Tree Recovery?

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McKailas Dad

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What are some of the things you have done to get a rocket out of a tree?

I had one stuck about 50 feet up in a tree across the street from my house. I could see it out our front window. It was excruciating! Too high to climb, and too obvious to cut it down (it wasn't my tree), I spent nearly every waking moment trying to think of how the :y: I was gonna get it down. Day after day...

Ok, for 15 bucks I could go buy another rocket, but I want that one back!

My high power laser is in the shop:p, so how about a well focused magnifying glass? (I used to fry bugs as a kid... :dark: )

:bangbang: High power rifles and explosives are out of the question in my case.

Or how about a seperate 'recovery' rocket? I'm thinking a steel fishing leader with a semi-heavy string attatched to a fin? A vertical harpoon if you will... Use a small enough motor to just 'lob' it over branch. Forward swept fins to act as a grappling hook...:confused2::roll:

So, after 18 days, it finally FELL out, but what have you tried? BB/pellet gun, wrist rocket, spud gun?

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I'm an archer, and I use a light line attached to an arrow for those hard to get ones. Props if someone out there is a bow fisherman and has the proper equipment for it:p. Usually, though, it's just a really long pole of some sort with a hook on the end. A lot of clubs out east here have them as part of their equipment. 50 feet is a bit much for a vertical pole though, they get almost impossible to handle after about 30.
 
i've tried the following:

air rifle (failed)
bow and arrow (failed)
string attached to a small rocket fired into the tree in a 1/2A (failed)
long pole - works on low branches:)
waiting for winds etc - had quite a bit of success with this method.
waiting until the rocket falls apart in the tree after many weeks/months and then collecting the plastic nose cone etc - several times.

my best method is to stop flying rockets near trees:D
 
my best method is to stop flying rockets near trees:D

:roll:

I've used the bow and arrow method in the past with mixed results and usually 3 arrows stuck in the tree to every rocket actually recovered... Buy cheap arrows. Its also good for when the casual passer by feels he needs to stand there and give advice for the entire recovery attempt... You can turn the bow and arrow on him and mumble something Rambo-like and they will leave.
 
Fishing pole with a nice heavy weight and heavy line.

Just keep casting until you snag the right branch.

Sometimes it works.:eek:
 
:roll:

I've used the bow and arrow method in the past with mixed results and usually 3 arrows stuck in the tree to every rocket actually recovered... Buy cheap arrows. Its also good for when the casual passer by feels he needs to stand there and give advice for the entire recovery attempt... You can turn the bow and arrow on him and mumble something Rambo-like and they will leave.

Have you seen the badminton birdie recovery scene in the Walter Matthau movie "I.Q."? Required viewing for rocket people, IMHO... :p
 
Have you seen the badminton birdie recovery scene in the Walter Matthau movie "I.Q."? Required viewing for rocket people, IMHO... :p


I seem ro recall that recovery method involved falling from the tree.

My neighbor (a really skinny guy) recovered a rocket out of a tree with a long pole by climbing as high up the tree as he could and duct taping himself to the trunk so he could use both hands on the pole.

That worked!:jaw:
 
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The highest I've ever retrieved one from is 30 ft. I used a 15 ft. painter's extension pole, and duct taped several 3 ft. wooden dowels to it, in series. At the end I duct taped the metal hook from a coat hanger. The contraption was so wobbly it was difficult to manage but after several attempts I managed to snag the shock cord and pull it down.
 
There's a product called EZ-Hang, that's popular in amateur radio circles. It's a slingshot that throws a lead weight with a very light line up and into/across a tree or other structure so you can string an antenna.

I've used mine twice to recover rockets that the kids flew into our wooded creek by the school - both of 'em had altimeters inside that I didn't want to lose. It takes a bit of practice to put the shot where you want it, but with a bit of practice you can snag that shock cord and drag it out of the tree.

Pull.jpg
 
I'm an archer, and I use a light line attached to an arrow for those hard to get ones. Props if someone out there is a bow fisherman and has the proper equipment for it:p. Usually, though, it's just a really long pole of some sort with a hook on the end. A lot of clubs out east here have them as part of their equipment. 50 feet is a bit much for a vertical pole though, they get almost impossible to handle after about 30.

My club, GSSS, is one of those clubs out east that has the 50 footer (telescoping) with the hook on the end. And you are right, after 30 ft it is almost impossible to deal with and as a result we rarely even bring it anymore. We have a smaller pole that we also use.

Glenn
 
What are some of the things you have done to get a rocket out of a tree?
QUOTE]

How is your arm? I've seen my husband use a football to recover 3 different rockets, on as many occassions.

The first time was to get back his old Centuri shuttle at a school demo back around 1999. It was hung about 25' up on a phone line. He hit the underside of the wings and flipped it over the line. The chute inflated and it landed softly at my feet, no damage, 1 throw. He got more applause for that than the demo.

The second time was an Alpha that snagged a limb of an oak tree about 40' up, with the same results. 1 throw.

The most recent was a couple of weeks ago when we were flying an old SR-71 on a friends farm. This time it took 4-5 throws but it was close to 50' up in a tree. Still, not too bad for a 53 year old ex-football player/coach.

If it's out of range for a football try a baseball. ;)

Verna
www.vernarockets.com
 
I had one up in the tree for 9 months, taunting me as it hung there 76 feet above the ground. Using 2x3's, 2x4's, a conduit pipe with a hook, I snagged the sucker.

Then I went to eat a pizza. :cheers:
 
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It also works as a dethermalizer... ;) :D

MarkII
 
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If you have some $$$ get one of these bad-boys:

https://www.jharlen.com/hasfibst235.html

Our club bought one because even though the trees are a loooong way away people still manage to get their rockets stuck in trees. We've used it a few times with some success.

-Dave
That's what we have and they work greal, but 40' is the absolute limit and it's difficult at that height. Those 50'-100' trees are really tough.

Bob
 
I had an Alpha III get stuck in a neighbors tree one time.
While I was standing there looking at it, trying to figure how to get it down, the neighbor asked what I was doing? I told him what happened. He said,"why don't you just cut it down?" :eyepop: Huh? He then asked if I would cut all of the trees down in that row while I was at it!!:eek:
 
The club I fly with has an electricity company pole set which is very heavy but about right for the sort of height at which models actually hang up there.
Mine won't wait until the next meeting; they're made of paper and card and as you no doubt know it rains in England. Some look pretty rough after five minutes on the pad in a shower.
 
Actually, how about using a rental boom lift, or fork lift if it's not that high?
 
Here's a method that works well after you get used to it,, take a plastic water bottle, tie a string around the neck. Then throw it over the branch, or in one case for me, over the tubular nylon, and use it to pull the rocket or branch down. If it is beyond normal over hand throwing range, twirl the bottle and throw. Usually works well half full, ~10oz or so to weight the bottle. You can also tie a heavier rope to the light line after you get it over the branch, nylon ect and you can almost pull the tree over if need be.

Tom
 
While in the Navy, we used two methods for getting a line from one ship to another. Depending on sea conditions, how big of a hurry the Captian was in, and the tetsosterone level of the deck crew, they would throw a monkey fist with a 1/4 inch line across, or fire a 2" diameter rubber bullet with a line attached from a M14 rifle. Both methods would get the 1/4" line the 120 feet between ships, but the rubber bullet gave you a better chance of hitting one of the deck crew of the other ship.

Either method would work for getting a line over a rocket or branch to pull a rocket down. The monkey fist would take a lot more practice and the rubber bullet might raise firearm issues, but between the two, you should be good to go.
 
If you have some $$$ get one of these bad-boys:

https://www.jharlen.com/hasfibst235.html

Our club bought one because even though the trees are a loooong way away people still manage to get their rockets stuck in trees. We've used it a few times with some success.

-Dave
Here is a 30' telescoping aluminum extension pole that is 1/6 of the price of the Hastings fiberglass pole from J Harlen:

https://www.cleaningstuff.net/cleaningsupplies/All/10733/Aluminum-Extension-Pole-Unger-ED900.htm

You would just need to attach some sort of snagging tip to it.

MarkII
 
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While in the Navy, we used two methods for getting a line from one ship to another. Depending on sea conditions, how big of a hurry the Captian was in, and the tetsosterone level of the deck crew, they would throw a monkey fist with a 1/4 inch line across, or fire a 2" diameter rubber bullet with a line attached from a M14 rifle. Both methods would get the 1/4" line the 120 feet between ships, but the rubber bullet gave you a better chance of hitting one of the deck crew of the other ship.

Either method would work for getting a line over a rocket or branch to pull a rocket down. The monkey fist would take a lot more practice and the rubber bullet might raise firearm issues, but between the two, you should be good to go.

What did you do with the rest of the monkey? :roll:

I have tried to tie a monkeys fist,, but never succeeded.

Tom
 
What did you do with the rest of the monkey? :roll:

I have tried to tie a monkeys fist,, but never succeeded.

Tom
On the couple of occasions that I (foolishly) tried to tie one, the construction end up resembling another part of the monkey's anatomy. :rolleyes:

MarkII
 
On the couple of occasions that I (foolishly) tried to tie one, the construction end up resembling another part of the monkey's anatomy. :rolleyes:

MarkII

I never tried to tie one, I guess I knew better. We had a Chief Boatswain's mate onboard, 22 years in the Navy, with 20 years at sea, he could tie anything.

Anyway, here's a video that might help. The ones we used to have, had lead balls inside instead of steel ball bearing like the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXdHcH3FRcM
 
When I was a kid, my buddy got his rocket stuck in a tree about 20 feet up. I used the bow and arrow method, only I stuck an old tennis ball on the end of the arrow. Took a few tries, but was eventually successful. And was fun to boot!
 
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