Some days are just not meant to be. That’s the conclusion I had at noon today.
The day started out innocent enough. The 4:30 AM sun woke me up, I only managed to make it to 6:00AM before I was ‘awake’.
Work day started at 6:30AM. At this point things were pretty good. No overnight issues (there really area, I have a great IT team working for me!), fired up my data modeling software and continued laying out some concepts for our IT off-site next week. It should be good and productive.
Weather was warm, a little gusty, but so warm, I just had to go fly the helicopter. Fresh from a makeover, and confident after 2 full flying sessions with no issues and crashes, I set out for the Sheridan Airpark at 10:00AM.
With the opportunity to practice some flying with perpendicular and quartering side winds, I set to flying (sadly the on board video camera was accidentally set to audio only.. on well).
The flying was going very well. Had full control, heli was still climbing and settling at odd frequencies.. maybe the motor was OK, ESC was OK, it’s just got this tendency to drop from time to time. Better throttle management required by me.
After doing some fast forward runs, then backing up, and running again, my confidence was building. Had a few gusts push the bird around a bit but I was having a blast. Then.. I got cocky.
Pulling pitch hard a couple of times, it was accelerating up nicely. Up down.. fast. I was starting to really fly it around, then I got behind the curve and started to get close to a fence than I wanted. Cutting back the throttle, also reduced pitch, and the bird started to roll left. Applied hard right cyclic, pulled out some more pitch and tried to flare for a landing when, it happened. Tail Strike. Drove the tail into the ground, stalling the tail rotor. This immediately whipped the heli around hard into a ball in the grass. I thought for certain by the sound, I’d shunted the main blades.
Must to my surprise, and happiness they were completely in tact! So was the very frigile, but very critical flybar. “Sweet.”, I thought, “Flip it upright and fly again. Hm.. uh.. wow.. that looks funny… OH NO!”.
Of all the spare parts I have, a tail boom is not one of them. Now, mine looked like this:
Suddenly this pretty darn good day is looking less rosy. Ugh.. I just wanted a little fun flying time and my exuberance got the best of me, and the helicopter. Having been to my local hobby shop SO MANY times in the last month, I knew they did not carry the TRex 450 tail booms in stock. I’d had the forethought to order a spare boom with some other parts direct from a plant in China. But that shipment is 2-3 weeks out!! No way am I going to be happy not flying for 2 or more weeks. 🙁
Back to work, I’d got take care of that and another errand at lunch time. This damage has to wait. 
Around 12:30PM I took lunch. One of the errands I wanted to dispatch today was to sell off my HK-45 Tactical pistol. It was stolen when I left California in 2000. Recovered from a drug dealer in Sacramento a couple of years later. It was found under the front seat of his car when they searched it. There it sat in evidence for another 3 years during his trial. Once it was done, the Sheriff’s department shipped it to the S.O. here in Kitsap (Washington) were I went to pick it up. It’s been mostly untouched since that time. I’ve always had a bad feeling that it was involved in some very unsavory/evil activity. I’ve never shot it. It’s been stored for years. Taking up valuable space in the safe, collecting dust, and as it turns out, rust too. 🙁
So, today I decided to sell it, and took it to a firearms dealer I’ve worked with before to see what they would offer. When I got there, the ‘head guy’ was out. A couple of his workers, enthusiastic, but not knowledgeable about the H&K made an offer that was just way too low. They did suggest I come back later, as the ‘head guy’ might be personally interested in the H&K. Now double disheartened, headed home to complete my work day, looking out the windows at the great day slowly passing by me.
Around 4:30PM, I’d put in a solid day of work, and I needed to go do *something* positive to cheer me up. Weather was so nice, I didn’t care what it would be. So the first order of business was to wash the SUV. I’d washed the car the weekend prior, but the SUV has been dirty since my last trip to CA. Filthy! So.. today it got some TLC and I felt a little better after that.
I’m one of those hope springs eternal type guys, so I packed up the gun again, went to the shop to see if the head-honcho was there, and in fact he was. After some examination he made me an offer 50% higher than his employees did, and I took the deal. It was more than I’d actually expected, so I was happy with that. Suddenly the day was starting to look a heck of a lot better!
A pile of cash in hand, I thought I’d now try my luck at the hobby shop. Worst case, I enjoy a nice drive around the water and back. As it turns out, they do not have the Trex 450 tail boom I needed. No matter, I know that I can drive the 70 miles to Olympia to a big helicopter parts shop and get anything I need.
It was at this point the day improve a bit more. I noticed that another brand of helicopter (EFlight Blade 400) had a nearly identical tail boom for their Blade 400. A smaller helicopter, but.. the boom looked so close, I might be able to use it. And after some measuring, it turns out the diameter is identical, the it’s not only long enough, but TOO long. But that I can fix with a hack saw! Best part, is they sell them in a pack of two for $6.00. 🙂 Ah… I might be flying again today yet! After digging around a little more I found some factory TRex tail boom support parts (also damaged in crash), so I was just about 100% whole, with the exception of a tiny plastic saddle part that the booms attach too. Eventually I found those as well, but only as part of a knight head and tail kit. Parts that I have PLENTY off, and these are white (gag). OH well.. I know how many days it will take to get just the part I want, and drive 70 miles for a part I can get now for $5.00 is just not really practical. So.. I have some more fugly parts for the tail, but I *can* fly! Provided I do the work to replace the parts that is!
High from my great encounter with a Glock specialist at the gun shop, and now the parts I needed for the helicopter, I started the journey home. On the way I looked for a new patio chair. Something to sit out front, read, enjoy a cocktail.. just take in the summer. But I didn’t find exactly what I’m looking for. Close, but I’m going to hold out for the ‘right’ thing. That quest continues.
Without the ‘perfect’ chair to sit outside on, I opted instead to go home, pick up my book about Bob Hoover, and head to the waterfront for a German sausage and a 9lb. Porter. It had cooled to just 90F at this point, so sitting in the shade by the fountain, drinking a great beer, reading a great book and having a great sausage, it REALLY made the rest of the day just about perfect!
Once I finished up, handed the plate and glass back to Amber, I decided to walk further down the boardwalk, find a table and keep reading. And that’s what I did until 10:00PM, when it was starting to get too dark to read.
It really was a MOST enjoyable day in the PNW. If only to have a couple of old friends to have been able to share it with. Well, friends, this is the best I can offer, until next we break bread.