Lost Model Plane - What Can I Learn

I lost a cheap rubber powered model airplane the other evening that I had little invested in, a Peck ROG. This kit sells for $5 or less and it builds quickly but it is a wonderful flyer.  My wish was if I had to lose it was to see it spiraling upwards in a thermal until it was a tiny speck. Instead I did not launch far enough from the Bermuda Triangle of my flying area, the small trees and tall grass.  With too many winds in the airplane to start with after not flying for some time to check the flight pattern the plane went out and came back heading right for the trees. I thought I had watched carefully where it went into the trees but not careful enough.

Peck ROG

Spent at least 15 minutes walking the brushy area and shaking the small trees hoping my plane would come out of some small tree, no such luck. Gave up looking and flew other airplanes but it still bugged me that I had watched the plane fly away but could not find it. I have been trying to get a better visual line exactly where I see a plane land and walk straight to it. 

Front Area of Trees Plane Flew Into

Tall Grass on Top of Ridge

The next evening I was out in that area so resumed my search. After not much looking I came across another small plane I had lost last year, the Klutz Shooting Star. It was not in very good shape but the small propeller assembly appeared good. It gave me a little encouragement that I could find a model plane in this small jungle but I think it just made me more frustrated in my search. 

Plane Lost Last Year Found

After covering the same area again, I tried looking farther out. Then I tried to apply more logic to my search tactic reasoning that I did not remember seeing it stop flying into the trees in front it must have flown over the trees and could have landed in trees on the back side of the small ridge or in an area of tall grass. I wish now I would have tried to take a picture of it flying into the trees, your memory of where you last saw it quickly starts to fade.

Rear of Ridge and Trees

Sure wish I could have found this airplane just because I would like to know how I could have missed it in my search. Could I have walked by it time after time? Had it penetrated some area of tall grass to be covered up. Last year I had lost a small hand launch glider in another brushy area and the Shooting Star in the trees you would think I would learn better how to search for missing planes.

More Brush on Other Side

I remember years ago walking a cornfield with a bunch of people including my father looking for a missing radio control airplane. Someone asked my father if he had spotted anything and he replied no but he thought he might have seen Jimmy Hoffa in the cornfield.

Bill Kuhl

http://ideas-inspire.com

Gary Hinze Article on Improving Shooting Star

Bill Kuhl Review of Peck ROG