RC airplane crashes...
When things go horribly wrong!

Oops!!
Maybe this isn't the best way to promote the hobby of rc airplanes and radio control flying in general, but sadly things do go wrong now and again!

RC airplane crashes are all part of the fun, and you need to write off a few models now and again - it makes you a better rc pilot, so I've heard...

So let's have those pics and stories!

If you have any photos of crashed rc planes that you think should be shown on the RC Airplane World Hall of Shame, then send 'em in! The more spectacular the better, but this is not any kind of competition - there are no prizes here, folks - only lessons to be learned!

For submitting photos: contact me via the contact page if you have multiple photos and don't want to share the details. I'll get back to you and let you know what to do with the pics.
For submitting stories: to tell us about your bad day at the flying field, use this form.

The active link beneath each photo is to the club from which the photo or photos have come (click on an image to view larger).

This ME109 aerial display sequence comes from Orban Pyrotechnics & Models of Hungary.

This spectacular scene of destruction comes from Fremont Flyers of Fremont,
New Hampshire.

Above 3 photos all from North Down Model Aircraft Club, Northern Ireland

Above 3 photos all from Bay City Flyers, Florida

Valley Forge Signal Seekers, Pennsylvania

EMRC, Pennsylvania

Above 3 photos all from EMRC, Pennsylvania

Plymouth Helis,
Devon, UK

Above left 2 photos from Sky Rangers Model Flyers, Kamloops, BC, Canada

Above, what you can do with the remains

The mid-air collision

Some of the most spectacular rc airplane crashes happen in mid air, when one model unintentionally (usually...) makes contact with another, particularly at high speed.
Anyone who has witnessed such an event will know the unmistakeable noise of impact, immediately followed by complete silence as hundreds of tiny pieces of shredded model airplane float gently to the ground.

The last mid-air collision that I personally witnessed was particularly spectacular.
Two models met head-on, so you can imagine the result. While walking around the wreckage one guy accidentally kicked the model's shattered wing, or what was left of it.
The owner, as a reflex action, yelled out "Careful, you might break it!"....

But understand this...

RC airplane crashes are all part of the hobby, there's absolutely no doubt about that.
Any RC pilot who tells you that he/she hasn't crashed his/her model plane obviously hasn't been flying for long enough!

This page shows what can happen when things go wrong, and is written in a way that might appear to be making fun of the pilots involved. Not so! I've merely tried to take the sadness out of the experience.

I myself have crashed my fair share of model planes, some of which had taken many hours to construct from a kit. I've flown with many rc pilots who have crashed their beloved, and often expensive, model planes. And one thing always happens soon after the crash - the pilot smiles, even laughs about it!
Maybe it's just his/her way of expressing the sudden grief of losing something so precious, but it always happens.

OK, so maybe a few bad words might erupt from the pilot's mouth before the smile, but the smile always happens, especially when the pilot turns round from the flight line to see a row of faces staring at the point of impact :-)

So what's my point?

Don't get upset if you crash your plane. It happens. Be a man about it. Smile about it, even laugh about it.

Yes, it's a great shame that your model has met an untimely departure, but move on! Look on the bright side - you can have an early beer, even get home in time for the big game.
Not to mention the sympathy you'll get from your other half, when you do return home, plastic bag in hand ;-)
In fact, milk it all the way. Phone home in advance and give the bad news. There'll be a cold beer in your hand as soon as you walk through the door.

And if you happen to witness an rc airplane doing something that the pilot didn't want it to do, here are some tips on how to react:

• Keep quiet for a bit - let the pilot have the first word
  
  
• Cover your ears if you don't like swearing or blasphemy
  
  
• Let the pilot walk back to the flight line, don't go running over to him ready to initiate a group hug
  
  
• Don't offer him $10 for his transmitter
  
  
• Don't hand him your plastic bag, let him use his own - it's part of the wreckage collection ceremony
  
  
• Offer to help look for the wreckage if the plane came down out of sight, but don't go sprinting across to the crash site - this indicates your urge to salvage the good parts to sell on ebay
  
  
• Don't offer to take photos until the pilot mentions the idea, and hide the fact that you had your camera turned on before the plane reached the ground
  
  
• Don't make comments such as "I would never have tried that maneuver myself", or "It's so easy to get disoriented sometimes", or "Are you sure you remembered to put the radio gear on charge last night?"...
  
  
• Instead, offer constructive, tactful comments such as "Well, think of what your Christmas present will be!", or "Well, it doesn't look so bad - maybe a bit of epoxy resin here and there", or "You said you wanted to build a new model"...
  
  
• And whatever you do, never ever ever mention pilot error!

This last one is a definite no-no. Instead, just sympathetically nod your head in agreement with whatever the pilot blames.
And if he blames himself (very rare), disagree with him completely and reassure him that the crash was caused by an outside influence beyond his control.
You'll be friends for life ;-)

And the most important point of all...

Don't let this page put you off rc flying!

Tell us about your most spectacular crash, and whether you laughed or cried!

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