Dead Stick

We are taught at our club with the loss of height just keep the model straight,in the case of the engine stopping.There were 2 deadsticks yesterday.The first was an Extra 300S in the hands of a very experienced member.As he came passed the pitts he turned it it stalled and crashed breaking the fuslage in half and it looked betond repair.The second was a little Seagull Jumper Trainer in the hands of a guy who is slowly learning and in fact has advanced this year beyond his examiners expectatiuons.He took off gained some height and turned to fly beyond some trees which is our normal flight line.Immediately he lost engine and height and vision.He just kept his controls straight until He thought the model was down.He returned half an hour later with the model untouched.He found as if it had made a perfect landing which it appears it had,so "Keep it straight" seems to work.

i fly (not very often) in a small field so i have to turn with a stopped motor.
tightens your bum muscles at times.

If you have height and speed its ok Tony isnt it its when youve lost both the proble, arises

it certainly focuses the mind on approaches.

yes if you have hieght and let it drop keeping the speed a turn is ok special into wind

Not if your falling of something it isnt

Try using a non-throttle diesel powered model. You WILL lose the fear of a dead stick. They are always landed dead stick as a running engine means another prop required. Other than that, height and not too far downwind means time to glide onto the patch.

Confusus (and Mick) say - motor will always stop when there is insufficient height to clear that bloody tree that just jumped out in front of you dead ahead.

Yes that happens so often doesnt it.I think the best deadsticks are the vintage models ,you call deadstick and it carries on floating around and around and around.The 2 things that were frustrating were,I have a vintage low winger 3 channel with spongy wheels.you have to straighten them if you leave it on them to long its like they have flat spots.I took off with it anf the on board battery failed.Fortunately it happily flew round in a wide circle for 10 minutes before gently landing in a field behind us .The second was a Vic Smead Mamselle prone to U turns on take off.My friend hand launched it and inadvertantly caught the switch.I was paticularly pleased with the take off until I realised I didnt have any control.The model again went round in wide circles for 10 minutes but the wind took it away.Just as it was disappearing at a distance,we could see it was coming down 2 hours later some walkers helped me get it back.it had gently landed in a pond,

As a ex full size glider pilot I try to keep within the 'cone of safety', the hypothetical height/distance combination from which you can get back to the field. The cone is obviously distorted by the wind speed & direction.

For each plane the cone has a different angle so some serious gliding tests help get a feel for its power off performance. Obviously easier with electric as you can always switch the power back on.
Even my very non aerodynamic Bachem Natter is landed power off.

Its strange how some flyers never get it though isnt it ,like some guys can never ever land and that is the most important part.

anyone can land, its landing properly that is difficult.
i come in to land power off and add a touch just as she pulls up to touch down to keep some speed in.