Fly fishing (by Mr B)

[Mr.B.]

So, I was having a lovely time flying my Britflight H20 (great little plane) off the lake. Towards the upper end of acceptable wind speed but I was a few minutes into my second battery. On a downwind pass the aircraft started becoming sluggish and started slowing down. Suspecting a battery failure I started a 180 degree turn into wind for immediate landing.

90 degrees through the turn and she straightens out and I have no directional control. Not good as it is now heading away from the water and toward the foot path. But she’s still at about 50ft with level pitch so should comfortably fly over the path for a crash into the trees beyond. Suddenly it started to descend but still with a level attitude. Briefly I thought I saw something trailing from the aircraft.

I now have no control what so ever so chop the throttle to try to fall short of the path. She makes a heavy landing then slides across the grass and across the path. Fortunately missing the people.

I turns out moments earlier across on the adjacent fishing lake someone cast off. A gust carried his line backward. To his bemusement his line carried on paying out at an alarming rate. When the aircraft came down it was towing about 250ft of fishing line, a lead weight and was still connected to the fishing rod. The lead weigh was trailing about 50ft behind the aircraft. It had snagged on a bush which caused the sudden loss of altitude .

Fortunately it missed the people walking past who were unperturbed and accepted my apologies for the near miss. The fisherman apologised. The plane lost the floats and damaged the hull while sliding across the path. The fishing line had sliced into the wing up to the spar. I will ensure greater separation from fishermen in future.

Edited By Mr.B. on 02/03/2013 17:27:00

[John Muir]

That's got to be one of the best excuses for a prang I've ever heard! The fisherman is going to have an interesting story to tell about what he caught today as well.

Priceless. Thanks for sharing that with us.

John.

[Mr.B.]

I think he should stuff the plane and mount it over his mantle piece.

Edited By Mr.B. on 02/03/2013 17:07:43

[Pete B]

I hope the Daily Wail doesn't monitor the forum - wouldn't like to think what they''d make of it. 'Rod Man downs Drone Clone!', perhaps.....

Pete

[Mike Etheridge 1]

Whilst fly fishing at Barcombe Mills in Sussex as the light was fading I was alarmed that on the back-cast my fly line just dropped behind me. I went to recover the cast and fly and found a bat attached. It tried to bite me as I un-hooked the fly from its wing,but eventually I managed to re-launch the bat and it flew away fortunately uninjured. I have never caught a model plane in the same way even though they sometimes flew quite close to the trout reservoir!

MJE

[Martian]

for a moment there Mike I thought you were the fisherman that caught Mr B plane

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

Smashing story! What are the odds of that?

BEB

PS Agree about the H2O - I have one and they are an excellent little model for fun on the water.

[David Tweddle]

Oh no pass me the pantie liners love.

Classic stuff and hope all ends well.

David