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Just make sure your flying site has a flatish ceiling, otherwise there would be no point of using the stick.

Well, for regionals we go to a local community college gym and i believe they have a flat ceiling, i've taken classes there before and seen the gym, as for state we fly in a building with height of about 100 feet - the ceiling consists of beams, so idk what we'll do, it honestly affects everyone equally but i do have an idea - we have free flight early morning of state and the day before, so that we can get accustomed to the flight area. I think we'll go and see if we can find a spot where the helicopter flies up and hits a beam - if it hits a beam it is just like hitting the ceiling inside. There won't be any drafts to disturb the heli so if we can devise a method of finding the spot again during the actual test, we'd be fine.

Then again i don't really think it makes difference at that height simply because the helicopter would adjust itself and continue going up every time it is stopped by an obstruction, ie the beam.

The problem I found with having a stick on top in a flying site that has beams, is that the stick will cause the helicopter to get jammed. Kinda hard to explain in words, but it's trying to fight itself, and ends up getting itself permanently stuck (we have to get it down). I'm not sure how accurate or repeatable your method is, but it's definitely worth a try.
Jeff, do you know how high the ceilings are at Region 8(Michigan) and at MI States?

If they hold helicopter in the field house at UofM Dearborn as they have in the past, 40 feet or so. A good helicopter can hit the ceiling in there, it is rafters, I don't have a long enough pole to fish it down!!

At MI state contest, I've suggested a different location, but if it ends up in the usual Wright Stuff Gym, ceiling is 25 ft or so at the peak. Rafters are well spaced so it MAY pay to use a spacer.

Jeff Anderson
Livonia, MI

Okay, thanks Jeff. The ceiling there is pretty nasty... Two years ago I was lucky that one of my Wright Stuff planes flew through a folded basket ball hoop and didn't get stuck! So if we get the helicopter stuck in the rafters at regionals, we're kinda screwed? Couldn't we try a helium balloon with a dowel attached on top (controlled by string)? Well, I'll have to match the right type of rubber for the height then. Any tips for that?(Maybe this isn't the right thread)

Does any one have any ideas on how to get down my helicopter if it gets stuck? I'm planning on testing in a school gym, and it has some really low girders.

a helium balloon with a long string worked for us. just be careful not to damage it by squishing it.

How exactly would you use the helium balloon?

Let it float up to the ceiling near where your heli is stuck (since gym ceilings are usually like 30-40 feet, this is why you need a long string), then pull the string in different directions to move the balloon around, gently bumping it against your heli in a direction that will hopefully get it unstuck.

It might be a good idea to have some large soft object for your heli to fall onto, just in case.

That's wat i was thinking, wasn't too sure about letting it free fall 30 feet, in case of damage.