Category: Technique

Salton Sea 2011

The Adventure Continues

Walking the Big Wheel

Monday
The weather was terrible. 

A huge storm , sweeping north and east from San Diego to the Great Lakes was shutting down the middle of the country.   Denver was snow packed and frigid with snow showers and high winds.  Driving to California without new rubber on the Ford was not an option.  This was the first time in 6 years that the weather was an issue.  The storm came in 24 hours early and I missed the window that would have insured dry roads.  Mike Miller was a huge help when he cancelled his service calls to free me up to buy snows and get out of town a few hours quicker.  The plan was to head south to Albuquerque and try to get under the storm instead of punching through the backside somewhere West of the Rockies.

Loading the truck was slapstick, all exposed surfaces were covered in ice and the blizzard was blowing into every nook and cranny.  Every time I tried to pull the trike up into the pick-up the ramps would slip under the back wheels  Finally after 5 failed attempts I figured a way to secure the ramp and loaded the Falcon.  Wasting no time I just threw the tent, wings, gas, big wheel and everything else on top. The only silver lining was that 15 mph winds helped me kite the big tarp over the pile.  Using my best frozen dock lines I lashed the tarp and said a prayer…

It wasn’t pretty but at 1:00pm I was southbound on I-25. The roads were packed with snow and visibility was horrible but I was feeling good driving a  loaded truck with new tires.   It was a tough drive, the average speed was 40mph with long spells of 10 mph when the visibility fell to 50 feet.  I was happy to hit 50 miles per hour after passing Glorieta.  Finally I arrived at the Route 66 Casino outside Paramotor City at 12:30pm.  In Albuquerque the roads were wet with intermittent small storm showers.

Tuesday
The storm had caught up but the highways were plowed headed west.    I had not noticed it yesterday because I never got up to speed but now the truck was bogging down and unable to get over 70 mph. I stopped in Gallop and wasted $300 bucks at the Goodyear store where they diagnosed the problem as a clogged fuel filter.
But… I thought it was fixed and headed out into the storm. It wasn’t until was 30 miles out of town and hit clear roads that I realized that the truck was still having problems. In Holbrook I bit the bullet and went to the Ford dealership. Even though it was 4pm they took the truck and thanks to a veteran Ford Tech the problem was diagnosed as a bad igniter coil. At 6:30 they cut me loose. I was at the very southern edge of the storm going in and out of blizzard conditions about every 30 minutes. It was amazing how the roads would be clear one minute and almost instantly turn to packed snow and ice.  I’m guessing that the fast moving edge of the storm was being focused by the terrain with fingers of blizzard crossing the highway. The winds were gusting 50+ with only the big rigs and I braving the weather.  I finally made Blythe and stopped for the night. So much for power driving all the way to the Sea.

Wednesday
Finally, I was out of the storm, the winds were still strong but the skies were clear. I had hoped to hook up with Jeff Goin and the Australian contingent at Glamis. The idea was to fly the dunes Wednesday night, camp there and head to the Salton Sea Thursday morning but after talking with Jeff and hearing that it was a blow out; I stayed on Hwy 10 and headed to the North Shore to visit Salvation Mountain.


Pligramage to Salvation Mountain


Salvation Mountain  (  http://www.salvationmountain.us/  ) is located in the lower desert of Southern California in Imperial County just east of the Salton Sea and about a hour and a half from Palm Springs. Salvation Mountain is Leonard Knights’ tribute to God and his gift to the world with its simple yet powerful message: “God Is Love.” Leonard’s passion has lovingly created this brilliant “outsider art ” masterpiece resplendent with not only biblical and religious scripture such as the Lord’s Prayer, John 3:16, and the Sinner’s Prayer, but also including flowers, trees, waterfalls, suns, bluebirds, and many other fascinating and colorful objects. Salvation Mountain must be seen to be fully appreciated as those who have made the journey will attest. Its 50 foot height and 150 foot breadth is made totally of local adobe clay and donated paint and is truly unique in the United States and probably the world. From its Sea of Galilee at the bottom, to the big red heart in the middle, to the cross at the very top, the reoccurring theme of “Love” is everywhere at Salvation Mountain.

Leonard’s house

My daughter Olivia had seen Salvation Mountain in the movie INTO THE WILD and very much wanted to go there so I thought it might be fun to visit and send her a few pictures.

Dinner at the Mexican Resturant

Chad Bastian, Bob Peloquin John Fetz and I went to the local Mexican place which was packed with tables of pilots from around the country. It was great to catch up with the guys. Bob was enjoying his retirement; Chad was officially healthy and gaining weight. Greg and I were just plain glad to be out of town. After dinner Bob graciously offered me a berth in his RV.  It was plenty cold out and I grateful to have a warm place to sleep.

Thursday
Was a blowout. I spent the day catching up with friends. A few of the Professionals were flying and Jeff put on a display of reverse launching with a Paratoys quad.



Jeff Going doing Quad Reverse

Sometime when I was wandering around Leon Wacker put the complete set of charts for the Tom Bigbee and TVA and Mississippi River into the truck.  He remembered talking to me at Bubbas about maybe taking the inland waterway down to New Oleans.  What a Guy!
The big event of the day was Perry Molter’s amazing double riser twist. There were plenty of witnesses when he launched into 10 mph wind with a powerful and unfamiliar motor. Almost immediately he torque into a riser twist and started to spin into the ground. At 20 feet, he reapplied power and avoided impact but twisted again, at the last possible moment he regained control and flew off to enjoy a 15 minute flight. I wasn’t sure if it was a display of extraordinary skill or a very lucky newbie … Perry has amassed an amazing number of flights in just a few years and is a good pilot on his way to becoming a great one. He was awarded the Bonehead Award at the banquet for the double riser twist and accepted it with good humor.

Mike Robinson presenting the Bonehead Award to Perry Molter

That night we had dinner again at the Mex Place which was still struggling to handle the unexpected rush in business.    Later at Bob’s RV after a shower and hot tub I watched the movie  Danny Deckchair, about halfway through I fell asleep. 
Friday
Was a good day, I got in two long flights. The first was an hour and a half spent mostly skimming the beach to the north. I visited the old dome site and practiced the low and slow. After lunch and a visit to the vendor booths I went up again and did the same thing to the south. The sea has receded a bit from last year and there were several areas where you could see a recent fish kill. The beach was loaded with dead fish and there were patches of carcasses visible just off shore. I would have liked to spent some time inland but the thermals were popping all over and it was really only nice on the beach.  On thing caught my eye was a good size boat abandoned on the beach, it looked like it had been there a long time.  But the best eye candy of the show was Jeff Hamman flying his Manta Ray complete with a remora fish hitching a ride.
  




by Elisabeth Dufour

  As I was packing up the Nirvana team launched and did a night show.  LEDs embedded into their props projected graphics linked to a computer.  I don’t understand it but they were able to program lettering and graphic onto the spinning props. 



Team Nirvana



Night time synchronised aerobatics with a light show….
WOW!   Watch the video

View it here…   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJWs-p0xefk 

That night the Mex place was ready for us, we were greeted by Jose like long lost cousins. The food came quick and the portions were large.   Lots of pilots having a good time,  Later,  back at the ranch I hit the hot tub with Marek and Robert we were entertained by a precocious little boy who so wanted to fly like his daddy.
Saturday
Was the best!
I got in 6 flights including the X-country race to the Knob. The air was good all day. There was an inversion at 1800 feet that had to be powered through but the air at altitude was as nice as it could be. I climbed to 7000 feet and took in the sights. It wasn’t crystal clear but I was able to see from one end of the Sea to the other. Unfortunately my camera’s battery failed and there are no pictures.

ParaToys new field Photo bt Para-Flyers of Florida

The Falcon performed like a champ. It’s climbing at better than 500 feet/min from the beach and was still over 400ft/min at 7000ft ASL.  Below the Japanese Slalom was taking place it was safer than the cloverleaf but not as interesting to watch.  I caught three or four runs with Robert Jerry Alex and Marek and decided I’m better at participating than spectating.  It’s just much better to be in the air!




Michelle and CC Our …”First Ladies of PPG”

 

Elisabeth Dufour …  Eric’s  “First Lady of PPG”

After the morning flights Jim Doyle gave me a set of Pulstar iridium pulse plugs that he installed on the falcon.  It made a nice change, the idle came down slightly and top speed increased 250 RPM. It seemed to run smoother at idle and run up a little faster. Jim is representing the company for love of the sport and they are well worth the money! 

After lunch was the X-country Competition. Early in the event Dean Elderedge broke the world speed record with an early morning flight and a so it is not surprising that a common topic among the pilots was speed. There were 4 classes … Footlaunch reflex and non and wheeled reflex and non. I launched in the 3rd heat wheeled non-reflex. Initially I followed the beach until I climbed above the inversion then I turned inland and followed the highway out to the knob. Once at the knob I had a heck of a time spotting Brian who was monitoring the goal box. The idea was to overfly the box low enough to read the “secret number” painted inside. When we got back to the LZ we reported to Brian and gave him the secret number to prove that we had completed the objective.

On the way back to the LZ Bob Peloquin caught and trotted passed me . He was flying a  Viper2 26 with the Simonini Trike Buggy. There may be a controversy as to the stability of the reflex wing but there is no doubt as to it’s speed. He should have won the class except for a misunderstanding as to how to finish. ….Seems he needed to overfly Brian before landing and did not. I was not aware of the rule either but by pure dumb luck did the right thing. Pierre and Greg were also flying in my class and got off a little later than I. The Eden III was loaded heaver than their wings and unless I made a real mistake I should have been plenty faster.

Later I spoke with Brian and offered to help with next years race.  I’m sure using some of the techniques from yacht racing we can make it more competitive and fun to watch.  I shudder to think of the variables involved in PHRF ing different wings and weights but …At the very least a NOR ( Notice of Race can make it more competitive and fun to watch.  I’m sure it’s done in the European Comps. 

The Flock

After the race I had some Empanadas and wandered the vendor booths.  Alex Varv came with his modified Kangook paramotor.  He has helped me out over the years with parts and advice and I was looking forward to finaly meeting him.  It was too bad that his motor was getting so much attention because the booth was full and we didn’t really have an opportunity to chat.  Next Time.  The paramotor looked great and if his claim of low torque is correct it will be a great boon to the sport.  The harness was by far the nicest I have ever seen.  

That evening was the Banquet Hosted by Paul Anthem and Michelle Danielle.  They get better every year.  This year Paul showed his skill as a vocalist NOT! …  but it was better than last years outhouse skit.    Michael Purdy and Eric Dufour announced the winners of the first comp of the season and Jeff announced Dean Elderedge’s  World Speed Record. 

I received the trophy for Classic Wing Quad  X-country Race and  Michell gave away lots and lots of swag.  Mike Robinson said a few emotional words and a new Memorial Airfield was dedicated by the owner who pledged the land to us.  Later The Pilot Project Band entertained us with classic rock.  It was a great party followed up by the hot tub and bed.

My first PPG trophy !

Sunday

Up early and into the sky.   Beautiful morning to go high and say goodbye.  Everyone was packing up when I walked the flight line one last time to say my farewells.  I hooked up with Pierre and Greg and we made plans to convoy to Glamis together.  When we got there the wind was blowing 8 mph gusting to 12 or 13.  I set up but aborted after seeing Greg parked at 50 feet.  Watching him fly the trike buggy made me remember just how great the combination of Simonini and a Trike Buggy is.  Very nimble machine.   We made a wolf camp and sat around the fire until well after dark telling stories and enjoying the moment.  I used Roberts Pop-out tent since my was broken and slept like a baby.

Monday
Glamis

The next morning we all flew.  There was a good breeze but the surface winds were low enough for an easy launch.  I stayed up for a little over an hour the winds were against me on the way back but I was in no rush.  The non event of the flight was when I lifted off I realized that I’d forgotten ear protection.  No problem I looked around and saw the answer in the closed cell Styrofoam I was using to mount the tiny tack.  I pulled off a couple of pieces and stuffed them in my ears… Worked like a champ.

The trip home was a bitch.  The snow was back with a vengeance.  I drove straight through except for two 20 minute naps in the cab of the truck.  Lots of vehicles had run off the road including one little jerk who had honked at me earlier for going too slowly.  Good trip… Lots of good memories … Thanks Guys

#446 Snowflake

7 to 8 mph    Good launch.  I hooked the safety bungee into the D ring of the brake handle instead of the handle itself.  Much better… Next flight take out one wrap so there is less brake presure. 

No issues but I did fool with the seatbelt in flight.  Having the brakes secured is a little like using the foot steering system.it’s very comfortable to go “hands free”.

#435 Snowflake at Dawn


There were two things going on today. 
First was the weather front moving up from the South West and
some serious ergonomic issues that are messing with my fun.

Bad stuff first.  The pain has moved from by sternum area to my back between the shoulder blades.  Moving the hangpoints forward wasn’t the cure.  I spoke with Chad and he suggested that I lower the brake lines or attach another set of handles and see how having my hands lower felt.  I hope it works.

The air was twitchy from the South South West.  I set up into the wind and planned to turn onto the runway after inflation.  The wing turned nicely and I taxied for a bit before committing to launch.  It was a nice morning and I practiced the yank and bank till it hurt which was  ALL TOO SOON. 
Landing… I stayed on the power and touched down lightly it was was surprising when the machine lifted as I added some brake to bring the wing down.  I guess I’d   forgotton how the Eden likes to bleed off energy and should plan on floating above the surface for a ways.  I’m also going to have to practice carting with the wing up and must do a few dead stick landings to get the feel for this wing.

After a quick break I set up for a second flight.  The wind indicator was showing some the breeze bumping up and down between 3 and 8 mph and twitching on a 30 degree arc.  I decided not to go and while I was packing it shifted 180 degrees to the NNW.  The front was showing a bunch of grey clouds moving in from the SSW. 
Until I took it down, the telltail wouldn’t settle down and it was good to be on the ground. 

Snowflake at Dawn #432 #433 #434 Test Filghts

Mike Bennett and & arrived at 6:30.  It was much better than yesterdays rain/mist, there was a fresh 7mph breeze from the SSW and clear blue skies. 

Trying to solve the chest pain I have made some modifications and this was the first time to try them out.  In order to position my arms farther forward I have moved the hangpoints 1 inch and to rebalance the rig, Mike and I mounted a 12 pound weight over the front wheel.  The brake lines have been lenghtened 3 inches and the brake pulley was lowered by the same amount and drawn in closer to the riser. 
I will have to heal before I know if the problem has been fixed but I think I’m on the right track.  It was definitely more comfortable and the pain is no worse.  The next step will be to remount the battery forward of the seat this will not ad weight to the rig but allow the hang points to be moved another inch forward.  Then I’ll play with the seat mount to get it dialed in.

Mike and I flew into the wind SSW and overflew the old ICBM Missile Silos.  The wind speed increased dramatically with altitude.  Mike flew low and I flew 400 feet higher at a much lower speed.  For the first time I flew with the trimmers out and enjoyed the Eden III ‘s much crisper response.  On the return leg downwind I exceeded 50 mph.
After a short break I went up again.  The last several flights have all been higher wind and its been a good experience.  The Eden comes up fast and sometimes pulls the trike back a couple of feet in the process but with a smooth surface it feels natural.  The wing comes overhead … I ad throttle, start the roll and usually rotate within 50 feet.  On soft terrain (sand) or worse…. bumpy (pasture) it may not be so easy.  On this flight I stayed close to the patch and worked on steering.  It is still not as comfortable as the trike buggy because I do not have the same range of motion.  I don’t seem to have the power and it feels like I’m using different muscles.  I can’t quite put my finger on the difference but I’ll work on it.
Paul M arrived just before I finished the second flight, so I decided to go for three.  It was starting to get thermic and was most bumpy over by the farm houses so I flew out to the gun range and crabbed back to the LZ.  The winds at the surface were twitchy as hell and I had to go around twice before I felt good to land.  Two of the three landings I popped a wheeley after touch down.  Next time I’m NOT going to kill the engine at two feet but will either go in dead stick or under power and taxi.  It was a good day.

#426 Simms

Good Flight.  I took my time paying attention to the little details.  The wing came up fast…I damped the surge and for the first time in awhile kept the power down and taxied a bit before committing to the launch.  I don’t know where I got into the habit of hammering the throttle until I was 100 feet up … maybe with the Thumper … maybe from launching in short fields.  Anyway it felt much better.  I was more aware of the situation… I could feel the weight coming off the trike and I could tell when I was about to leave the ground.  Gotta remember that and keep it happening.
The weather was good … warm enough that I didn’t change after work.  Just grap the maching and go!
The flight was 50 minutes of boating over the field and the golf courses.  I left the trimmers in and got to know the Eden III 30m. I climbed to 4000 agl and practiced basic maneuvers.  Diving turns … mild wingovers … spirals.  I was surprised by the trouble I was having at getting a flat turn.  It might be that it is just a bigger wing and I wasn’t patient but flat turns seemed far too slow.  The real challenge is to time the 4 stroke so that the power is there when I need it.  At one point I was diving fast and it seemed like the motor was extraordinarily slow getting up to power so I could climb out.  I’m going to have to move the pulleys down so that I can fly trimmers out and still be able to reach the toggles.
Toward the end of the flight the wing picked up and was shifting on a 120 degree arc.  Fling a straight ling my speed was vacillating between 22mph and 42mph.  I was worried that I might have to land in gusty conditions but once back over the field it was calm.  The landing was as smooth as the take off and I was surprised by the huge temperature drop at 15 feet.  All in all a good night … I’m glad that I took 7 weeks off.  It has forced me to pay better attention and I appreciate the flights more than when I’m flying every day.

Fathers Day Weekend Sat. 417 – 418

Beautiful Country !


Marek does a foot drag on the swoop pond

I knew this was going to be a very sad weekend so I scheduled myself to be as busy as I could. Friday night I slept over at Chip’s. I went to bed early and got up to go to Vance Brand airport by 0600. Once again the plan was to meet up with Robert and Marek at 0700. Last time they stood me up but I doubted they would do it again. It was a beautiful morning, as I drove by Boulder there were balloons lifting off… a good sign that the weather would be favorable.
At the field … Marek, Robert, Mike Bennett, Greg and Gary were admiring Kurt Hill’s prototype PPG Trike that Robert had dubbed the “Wheelchair”. It has two small counter rotating props and is configured as a tail dragging trike with a rudder. The seat is trick, it is an aluminum bucket that wraps around the torso and goes all the way up to provide full back neck and head support. It lays way back in the same position as a low hook in free flight harness. It will be great for watching the wing but it might strain the neck while watching the road during take off. He didn’t fly because he is having trouble steering while on the ground. Seems the trike looses control and starts to spin out when it comes up to speed. It has a rudder but it is more of an air baffle for the props than a steering vane. I’m no expert but it just seems to me that the small back wheel is just too squirrley and prone to over steer. But… it looks cool and who knows maybe one day he will work the bugs out and fly it.
Vance Brand is farmland flying. It’s pretty but there are no elevation changes and the landmarks are all major x-county flights. I wasn’t in the mood to get to far away from the patch so instead I worked on take off and landing and got in (4) 30 minutes flights. The best thing about this site is the nicely groomed field. It’s as good as launching off of a golf course. There was just barely a hint of breeze and for the heck of it I did one launch and landing with the trimmers full out. It’s a great feeling to keep off the brakes and see how fast you can go and still keep the wheels on the ground. When the machine does rotate I add power and watch her climb. Terry… I neglected to charge the batter on my GPS so I cannot document the climb rate but it was stunning! Landing with the trimmers out on a smooth field is also great fun. Hands up… till the very last second and then…with a nice smooth steady flare you can float at one or two feet for a long way while the energy is bled off, swapping speed for lift.
Sometime during my last flight, Dan K. suffered a motor out just after take-off. He got up to about 15 feet and was starting a hard banking turn when the motor died. With almost no time to flare he came down in a butt landing right into a small berm. Had it been a flat surface it probably would have damages the frame and we would all have had a good laugh but the berm was bad luck. Robert Kittila. and Mike Bennett loaded him into a truck and off to the ER. At the hospital Dan learned that he had two compression fractures, surgery was not required but he will be wearing a back brace for the next couple of months. I later learned that the day before he had a motor out at 200 feet. The problem was a loose spark plug which he replace with an old plug at the bottom of somebodies tool bag. The replacement plug was even worse.
After stopping at the piano store for a couple of hours I hit the sooper market and bought the fixings for the CSYC Raft-Up I was hungry and decided on Italian sausage and thanks to Stefania … chocolate crepes. The Raft-Up was nice all the usual suspects brought way too much food. I got a good chance to check out Dana’s boat which is much better suited to go to Blue Water than my Hunter. I think it is an Island Packet if not it is very similar. He has done a great job getting it ready for adventure, it has a generator and except for some more instrumentation it looks ready to go.

Larry Bob & Roy … Swapping stories

Good Food … Good Company

Greg provided entertainment by flying low and slow all along the shore.

I have to give him credit, 2 hours in the morning and another two that evening.
It’s the passion!

Roy Burley came out with me… planning to make it an early night but after the last boat peeled away we found ourselves below deck on the Hunter swapping stories and getting to know Dana and his companion. Good folk. Next week Roy will be racing in San Fransisco … Good Luck

#411 # 412 #413

Saturday at Simms…. Wing in a chevron was the wrong choice for layout in these light shifting winds. It came up very slowly. Forty minutes per flight. Marek flew earlier and stayed just long enough to see me get up.

Sunday at Vance Brand. I was going to meet Marek and Robert but they no showed. There was a message on my cell but I didn’t retrieve it until I was already at the field. Oh Well… I was there and they were not… So I flew.

This morning I used the motor to build a wall …. with the lines tight… the wing came up smartly.


The first stick of swoop divers were either inexperienced or the nil wind made for difficult landings. I watched several do face plants after c0ming in too hot to run it out.

High wind trike landing by Brent

To follow on from the Reverse Trike launch in higher winds to now safely
controlling and collapsing a PG wing after landing with a trike while touching
down in a breeze.

As from my own personal experience I have found that there are quite a few
different options on controlling and collapsing a PG wing while landing in a
slightly stronger breeze with a trike, I also know that some pilots fly with
quick releases and just jettison the wing once safely on the ground, which IMHO
is not such a bad option but requires the task of untangling the mess
afterwards.

I have personally tried quite a few different ways, but the one method I often
use is that immediately upon landing into the oncoming wind, (and while still
moving forwards with all wheels firmly on the ground) I quickly and safely turn
my PPG trike through a 180 Deg turn and try to end up facing the wing, (end up
facing now downwind), as in hopefully turning the trike 180 Degs, relative to
the on coming breeze, and with my both feet placed firm on the ground, to
deflate the wing I quickly use just one (1) “B” Riser to fully stall and
collapse one (1) side of the wing down onto the ground, while I am doing this, I
have now let go of the other opposite toggle (as in letting the other side of
the wing fly) I now quickly pull in on the toggle that is still in my hand
(being the same as the 1 B riser side stalled) by using both hands on that one
side steering line with a hand over hand wrap, this brings the tail quickly in
towards the trike, I have found that this action quickly deflates the wing and
stops you from getting possibly dragged sideways, or rolling over on your side
or possibly down along your landing field.

I have personally found that by collapsing just one side of the wing using just
(1) “B” Riser, it is much easier than trying to fully collapse the wing using
deep brakes or trying to use a full B Riser or C Riser full stall of the
entire wing, as opposed to with just (1) B Riser, as the wing just ends up
flapping out like a flag and lying down flat upon the ground, I have found that
this method is safe and works well.

The most important think that I can say is for you to “Practice” “Practice” and
Practice some more! Try as many different methods as you can possibly think of,
and then use the one method that feels the best for you and for the conditions
on the day.

I believe that to practice these methods all you need to do is just take your
wing and a kiting harness and go out in a nice easy breeze of say about 3 to 5
Knots (4 to 6 mph) and do lots of ground handling by inflating and deflating the
wing in as many different ways as you can possibly think of, you will be amazed
at the many different ways you can kite and then deflate a wing if you use a
little imagination.

Happy trike landings. 🙂
Cheers: Brent C.

Reverse Trike Launch by Brent Cameron

This is a little info for the PPG trike flyers, it is a description of the
Reverse launch method I personally use when launching with a breeze. As I now
just about always use the “reverse launch method with my PPG trike when
launching into a breeze.

So to first control the wing, I will do a full canopy hook-up and full flight
inspection in an area that is away from the wind, I then gather the lines and
rosette the wing, move my trike into the launch area and with the wing still in
a rosette, with the centre of the nose facing upwards. (I found that the rosette
helps to control the wing from being blown about

I then stretch out the centre A lines to a full line stretch while angling the
trike at about a 45 deg angle facing towards the wing, I also try to have the
nose wheel turned in the direction I want to rotate the trike.
Now I get comfortable in the trike and warm the motor while getting the toggles
and risers sorted, still with both feet placed firm on the ground, when ready to
launch with both brakes in the correct hands (as I have a left handed throttle)
and with the top crossed A riser (one only) in the right hand I then twitch that
A riser to help get air into the nose of the wing and start to inflate the wing
from the centre cells outwards to build a nice wall.

Still with both feet firm on the ground, I kite the wing up to over head and
when it’s stabilised over head, I apply power, with both feet now placed onto
the trikes steering pegs I spin the trike around to face the wind and complete
the reverse launch with the ground roll to lift-off into wind.

I try to do this launch all in one smooth motion, I have found that if you do a
start stop kind of action during the kiting of the wing from the ground to over
head, the wing has a greater tendency to want to fall off to one side and then
you have to start all over again. Once you have the feel of this method to
reverse launch a trike you will find it a lot easier than the forward launch
method while there is a slight breeze blowing.

Remember it takes plenty of ground handling practice and at first it can be a
little frustrating getting the feel and the timing correct but I find the
reverse trike launch quite easy to do (with practise). As all new tricks take
time to dial in the technique, but once it’s there it’s a nice one to have in
that magic little bag.

(Q) Do you face 90 degrees to the wing? (A) “NO” My reason for not facing 90
degs sideways to the wing is that it’s harder to get your risers and brakes
sorted and to control the kiting of the wing from the ground to over head, due
to the risers being so uneven sideways across the trike base.

(Q) Do you still face forward? In stronger winds? (A) “No” As the reverse launch
is far easier than doing a forward, and it reduces the chance of becoming a
turtle or being dragged backwards if the wing decides to make it’s own wall.

(Q) When launching your trike in winds above 5 mph: Do you face your wing as in
a PG reverse launch? (A) “similar to this but slightly turned off to one side by
about 45 degs in the direction you want to turn your trike”

(Q) Do you plant your feet on the ground to try and prevent the trike from being
pulled by the wing or do you use a helper to hold the trike and prevent it from
rolling as the wing comes up? (A) Yes I plant both feet firm on the ground until
I have the wing kited safely over head.

(A) To the use of a helper? Well this is okay for a forward launch with a
breeze, but what happens if you have to land out and re-launch and you don’t
have a helper, I try to launch every time completely by myself while learning a
method that is successful on every attempt. (doesn’t always happen but I can
always launch by myself)

(Q) Do you face forward and try and use throttle to prevent the trike from being
pulled backward? (A) Again this is Okay but it can depend on the wing and how it
reacts with the prop blast and then when coming over head one has to be careful
not to let the wing over shoot as it will have a lot of energy when it comes up
to over head and one will need to apply deep brakes, then apply power and let
the wing fly again, which can be a problem for a new pilot getting it all in
co-ordination with correct timing and into a successful launch with so much
happening at such a critical time.

For myself I have found that with the reverse trike launch I can now launch in a
breeze and as such have increased my flying time greatly to more of the daily
met conditions, I believe that one should have as many tricks as possible, as in
this way you can enjoy a lot more time in the air.

Please understand that this information is given freely, if you choose to use
this method, then it’s at your own risk.

Cheers Brent C.

#359 Snowflake Breezy Day

After 5 days of cold and rain the forecast was for warm sunny skies and wind…I was luke warm about the conditions but it appeared that Sat. morning was going to be the only flyable time until Monday so I got everything together and as usual awoke before the alarm.

When I got out to the field, it was blowing 10 mph, just a tad more than I wanted to tackle. Mike Bennett showed up and shortly I was happily surprised to see Paul Dillon from Pagosa Springs. The wind abated to 8mph and with Mike and Paul holding the nose down I took off. I’m not going to be shy to ask for a spotter in the future because it was great to have those guys. I was able to stabilize the wing and start the run-out almost instantly and to have the buggy locked down like it was on tracks is a real treat.

(catching air under the wing)
Once I was clear of the rotor being thrown off of the Farm buildings, I started a climb into some beautiful laminar breeze. It’s been so long since I’ve flown in smooth wind that I forgot how it feels. The Eden was dancing but not so that it caused the buggy to rock. I let the trimmers out halfway and think it will work just fine with a little more practice. The trick is going to be getting them to run out equally. There is still some friction and the position of the cam buckles is to far aft making it awkward to operate. I think I found the fix a different way to grab the cam so that I have control helping it to ride up the riser. I’ve also taped the pull side of the webbing so that it will be easer to adjust the tension on the foot steering.

I flew for 50 minutes and basically explored the area. The air was warmer at altitude and I’m sure there was an inversion because I noticed a bumpy wind gradient when I came in for landing. Lotsafun, chased some antelope and checked out the gun club which is in full swing getting ready for hunting season.
I could have flown longer but work was calling. I waved to mike as I drove away