Do you put a name and address label in your models?

[leccyflyer]

I've long been convinced of the potential benefits of putting a name and address label in your models and that's never been so apparent as this morning

Here's a salutory "Tale of the Unexpected" to illustrate that.

Last October -the 10th of October - I was flying my venerable, but newly restored Esprit Models Suprae-E aerobatic model at the club field when something fell off the model. At the time I thought it was a wheel, but bringing the model in for a closer look it was the canopy. I landed the model safely and there was no damage other than a piece out of the former behind the canopy. My very kind clubmates set up a search for the missing canopy - which was covered in bright red film and about a foot long, I saw it depart from the model, so had a rough idea of where it would be, so it should have been easy to find. That didn't turn out to be the case.

My pal Derek in particular wouldn't give up and searched far and wide, on both sides of the wee burn near the field. In the end I persuaded him to halt the search, but even then, we drove around to the far side of the field and looked back across the bog. Still no sign of the canopy and I'd resigned myself to just building a replacement from memory- the model having long been discontinued.

[leccyflyer]

In the following weeks, we even had another couple of strolls over the field to see if there was any sign of the canopy, but not a trace was seen.

Yesterday evening, I thought that I would check on my old AOL email address, which I don;t use and which picks up hundreds of spam emails. Sure enough there were hundreds of spam emails and I set about deleting and blocking them, Then purely by luck, I noticed an email sent on Christmas Eve, from an address i didn;t recognise. Someone had found my canopy.

This kind lady had sent a picture of the canopy, that her husband had found in their field before Christmas. I used to put a name and address label in all my models and, in this case, luckily the label was on the canopy. The thing is it was my old email address and phone number from back in Cheshire, from years ago. We met up this morning and Lynne was able to give me my canopy back - I'm so grateful, but she wouldnt take the offered reward.

smile emoticonHere's the canopy, with that all important label. Missing since 10th October!

The really lucky bit is that I even checked that old email address - I hadn't checked it since well before Christmas and I generally just delete the hundreds of spam posts. I could so easily have deleted that email. So I will be updating all my labels with my new email address and new telephone number.

[leccyflyer]

Now here's the rub. That's a good news story that my canopy was found, and the label did it's job.

Now you might say - "So what? Someone just found something you've lost, big deal"

Here is the amazing thing though. The map below shows where the canopy was lost, and fell to earth and where it was found - more than FIVE MILES AWAY! How strange is that?

[leccyflyer]

Soooooo -possible theories for the tale of the unexpected? Blown by the winds and gales? Carried in a stream -not likely because that location is upstream, by quite a long way, on a different river? Found by a passer by and then randomly thrown away somewhere else? Picked up by a large bird and dropped? Fell through a wormhole?

[Chris Barlow]

They have/rent a field closer to your flying location?

[Chris Barlow]

I'm a little dubious about putting my address in a model simply because if any of the "wrong" people find it they might come looking for more?

Never thought of using an email address though. Might start doing that instead.

[Basa]

I also lost a canopy , got a telephone call 2 weeks later when a dog walker found it . I have always put my phone number in any gliders that I have had over the years , this paid off when I lost a home made fournier motor glider which went up in the strongest thermal that I had experienced in my 18 years of flying , I could not get it to come down and disappeared forever going upwards , I got a call to pick it up later that evening close to an infant school , also may be a good reason for having BMFA insurance ?

[Geoff S]

I certainly wouldn't put my actual address in a model but a phone number and/or email address seems sensible. I don't do it. Perhaps I should.

I lost my electric Lazy Bee some years ago. It went down wind and whatever I did wouldn't fly back and eventually I gave up and let it go in. I spent ages looking but never found it. I called at the farm in whose field I thought it had ended up and I got a phone call a few days later that it had been found. I gave the woman a big box of chocolates. The wing was undamaged but it was few years before I repaired the nose and got it flying again.

The problem? The toothed belt drive pulley had lost all its teeth so the brushed motor wasn't driving the prop effectively. It's brushless now.

Geoff

[leccyflyer]

Posted by Chris Barlow on 06/02/2016 14:26:06:

They have/rent a field closer to your flying location?

No, the lady told me exactly where the canopy was found, at the location shown - they don;t actually live there.

[Robin Colbourne]

Should I put my name & address on my models? - Yes.  Do I remember to do so? - Usually No.

Its worth remembering that actually losing sight of a model isn't the only case when its useful. If your model gets stuck in a tree, and you can't reach it, then someone lese may find it if it blows down, or they may be a better treeclimber than you and get it. If your address and 'Reward if found' is on it, you may get it back. If there is nothing on it you probably won't.

Edited By Robin Colbourne on 06/02/2016 19:57:02

[Erfolg]

My daughter lived at Kingswell, not far in reality to your site.

Given the rugged and varied terrain where you live, I think you were a little lucky.

[Allan Bennett]

I used to put my phone number, but I must admit I've forgotten to do so of late. A job for the next rainy day! I wouldn't put my address, but email as well as phone would probably be good, since most people are on line these days.

[Dave Bran]

Posted by Chris Barlow on 06/02/2016 14:28:44:

I'm a little dubious about putting my address in a model simply because if any of the "wrong" people find it they might come looking for more?

Never thought of using an email address though. Might start doing that instead.

I have an old pay as you go "burn phone" specially for that use!!

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Mowerman]

In the past I put my name and address on but have not done for some time. I do however put my BMFA number on.

When our political leaders decide to follow the US example we will have to put our registration number on.

[Peter S B]

Yes and no, I put just my phone number on my vintage models as they can go up rather quickly if you catch a good thermal.

Many years ago (40+) I was flying an A1 glider with a friend at RAF Linton-on-Ouse who didn’t light the DT fuse correctly. Up she went straight up out of sight! Over a week later I got a post card (No phone then) from a farmer who found it up on the moors undamaged in a field with is sheep. It was 45 miles away in a straight line from Linton. We always double checked the DT fuse after that.

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

I never did free flight like some of you folks, and I suppose a flyaway was an ever present risk, I've seen one flyaway whilst I've been doing r/c and it made me feel sick

I'm not sure I would continue flying if it happened to me.

John

[Slopetrashuk]

IMO any responsible flier will put contact details in their model. Fly aways of many types of models can and do occur and if that model alights in a manner causing damage to a third party either in person or to their property, they are entitled to seek recompense through your insurance, which you carry for just such a loss. They need to know who to contact, as do you.

Imagine you sitting at home when some random fly away model aircraft crashes through your patio window or conservatory roof. I'm pretty sure I'd want to know whose the heck it was!

Andy