I've only flown RC helis, more like, attempted to fly them before inevitably always crashing. At least whenever it was a full-blown "collective pitch" model.

Can't imagine how mortifying it must have been to have any of the controls jammed up like that. These things require constant corrective inputs to remain airborne in anything resembling stable flight. And close to the ground loading water from a stream, with all that turbulence? Nightmare fuel.