Stuck in tree.

[Bark65]

Ok. I managed to get my plane stuck in a tree the other day. Thought there was enough room in the yard to fly and I found out the hard way that there is not. It's about 40 feet off the ground. Climbing it is out of the question. Branches are too brittle. Any suggestions on how to get it down? The air has been dead calm here for the past few days as well. Go figure.

[Dave Robelen]

Hi,
I am sorry to hear your problem. My favorite way is to use my old long bow and shoot an arrow with light fishline over the branch or limb. Once I get the arrow down the other side with the line looped over the branch, I tie on a much stouter line and use the fishline to pull this over the branch.Once you have a strong line over the branch, you can hold both ends and shake trhe bejabbers out of that branch. It normally results in the model dropping out.
Good luck, Dave

[Bark65]

That sounds like it might to the trick. I think I'll try this tomorrow after work. Thanks for your advice and quick reply.

[aeropal]

Another Variation (http://www.rcflying.net/forums/showpost.php?p=42616&postcount=4)

[Bark65]

Well, I tried the rope trick. We attached a rock to some fishing line (The neighbor across the street got involved out of interest) and after about 5 tries managed to get the line on the limb the plane is resting on. We attached the fishing line to a thick rope and and pulled it up threw the tree. We pulled on the rope violently for about 20 minutes and managed to shake the plane deeper into the tree. Its now resting on a very thick branch. My only hope now is a very strong wind. There's a tropical storm predicted to hit NC over the weekend. This might help bring the plane down, but I'm sure it will be ruined by the rain. Thanks for the advice.

[Bark65]

There is a bright side to this though, I now have an excuse to buy that Slow Stick that I've been wanting. I was starting to get bored with the 2 channel Firebird Outlaw. I might get lucky and find it on the ground in good shape after the storm.

[Bark65]

Looks like Hurricane Charley is going to pass through my area sometime today. Not sure how strong the winds will be though. They are reporting 20 to 45 mph winds by the time it reaches my area. This might be enough to dislodge the plane.

Its been tough for the residents on the west coast of Florida. I have family living in the Port Charlotte area and they say it is really devastating. Lots of buildings and mobile homes destroyed, debris everywhere. My relatives were lucky- only minor damage to trees and shrubs. No structural damage and no injuries. Keep the residents of florida in your thoughts.

[Mad Max]

I lost my first firebird commander in a tree the other day, as a newbe the wind took it before I knew what happend, I found it about a half a mile away in a big old tree about 60 feet up, I am gonna try using a fishing rod to get a bigger rope and shake the limbs,

I did buy another one and bought the cool usaf decals, the one in the tree has the navy decals, if I get it down I am gonna buy the sonic thingys for air to air combat,

On the first on I bought the bomb drop thingy, its fun,

[Bark65]

I've tried just about everything to get that plane down. My neghbor did manage to retrieve the wing about 2 months ago using a 40 foot aluminum extension ladder. He said the rest of the plane was a couple of feet out of reach. Its been up there since August and has gone through lots of rough windy weather and the tree still won't give the plane up. I look up at it everyday it has not moved a centimeter since I tried fishing line and rope trick back in August. Still never bought another RC plane. I'm still sidetracked building rubber powered planes. Hope the tree gives yours up Max. Good luck and good flying.

[Mad Max]

thats funny. i guess we learn as we fly, I too can see the plane but it is way up high and stuck good, I tryed the fishing rod , but its too high up to reach , the tree needs it more than I do

I did buy me another new firebird commander and flew today, for only $110 and everything you need to me its a good deal, I did learn NOT to TRY to fly on windy days,

my son (got one for christmas) and I flew our planes today, we each have commanders and are learning, i have the bomb drop module, its cool, we are still on the novice mode, if / when we get better I will get the air combat module for us,

[Oceancity]

I had this happen 50 foot up I usd 8 foot sections of pvc and couplers and poked it out

[wernerwilliam]

Extendable Pole For Cleaning A Pool Works Great When Standing On A Ladder. Gives You About Another 14-16 Feet Of Reach. Good Luck

[Mad Max]

My plane came down! After three weeks stuck it worked its way down, when it crashed into the tree the canopy opened and the battery came out and was caught along with the landing gear. I guess the wind loosened it up , funny thing is the battery is still up there!

[mtorcyclst]

Just another technique.. i got my fighterbird stuck in a tree about 60 feet up on the third flight.. We were at a park miles from home, so a friend and i went to the home depot down the street and got a 300' laundry line and some duct tape.. taped 2 golfballs to the end of the line, wound the line around them a few different ways then taped over that.. then swung the end with the golf balls around in a vertical circular motion and let fly.. got the branch hooked on the 2nd try, lowered the ball end down, grabbed line on both sides of the branch and yanked.. limb snapped, tree glided down.. cheap, easy and i can fit the whole mess in one of the small compartments in the back of my crv!

[aeajr]

Getting Planes out of Trees
Amended 10/23/04

I don't know if trees and planes are attracted to each other like magnets, but
somehow we seem to be pulling someone out of a tree every few weeks.
Fortunately it is not me these days, though I am sure I will find one again.
I can see them reaching for the plane as I fly by. The guys tell me it is the
wind, but I think they are calling my plane.

So, how do you get your plane out of a tree? Here are some methods I use, or
have seen used. Some are simple and cheap. Some are complex and some are
expensive. You have to decide which to use and when.

In my book, chain saws, axes and things that will kill the tree are not an
option. Call me a tree hugger, but I just can't see cutting down a tree to
get a plane. There is usually a better option.

I am going to list the ones I know, roughly in effective range. I hope you
can provide some others, preferably before I need them.

8-12 Feet (2-4 meters) -

Good old hand reach combined with anything to stand on and maybe a local stick
or branch - Cost $0

10-30 Feet (3-10 meters) -

When I fly I bring a 6 foot extension pole for a paint roller that I purchased
in Home Depot for $14. It extends to 12 feet. I have seen 4, 8 and 10
footers that double as well. I also saw an 8 footer that almost triples to
about 22 feet. If you use some tape you can tape 2-3 of these together to
reach higher.

15-50 Feet (5-16 meters) - ( I have too much experience at this height)

I carry a spool of 130 pound test mason's line in my field box that has an 8
ounce rounded fishing weight attached to it. Costs about $5 total. With a
good throw I can usually get it up and over the branch holding the plane so I
can shake it free. Hitting the branch can take lots of throws and hitting the
plane is a real risk, but it is better than leaving it there. If your plane
is sitting on a very strong branch, use the lighter line to pull up a heavier
line.

Monofiliment fishing line works very well too at it will slide down over the
branch more easily than the mason's line. I use 3-4 foot piece of rope with
weight on the end which I attach to the fishing line with a snap. The rope is
easier to grab to make the toss and it is easy to remove. Works very well.
Plumbing parts, big bolts, anything can be used to weight the rope so it will
go up to where the plane lies. 50 feet is about the max I have ever been able
to reach this way and it is hard to get the line up that high.

A spinning rod with a weight migh also work if you are talented with such
things, but 60 feet would be my guestimate on the limit on this.

Another way is to use aluminum downspouts, typically used for house gutter
system. Home Depot, Lowes and other home centers have them. They can be
taped together. Use something to bridge the joint to help keep them erect.
They are very light and fairly rigid. You can probably get up to 5 sections
reaching about 50 feet. Not sure if you can go much beyond that. Friends
have had good success with this.

30-100 feet (9-32 meters) -

A bow and arrow might work well at this height, but you'll have to develop
some skill
in order to get the needed accuracy. I estimate this at $50-$100 - One
problem is that you can get the arrow stuck on a different branch which only
compounds your problem. The line will have to be light, such as 5-10 lbs test
monofiliment fishing line, so use it to pull up
heavier line or so you can break it if the arrow gets stuck.

Other methods I have heard about but never used or witnessed.

Tree climber - Somehow every RC club has the phone number of a guy who climbs
trees for a fee.

Helo - I heard of one guy who used an electric helo to fly a line and weight
up and had some kind of release to drop it onto the branch. Sounds like a
good justification for a helo when I speak with my wife.

A really original idea

Control line kite - This one surprised me, but one of our members got his
plane stuck in the top of a high tree, over 100 feet up. He also flies the
large kites that look like arc shaped parachutes. He has two control lines on
the kite that let him direct it, dive it and move it around the sky. He used
it to attack the tree until the tree gave up the plane. I like the idea of
attacking the tree without actually hurting it!

A Wanger - A device specifically for getting planes out of trees
http://www.slopeflyer.com/artman/publish/article_6.shtml

[Bark65]

As of 4/8/05 the plane is still stuck in the tree. I've tried just about every trick mentioned. Rope, fishing line to pull the rope up, yank like crazy on the limb and nothing happens. Long pole won't poke it out. You name it. I've tried it. We have had some really strong winds lately and the plane has not moved as much as a single centimeter. Its up there to stay. Its been up ther since August. The tree wins this one.

[Bark65]

Glad to hear your plane came down Mad Max. Aeajr: Thanks for posting the tips, but I've given up on it. The electronics are probably destroyed by this time. Its been through some really nasty weather here in NC since last August.

[aeajr]

Glad to hear your plane came down Mad Max. Aeajr: Thanks for posting the tips, but I've given up on it. The electronics are probably destroyed by this time. Its been through some really nasty weather here in NC since last August.

You are probably right, but there is something in us that NEEDS to get it down.


Let's see ... Howitzer ... Bazooka .... Electric helicopter with a hook .... Quart of gas and a match ... oh here it is .... Miracle. Try one of those. :)

[Bobert]

I've recently had a run-in with a nasty tree right across a field from my office window. Being where everyone in the office could see it, I couldn't let it stay there. To make matters worse, it was my son's plane (I was test flying on my lunch break), so I got a huge earful from my wife. The plane was about 60-70ft up, and not in a place where we could climb any where near it. I tried the slingshot and fishing line method, but the line kept breaking. We also shot a few nice holes in the wing. I was a boom mike operator years ago, so I knew if I had a long enough pole, I could probably knock it out, but the wind was picking up (reason it got stuck in the first place) so he gutter idea wouldn't work. I went and bought a bunch of conduit to try that approach. At about 40ft high it started bending. About 3 hours later, I said that was enough. I went and got three of the telescoping paint roller extensions (16' each) a golf ball retriever (15'), and some duct tape. After about a half an hour, the tree gave me the plane back. I figure it either admired my tenacity or was laughing so hard along with my co-workers that it couldn't hold onto the plane anymore. Either way, I have the plane down.

Cost:
16' Telescoping Paint Roller Pole -- 3 @ $30 each
15' Telescoping Golf ball retriever -- 1 @ $15
Duct Tape -- $5 / roll

Hint: If you're up in the 50' range, it helps to have someone on a step ladder and tape the poles on while already in a vertical position. The weight of three poles won't collapse the poles inward, but it may bend them if you try to swing them up from a flat-lying position. Also, the golf ball retriever on the last 15' has a ring in the end that can be used to put a loop of string through to grab the plane. I would suggest that you put a fishing line through from one side, then use the line to make the loop bigger, and pull the string to make the loop smaller. Also if you pull too far on the string and the loop comes all of the way out of the ring, you can use the line to fix it instead of having to bring the pole down.

I agree with aeajr... you can't let the tree win. You just have to convince it that you're worthy before it will give back its new found fruit. Waiting a year is nothing to a tree. They're not easily impressed by our patience. Creativity, on the other hand, they appear to like. You can't give up. Good luck, and happy tree fishing.
--Bob

[wernerwilliam]

Shot my slow stick out of hydro wires with paint ball gun. Took 200 rounds. Broke the elastic bands off the wings. Ther were holes in the wings which were easily repaired. Good luck

[floss]

I honestly thought I was the only flyer unlucky enough to go through the plane/tree thing. Lengths of electrical conduit saved the day, the only way I could support the weight of the four 15 foot lengths was to thread them through the branches as I went. The physical effort over 4 hours was bloody excruciating and to add to this the unlucky flight took part at a busy golf course so the golfers were fully entertained. The bright side of the tale is that I was able to return the conduit to the hardware store for a "wrong size" refund afterwards. This was my first flight (wattage mini max) so for a while there I was a bit put off, glad to say I learnt alot about wind and trees that have stood me well since. Steve

[Dr_Who77]

Sorry to hear about that, getting stuckn trees is nothing new (as you probly know :) :p )

I once flew my slowstick into a tree twice, the second time I cut the tree down :D

A good trick is to take like a 1 (or 2) liter bottle and filll it up 1/2 to 3/4 of the way. Duct tape it all around so it won't break. Then tie some string around it on the top (you can tape it to be sure it will stay) and have about 50-100 feet of line, depending how far the plane is up. you want a little more than twice the amount of string than the plane is high. IOW x*2+10=how long the string is, x=how far the plane is up. a extra 10 feet is good.

To use this thing, just simiply spin the bottle verticaly in ia circle with the string in your hand and once you get enough power, aim for the branchthe plane is in. do not aim for the plane its self, or other wise you will break it. aim for the branch.

you can aso thorw it like a football, aiming for the tree.

hope thishelps for future crashes! :D :)

[Elfi Flyer]

cancel

[JJFlash]

Hey, takes a good stick to land in a tree, not all pilots can do that...Be proud!

[ginnz]

-chain saw.....

[Doug Sipprell]

This is what I used, and it turned out to be quite the event!! :eek:

RD