tips on getting a rocket out of a tree

[rocketsonly]

Hey, tomorrow I'm going to climb my neighbor's tree. Hopefully they won't be home when I do. But I was launching this rocket I built and painted today, just a 21 inch long BT-60 rocket. I only put an A8-3 in it. It was fairly windy, and pretty dark when I launched it about an hour ago (9:30 PM). I put the launch rod at the lowest height into the wind, hoping it would drift back to the launch area.

Well any tips on climbing a 60 foot tree? I went rock climbing yesterday, hopefulyl I can use what I learned from rock climbing in order to climb a tree!
-Matthew

 

[wwattles]

Tip 1: Don't fall.
Tip 2: If found falling, see tip 1.

 

[billeblurzz]

Call your Dad!!! I called mine!!!!

 

[vjp]

Tip 1: Don't step onto any branches too weak to hold your weight.
Tip 2: Sometimes the only way to determine if a branch will hold your weight, is to step onto it.
Tip 3: Don't climb any higher than you're willing to fall from.
Tip 4: Don't climb alone.

 

[rocketsonly]

Hmmm... I went back to the tree today, but couldn't seem to get above the first branch; the first branch is about 7 feet high. It's a big hefty tree with very large branches, so I don't have a good chance of falling, unless I make stupid decisions. Heck, the rocket was only $5 from Hobby Lobby with that 50% discount. I'll leave it there until I find a better method.
-Matthew

 

[Ryan S.]

cut down the tree.

 

[Stones]

Originally posted by rocketsonly
...
Heck, the rocket was only $5 from Hobby Lobby with that 50% discount. I'll leave it there until I find a better method.
-Matthew

You answered your own question.

 

[Elbmod]

how high up is the rocket?

If low enough could you borrow one of those long handled pruning saws/shears and use that?

 

[rocketsonly]

I would say it's about 20-30 meters up there, just a rough (very rough) estimate though. I never did like that rocket anyways... It was the 3rd rocket I've ever owned, and the first rocket I've built in 5 years. The paint job was okay, but there were a few blobs of paint here and there.
-Matthew

 

[slim_t]

Just look at it as a good excuse to build more rockets.
Not just one either, cause it may end up in a tree.

Tim

 

[vjp]

Originally posted by rocketsonly
I would say it's about 20-30 meters up there, just a rough (very rough) estimate though. I never did like that rocket anyways... It was the 3rd rocket I've ever owned, and the first rocket I've built in 5 years. The paint job was okay, but there were a few blobs of paint here and there.
-Matthew

20-30 METERS!??

Don't do it - no rocket is worth your life.

Our nextdoor neighbor's kid (15 years old) fell out of a tree last year retrieving a soccer ball. Fell less than 15 feet, and had to be medivac'ed to Johns Hopkins. Had a concussion, couple of broken ribs, and a broken arm. Could have been a LOT worse.

 

[rocketsonly]

Wow, hey, I'm 15 years old as well! Thanks for the heads up, now I won't be climbing any trees soon. But hey, I've always wanted to attend Johns Hopkins as an undergrad!
-Matthew

 

[Micromeister]

The Old Lifesaving rhyme, can also play in Mod-Roc recovery

assuming no powerlines or other extreme hazard is involved, The Rocket eating trees seem to like to munch on our models a the most awful altitiudes, they a retrieval pole first, if beyond the reach of your stick, a weighted rope can be thrown over the limb to help shake out the model, if throwing isn't far enought try a fishing rod with a small bungie cord or other weight to get to about 100', personally I'd Never climb a tree for a model the fall hazard is just to great! HO the row and Go would only pertain to a water recovery and old if you have a vessel, and a certified Swimmer

Heres a 35' reach pole I.

 

[rocketsonly]

Wow! Nice pole! I'll think about that...
-Matthew

 

[rocketkid88]

oh 'cmon.... climb the friggin tree and quit being such a bunch of old women
sry, but IMHO the best way to get your rocket out of the tree is to climb it. there are times when it is better not to, and you must do it at your own risk (do NOT climb in a tree on someone else’s property without their permission!!), but so long as your fit and are comfortable climbing trees have a blast. i've been climbing trees since b4 i can remember, and i've never fallen to date.
I'm also 15 years old, and yesterday i was climbing a tree... went up as high as possible, probably something like 3-4storeis and was watching two friends play basket ball.=/
I've only ever had two rockets get stuck in trees (lucky me!), one of them i climbed up and got it back, but the other one was one of those where i chose not to. for one the rocket was/is on some1 else’s property, and he didn't seem to inclined to let me climb, and it was raining a little so the tree was wet and slippery and there weren't that many good branches to climb on. for now the NC and parachute are still stuck some 30-40ft up in his tree... thru a hurricane and everything. the bt came down after a month or so... but of course its ruined.

of course you could always just ask your neighbor if that tree is really all that necessary, and that you would be glad to take care of it if not!
good luck man, and don't break a leg.

 

[Micromeister]

Here's method #2:
If the pole is to short, try heaving a weighted line over the limb your model is stuck on and PULL. or in this case I used one of my Bass'in rigs with 70lb kevlar finshing line and a small bungie cord to retrieve my Mean Machine.
These methods sometimes damages or destroys the chute or streamer but usually gets the model out of the tree Without climbing!

 

[Karl]

Ouch , yeh it's been said before , you would rather loose $5 than your life rescuing it........
-Karl

 

[WiK]

Just throw stuff at it untill it falls down... Just make sure the neighbours house isnt behind it!

 

[Karl]

The only thing you can hope doesent happen by throwing things at it is , the fins dont get damaged.
-Karl

 

[WiK]

Well if they were, it'll give you something to do

 

[Bowhunter]

build another rocket Let the tree eat it so it will be full the next time you launch so then it wont want it

 

[Missileman]

HMMM I dunno.
I think perhaps just the 1 rocket would only wet that trees appetite

 

[sandman]

Here's a tip my neigbor used to get a Mean Machine out of a pine tree.

The tree wasn't too bad to climb and he did have a 14" pole with a hook on the end that did reach the rocket.

The problem was he needed two hands to work the pole.

He climed down and ran to my garage and came back with a nice fresh roll of duct tape (handymans's secret weapon!)

Climed back up the tree as high as he dared and using 4 or 5 wraps, duct taped himself to the tree trunk. Sorta like a safety cable.

Now he could control the 14' pole with BOTH hands!

Rocket retrieved!

Duct tape...never leave home without it!~

sandman