diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Air/ReturnOnIdle.cs b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Air/ReturnOnIdle.cs
index 7561749da4..5ee94a9c87 100755
--- a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Air/ReturnOnIdle.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Air/ReturnOnIdle.cs
@@ -6,11 +6,12 @@
  * as published by the Free Software Foundation. For more information,
  * see COPYING.
  */
-#endregion
-
-using OpenRA.Mods.RA.Activities;
+#endregion
+
+using System.Linq;
+using OpenRA.Mods.RA.Activities;
+using OpenRA.Mods.RA.Buildings;
 using OpenRA.Traits;
-using OpenRA.Traits.Activities;
 
 namespace OpenRA.Mods.RA.Air
 {
@@ -32,10 +33,30 @@ namespace OpenRA.Mods.RA.Air
 				self.QueueActivity(new Rearm());
 			}
 			else
-			{
-				//Game.Debug("Plane has nowhere to land; flying away");
-				self.QueueActivity(new FlyOffMap());
-				self.QueueActivity(new RemoveSelf());
+			{
+                // nowhere to land, pick something friendly and circle over it.
+
+                // i'd prefer something we own
+                var someBuilding = self.World.ActorsWithTrait<Building>()
+                    .Select( a => a.Actor )
+                    .FirstOrDefault(a => a.Owner == self.Owner);
+
+                // failing that, something unlikely to shoot at us
+                if (someBuilding == null)
+                    someBuilding = self.World.ActorsWithTrait<Building>()
+                        .Select( a => a.Actor )
+                        .FirstOrDefault(a => self.Owner.Stances[a.Owner] == Stance.Ally);
+
+                if (someBuilding == null)
+                {
+                    // ... going down the garden to eat worms ... 
+                    self.QueueActivity(new FlyOffMap());
+                    self.QueueActivity(new RemoveSelf());
+                    return;
+                }
+
+                self.QueueActivity(Fly.ToCell(someBuilding.Location));
+                self.QueueActivity(new FlyCircle());
 			}
 		}
 	}