4

It was a beautiful day for flying. The sky was a little gray and the wind was shifting East to North, but still manageable. I'm still getting accustomed to my gray F4 in the Rochester sky. I love a challenge. The flight was uneventful for the first 7½ minutes. I have just started flying it at full throttle and I get quite an adrenaline rush.
It's time to land and my approach is so far out, all I see is the profile of the thin wings. I have to really concentrate to keep the wings level with the reduced visibility. Approaching the edge of the field. I realized the plane was moving a little to fast to attempt the landing. I decided to abort and go around. Just as I turned onto the first leg, I heard a terrible sound. Quiet.
Four letter words started running through my mind and I was giving myself the business for the aborted landing. The wind is not cooperating right now either. It's blowing in the direction of my plane. I am due North of the pond coming toward the highest trees. I can see I'm not going to make it to the landing field. I flare and set the plane on the very top of a 40 foot cherry tree.
As we (I had witnesses) walk toward the edge of the field, I can see the plane clearly and it looks to still be in one piece. I'm feeling better. I maneuver through the six foot weeds around the pond as a couple of guys stand at the edge of the field guiding me along as we yell back and forth to each other. Ten minutes later, I'm at the base of the tree. The plane still looks good. The tree trunk is only 12" in diameter and it doesn't have many branches to hold onto. Time to call the tree service and find someone who enjoys climbing.
I started walking back to the field with feelings of joy knowing that I found my plane in reasonable shape, but still giving myself the business for not preparing for the landing that could have avoided all of this.
I think I had been walking for about 15 minutes before I realized that I was just walking, replaying the aborted landing in my head, not paying attention to where I was going.   I'm deep in the woods now and I have no idea which direc