Heliguy Forum - RC heli forum

So I thought that since it wasn't very windy, I would go to Fleshwick Bay and go fly there. The reason I chose that location is I could be pretty sure there would be no one there (to witness me having an embarrassing crash).

There is lots of "geography" in this area, cliffs, mountains, the sea, a pebbly beach. There was distinctly more wind than at home, too, and it was coming from behind me, down the hill.

'Downdrafts', I think. I probably ought not to fly here.

But stupdily I ignored my better judgement and flew anyway.

The downdrafts were extremely turbulent. I managed to stay in the air for about a minute or so and was trying to bring the heli back because I knew that a crash was imminent. But I never made it back - I got caught in some turbulence that turned me completely nose in and descending. I'm not all that great at nose in flying and so I was trying to deal with that, as well as a turbulent downdraft. I collided with the beach within seconds - the only redeeming feature is the heli landed on its skids (and the Extreme skids didn't break).

But the main rotor chopped the tail boom off, and the plastic blades were shattered. The pitch link from the mixing arms to the blades also snapped off.

Next time I'll pick somewhere with less geography. I should really have gone to Gansey Bay, where the light winds were coming in off the sea and not at all gusty, and no downdrafts.