer than they look.

[Fireant]

I had just rebuilt the Trex 450 and was giving it a test at the field. I put it in a hover and flicked into Idle2 instead of 1. However, I'd only setup the throttle and not the pitch. The result was a yoyoing helicopter that flew backwards into my knee, leaving a massive bruise and two 5cm cuts. Did the boom, both blades, feathering and main shafts.

[The Broker]

I think Martin got hit in the leg aby a T-Rex once but I don't think it broke the skin ...just a huge bruise LOL

[G-MRM]

Yes that did catch my leg rather bad but that was a bad piro that went wrong too close and i went for the correction too late ! No blood !

[g0pkh]

Hi all.

Stupidist mistake I ever made was to crash my heli without even getting airborne :lol: :lol: :lol:

How, you may ask.

Well back in the early 90's when I was flying Concepts, I also used the JR Apex 8 Computer radio (the one with the membrane keyboard and LCD display along the bottom).

It had a new function (in those days) called servo test, which when activated sends all servos on a sort of ramp test.

Yes, you guessed it, I had to activate this on the ground with the engine running, on the flight line. :lol: :lol:

Usual damage, main blades, tail boom, main gear etc etc.

Fortunately no one hurt :)

[channel82]

Buying a Knight 50 (meow) or maybe it should go under the most stupid thing I did !!!!!
Hmm ! difficult one that lol :doubt:

[piromedic]

The scariest thing I have done is starting flying. Spoken like a newbie.

[Arigold1]

Okay first post.....

My first Heli was a Blade CP Pro... I had it about 2 weeks when I was showing my roommate the basics on how to operate it. He had the transmitter and was learning the features, and when he was finished i was walking to the heli to disconnect the battery when he carelessly threw the remote on the couch and hit the throttle up switch while i had the heli in my hand! I held on to it as tight as I could while i screamed at him to shut the remote off! Needless to say, i learned 2 valuable things, 1 take the remote immediately after showing someone new how to fly it, and 2 my roommate is a moron!

[mtpenguin]

I agree with piromedic, "You mean aside from first starting?"

LOL

Starting my Nitro with a little throttle and the Tx NOT close to me?

Starting my Nitro with the Rx off?


B-)

[estarter]

A friend of mine got the same surprise of going to unplug the BCP after a good landing and the heli went full power, his Tx was on the floor.

[odam2k]

I almost posted here this morning but wasn't sure what was scariest... Oh sure, I've done the usual... First day I shattered a set of blades on the fridge... I've been nicked by the blades, but none of those were really scary.

I was out flying at lunch time on the street in front of the house, and it was quite windy... I've only had my Blade CP Pro for two weeks, so am still learning to hover... I'm spending about an hour a day on the sim (RealFlight G4) and flying the copter as often as I can, but it seems its always windy.

Anyhow, I was hovering away nicely (still tail in) and a big gust comes along, and up it goes.... up, up, up... its about 30 feet in the air, and a couple houses down.... My greatest fear, I can't tell which way it is oriented, no time to think, and it ends up on the roof of a house. I actually surprised myself at the semi-controlled crash on the roof....

Here's the scary part, the only way to get it down was to do the floppy chicken dance on the roof till it slid off, and then watch it fall to the driveway below... I've been pretty good, haven't had a hard crash for days (what a relief) but here I was doing this on purpose!

Luckily, the only damage was a bent main shaft, and I had a spare ready....

My wife thinks the scariest thing is the amount of money I've spent on this hobby in two weeks... he he

[swatson144]

Scariest thing is, She ain't seen nothing yet.

Steve

[eddiemoth]

Just keep the credit card statement away from her and then it is not the scariest any more. JK. I never thought of that. :)

[odam2k]

Actually, she's all for it, maybe thats the scary part!

I am hoping she will start playing with the sim, and maybe fly the Super Cub, but I really doubt she will be interested in the CP Pro.

Two and a half weeks into this, and I now have a micro FP, a micro Coaxial, two cheap plastic FPs that don't fly, the Blade CP Pro, and a HH Super Cub plane, and in two weeks I'm picking up a Blade 400. The following month I intend on purchasing a TRex 450 SE.

The look on her face was priceless when I told her this...:doubt:

But, in the end, she's all for it. There are plenty of worse ways to spend money....

Rod

[cmaxim]

Scariest thing is, She ain't seen nothing yet.

Steve
Steve,
When we women did not say anything, it did not mean that we did not know.lollol As long as you don't spend too much time with helis and forget your lady, everything will be under control.lol


Just keep the credit card statement away from her and then it is not the scariest any more. JK. I never thought of that. :)
Eddie,
Never under estimate your INS. :-))


Actually, she's all for it, maybe thats the scary part.

But, in the end, she's all for it. There are plenty of worse ways to spend money....

Rod

Rod,
When you and your wife are all for it, there will be plenty of joys in life ! :-)
Chinda

[swatson144]

Hee hee I just mentioned to Lisa that I was bummed because my new heli didn't arrive today. She said " I didn't know you were expecting another". I replied that I thought I'd mentioned it :idea:. She said "well what did you get?" I told her a glow fuel type so I could fly at debbie's while she is shopping around Lynnhaven and leaving me with no battery to charge from. She increduously replied " Your getting a slimer??? That was pretty scary.

Steve

[cmaxim]

Hee hee I just mentioned to Lisa that I was bummed because my new heli didn't arrive today. She said " I didn't know you were expecting another". I replied that I thought I'd mentioned it :idea:. She said "well what did you get?" I told her a glow fuel type so I could fly at debbie's while she is shopping around Lynnhaven and leaving me with no battery to charge from. She increduously replied " Your getting a slimer??? That was pretty scary.

Steve

Steve,
I did not what slimer was, so I google it. It is so cute.lol I like the way Lisa replied. She is so sweet.:)
Chinda

[Onespeed]

I would have to say the most scariest moment for me so far was handing the TX to my dad! He did pretty well but we ended up taking a trip to the LHS ...... i got some new blades for my cx2:D on his dime. I am already scared.... knowing full well the amount of money I am going to be spending. Blade 400 in the works...

[broggyr]

My scare was when my wife wanted to try my heli - not because she was interested, but wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I have had my heli, at this time it was a Falcon40 FP, for about 2 weeks, still learning basic hovering.

She wanted to try. I respectfully declined, but then she said "oh, come on!". She took it up (just gave it throttle) and set it down about 10 feet from where it started, looked at me and said "What's so hard about that?"

The problem is, she didn't intend for it to go that way... Apparently, all there is to helicopter flying is ramping up the throttle and not caring where it goes. Of course, trying to control it doesn't come into play LOL

[bmcq52]

I am definitely new to heli's ... but I'm learning. I have a Blade CX2 that I can fly just about anywhere. Decided to get a bigger heli ... exceed G2. Finally got everything adjusted where I could get a decent hover at about 1'. I was playing around with some minor adjustments so I was flying it indoors in a 16x16 room. I was crouched next to my freezer and had been holding a steady hover for 2-3 minutes. I started to get a cramp and decided to land the heli in front of me and take a break. I guess I misjudged the arc of the rotors and just as I was throttling down the rotor caught my left index finger. With a brand new set of carbon fiber blades, they were razor sharp. It took 3 stitches to close the wound. I'm a lot more careful now with how close I get to this beast.

[swatson144]

Welcome to HeliTown bmcq52. Another thing you want to remember is to leave yourself an "out". You don't want to be where you can't get out of the way unless you are wearing goalie gear. Open doorways are excellent for indoor hovering generally gives the most room possible and a quick exit, unless someone closes it on you then you are just in a corner :D.

Steve

[bmcq52]

Your info shows HR VA. Is that Hampton Roads? I'm in Edenton just south of the border.

[thumbtime]

1st mine is getting into this hobby (how much time and money)
2nd is the wife (heard this b4) she wanted a go again just to see what the fuss was or to make me nervous (there was an advert on tv were the wife crashed his plane for kicking her car door closed) she did good for just spinning her up and stopping again gave me back the tx :)

[ranger306ci]

1) I was setting up my servos on a little fp. I had it powered up, and sitting about eye level on a tv tray. I was moving them, checking for binding, when it glitched, and the blades hit my nose. Made my eyes water pretty bad, and taught me to unplug motors!
2) in the basement with the same fp. Went to reverse the rudder channel on the tx. accidentially reversed throttle.........and the heli still had power. Tried its darnest to chew a hole in the ceiling!

[broggyr]

It took 3 stitches to close the wound. I'm a lot more careful now with how close I get to this beast.

Ouch!
The headspeed combined with CF blades will, well you already know - glad you're OK otherwise.

I learned my lesson a couple weeks ago spinning up the heli with a set of blades that were known to separate at the root. Did that stop me from using them?. Hah! During a motor test, they separated and took out a light on the ceiling, shattering it. A piece hit my hand (deep enough to bleed) - never did find out if it was a blade piece or glass from the light.

I to this day have not found all the blade pieces...

[broggyr]

1)Made my eyes water pretty bad

Ow! Makes my eyes water just reading this...

[bmcq52]

thanks broggyr! Hopefully this thread will shed light for all of the newbies and even the more advanced fliers that these are remarkable little toys ..... but they are also very dangerous if you let your guard or common sense drop for even an instance.

[SloICEMAN]

Wow, still can't believe the knowledge and insight I'm getting by just reading all the thread posts.
As I said when I first joined, I've only flown small 3 channel so far. Didn't stop me from flying it around the family room during thanksgiving last year and having to let off the throttle, watch it hit the wall and land in my aunts lap.
Update for those that helped me get over my fear: I'm still getting the Blade 400 and it should be within a week (hopefully this weekend :) ).

I would like to see a step by step of normal procedures before flying taken by some of the guys/gals that have been around a little longer. Really worried still that I'm not going to check a part that is supposed to be checked regularly and have it fail b/c I didn't notice it in time. I want to avoid the "costly" mistakes as much as possible!

[odam2k]

We were camping last week, and I was hovering around the campsite with the Blade 400, leaning up against the car, as I usually did... As I hovered, it got turned nose-in and shot toward me, and I had no place to go, and I got blade-whacked in the "you know whats" Can you say "Ouch!"
Now I no longer stand where I don't have the ability to move quickly... Always keep an escape route available...

[broggyr]

I got blade-whacked in the "you know whats"

Man, the carnage! What are we doing with ourselves? Pardon me, but I have a full pack waiting... LOL

[Freak]

Scariest thing is reading this thread, and realizing that I need to order spare parts for the starter heli I haven't got in the mail yet. That's so far, first one is still on the UPS truck.

[broggyr]

Which heli did you get?

[heli143]

I built a Schluter Long Ranger for a friend and delivered it to his home. He got his transmitter and equipment to test fly it. While he held the TX I started the helicopter up withouth realizing (or checking with him) that the RX was not turned on. I almost died when it spun up and he yelled out that he had no control. It was spinning pretty good while we ran around like two clowns trying to find something to hold it down.
Finally he found a broom stick and we slid it over the skids so I could reach under the blades and pull the fuel line.
Needless to say I felt like an idiot, but was thankful no one got hurt and the heli was saved.

[eddiemoth]

It might be a good idea to keep a broom nearby. :) heli123, it happens to most of us. There is always that moment.

[Skytrek]

Not really a fling my heli story more of a charger issue. I had just gotten my Blue Ray 450 and was all excited to set her up and go. While doing my preflight check and got my 12v battery out and strung some leads to hook up my charger. I hooked the leads which were about fifteen feet long at the battery terminals not realizing that the other end was already attached to my lawnmower 6v, which was attached to a trickle charger plugged in to the wall (NOT GOOD). Now this is my first true hobby grade heli and I had just finished a conversation with my wife about how dangerous these things are and promised to be very careful.

Well sparks stared to fly and our cat who had gotten in the garage without me knowing, jumped about six feet in the air knocking over a huge cup of water right on the leads which I had dropped by now. The cat landed right in the puddle and POOF POOF POOF and he slammed into the door and crawled outside.

As I saw his now smoking tail vanish from the building my wife stuck her head in the door, NOT GOOD!! There was just a stare at first and then she proclaimed (What in the He-- just happened). Gathering my composure I wanted to say something intelligent but all that came out was (WHAT Nothing, and my now famous blank stare). She just shook her head as one more spark flew from my now burned up trickle charger.

Never really like that cat much anyways!! :roll:

[ranger306ci]

Nothing like a light show before the main event!;)
Along those lines, I USED to have a blade 400. The way it is setup, the battery is very close to the outrunner motor. Well, I had been meaning to put a little shield between the battery and motor, but kept blowing it off. anyways, i was flitting the heli around, kinda hard, and the battery shifted even with the velcro. That outrunner wore a hole in the end of the lipo, shorting 1 cell. The sounds and noises coming from my airborne heli were chilling( the smoke was a bad sign, too) I landed as fast as I could, tore off the canopy, and chucked the battery. No real damage to the heli, because the flames did not start until the battery hit the lawn. I wore the sticker off the motor, and had some arc marks on it. After that, I put the shield in, and then sold that heli.
My point is, look at your setup, and ask yourself "what could go wrong here"
and fix it BEFORE you are in the air! While my battery was shorting, I had limited "control" of the heli due to large voltage swings. Could have turned out bad!

[thumbtime]

ranger306ci

My point is, look at your setup, and ask yourself "what could go wrong here"

lol dont ask lol

[Mysterious]

I was flyin on my street out front, just hovering about 4-5 feet off the ground, got a little cocky, pushed the throttle to move a toad higher but the wind suddenly started gusting hard and my belt cp shot up the height of the street lights, I paniced, started losing orientation of the tail, it started plumetting tail first at my neighbours car.... I was force to put full input forward and hit the throttle... I slammed into their driveway about 1 foot behind the rear of their car. :( Guess it was better than repainting their car.

[mtpenguin]

Ouch!!!

I did that once too..... sept it was my car.... Still thinking I might have rather hit the car.

lol

B-)

[Mindless23]

Friday night I was just doing some low throttle hovering with my little Wasp v3, practicing breaking GE and setting it back down nicely. Now, this probably wasn't a very good idea to start with, since there was no servo connected to the tail rotor, and it was simply fixed in a neutral setting with some tape lol. But to be honest I cannot put any blame on that fact, for it all rests with my still clumsy fingers.

I went to adjust the gyro sensitivity to see if i could notice any difference, and in the process of reaching for the dial clipped the throttle and pushed it to about half. I had no time to react, the heli banked right directly toward my legs, and put two bone deep gouges in my shin, one for each blade :P. Didn't quite get to the bone, since i was wearing some rather thick khakis, but that just made it more of a crushing injury as opposed to a cutting one...

So my first small lesson in heli pain, but good did come of it. On Saturday I decided to head down to the LHS, and it turns out all their E-Flight parts are an exact match for everything on my Skyartec Wasp, so I replaced that servo, stocked up on some new CP bits, and was just waiting for my hexagon screwdriver to arrive, which they did just now at my office :). Can't wait to run a pack through it tonight and do it all over again! lol


Mindless

[don_m8856]

If there is one thing that stands out in my mind is meeting steve AKA (swatson144) there is something that just dont seem right about that guy lol

[swatson144]

Phwattt!

Steve