Topic: Bad day on the hill...

With the wind forecast for 50mph gusts, I thought I go out for some max hoonery...
Didn't turn out as I expected and now I've come home minus a plane.

It went down and I can't find it, so I'll have to take a days leave and scour the hill for it during the week.

What was it?

Only my blimmin' Opus GT , fully fitted out with Futaba 3150s x 5 and a Multiplex rx7

All was going well until I did a pass below the horizon....talk about stealthy!
Looks like my eyes don't like brown tinted goggles, yelow glidder and undergrowth in the background.
I yanked some up elevator in to bring it up above theb horizon again, but it lost a lot of speed, went back below the horizon and disappeared again,  I pulled off my goggs to see if that helped, and caught a glimpse of it, but my eyes started watering badly with the strong wind .

Gone...

not good 

indeed...

I feel your pain .Good luck finding it

Thats really unfortunate Buster - hope you find it and it isn't dmaged...

I love my VDS so much in strong winds I bought an MCT as well.

As I recall one of the guys on here had a similar problem and went back with a keychain camera on an Easy Glider or something similar and used it to film the slope from the air. Spotting it on the video he was then able to retrieve it.

Its a horrible feeling when you lose one and they can end up a long way from where you last saw them, usually quite a way downwind. The closest shave I had was losing sight of a 60" plank after Brian mid-aired it and it span out of sight down the slope. We spent quite a while searching the slope for it until one of the guys found it on top of the slope and quite a way back..

Best of luck with the search mate 

That'd be me with the keyfob cam when I lost my 'nana. Taped the cam to an eleccy glider and fortunately it did the job, although it was 400-500yds further away than I thought and only got it on the cam by pure luck due to getting blown out of the area I thought it was in. Midnight run to retrieve it (Mrs thought I was mad  )

That was 1 very stressfull day, I feel your pain BG. Hope you find it.

In fact with an Opus, it'd be so much pain I'd be off sick tomorrow (and I'd be out looking for a cure  )
 

It'll be either Wed, Thurs or Fri before I can get out
Got an audit at work to prepare for unfortunately and people depend on me for this...

This is causing me severe mental anguish

Sorry for your loss ,i was at the bowl with Ken H ,we expected to meet you there.

Hello matey, sorry I missed you, more than you can guess.
When I first went out it was almost due west, hence my choice of site, but the wind moved round to the Later, having said that, I'm not a fan of the bowl, too close to the busy road.

You'r right , road really busy and lift not that good considering wind speed .Where were you?

I was at Bewdley, which is the next turning on the right on the way out of Stanhope

I was at Bewdley, which is the next turning on the right on the way out of Stanhope

Did you have a phone number on it? And is it worth reporting it lost to the Police on the vague off chance someone will hand it in?

Fingers crossed.

Bewdley? As in 'by Kidderminster' Bewdley?  I thought you were further away than that?

Nope, Bewdley as in Near rookhope, Co Durham.
Police will be contacted tomorrow

Nope, Bewdley as in Near rookhope, Co Durham.

I won't bother going up to see if I can trip over it then 

Best not to...

Hello,
  Buster the lucky b@@tard had some good news ,his opus has been found<condition unknown >
update soon,
cheers Euan.
ps i wonder if i have some repairing to do

Hello,
  Buster the lucky b@@tard had some good news ,his opus has been found<condition unknown >
update soon,
cheers Euan.
ps i wonder if i have some repairing to do

Excellent news. Even if it's shredded, you get some closure, and hopefully it's much better than that.

A mate of mine lost a combat wing on its maiden flight and spent days searching for it. It was returned to him a whole year later by a farmer who knew he was into 'that sort of thing'.

...which makes me wonder why all my planes still haven't got my phone number on them yet!

By all accounts it's in good nick. I'll post some pics when I pick it up. Slight fin damage but considering the windspeed 45mph ish etc, I'm a happy punter

I was at Bewdley, which is the next turning on the right on the way out of Stanhope

Is that up Crawleyside, or the Wolsingham road? Just curious, I go past now and then...

Next turn up to the right when heading out of Stanhope towards Eastgate 

Wow...how lucky/fortunate /spawny am I?

A bit of dampness in the wing, so taken off the covers for an airing, the battery was still showing 4.8v no load/4.2v under load...

Minimal damage and easy fixes all round. All damage limited to the tail end, split along the seam and captive nuts have escaped...erm...that's all

Wow...how lucky/fortunate /spawny am I?

A bit of dampness in the wing, so taken off the covers for an airing, the battery was still showing 4.8v no load/4.2v under load...

Minimal damage and easy fixes all round. All damage limited to the tail end, split along the seam and captive nuts have escaped...erm...that's all

Very  spawny    glad you found it Buster

Beenie

Yeah; spawny! 

That is sooooo lucky - well done

Nice one Graeme,looks like it could've been much worse

I hope you got finder a pint o four and I bet you had one to celebrate

Superb result, and now you know if landing gets real difficult you can just turn the tranny off and let it do it's own thing!.....LOL

Andy.........

I hope you got finder a pint o four and I bet you had one to celebrate

Reward will be visited upon him

Lucky boy, found the Opus and minimal damage, excellent result

Next turn up to the right when heading out of Stanhope towards Eastgate 

Ah- the OTHER way! I'll have a nosey next time I'm past...

Superb result, and now you know if landing gets real difficult you can just turn the tranny off and let it do it's own thing!.....LOL

Andy.........

If only it was that simple eh? LOL

Glad you got ya' bird back BG 

I am obviously hugely chuffed to bits 

I am obviously hugely chuffed to bits 

What I am seriously touched about, is the many offers of help to find it and the efforts of a clubmate who went in search on his own and turned up trumps , it says a lot about people who are willing to give up their own precious time to help me out. I am extremely gratefulto them all but especially to the finder Pete Softley.
Credit where credit's due.
Finally, I also cannot believe my fortune in getting back a serious investment (for me) In airfarme and electronics with minimal damage...I am now in Karma deficeit and will have to be a good lad for the rest of my life to pay back the goodwill and luck I've had this week.

I am obviously hugely chuffed to bits 

What I am seriously touched about, is the many offers of help to find it and the efforts of a clubmate who went in search on his own and turned up trumps , it says a lot about people who are willing to give up their own precious time to help me out. I am extremely gratefulto them all but especially to the finder Pete Softley.
Credit where credit's due.
Finally, I also cannot believe my fortune in getting back a serious investment (for me) In airfarme and electronics with minimal damage...I am now in Karma deficeit and will have to be a good lad for the rest of my life to pay back the goodwill and luck I've had this week.

This is without doubt one of the few hobbies where you do often get out of it what you put in.... In so many ways..... the fact that you recieved so much help and support probably reflects the help and support you have given others..... long may that continue!..........

Andy............

Result 

Just as an aside when flying on Garway about a year ago I landed out a bit, when I went to pick up my glider i came back with 2, one that had been lost in the thick ferns a few months previous.

Apart from a flat battery it was in good health and re united with its owner (not the same investment you had admittedly, but shows they often turn up)

After a little epoxying and cyanoing this p.m....we're good to go again , just the servo hatches to re-apply and it's done ('til the next time  ).

Buster,
         looks good ,
           cheers Euan.

...and this ones not for sale...

Nice one, looking forward to seeing it in the air.

This is without doubt one of the few hobbies where you do often get out of it what you put in.... In so many ways..... the fact that you recieved so much help and support probably reflects the help and support you have given others..... long may that continue!..........

Andy............

In 20+ years of sloping all over the UK, I have found this sort of help and support to be the norm. Long may it last.