Category: Uncategorized

#467 & #468

Yesterday I psyched myself out and this afternoon I almost did it again. It was probably the right thing not flying yesterday… my head wasn’t in it … but today there was no excuse. It was a real effort go get myself moving but once started everything went smoothly.

It was 48 degrees at the field with a light North Easterly breeze. The first launch was quick but I noticed a pull to the right.   My first thought was the cam buckle was under the Hang point loop but instead it was a serious root tangle just right of center.  The brake lines had been twisted together near the wing and there was a obvious pucker where those three lines attached near the trailing edge.   The air was a bit switchy and the wing was dancing overhead so I turned back and landed on spot. 
The second launch was good.  The wing came up high to the right but it centered and I taxied another 40 feet before adding power for liftoff.  The weeds here are nasty, it is easy for a line to get under the base of the plant and it takes a hell of a tug to break it loose.  Usually a snag makes the wing come up crooked but on the first flight it pulled out a 6 inch root and really twisted up the brakes. 
The air was still twitchy so I pretty much stayed near the patch and below 1000 feet.  I practiced a wingovers for awhile and finished with a good hard spiral.
It wasn’t Epic … not even special but I’m glad I went.

#466 Titan

52 degrees at 3:30  light breeze from the North East. 

John Sieb took off first …My launch was clean partly because I layed out on the dirt with fewer weed stubs.

John and I returning to the field after sunset… but the sun was still shining at altitude

 Just a few Pelicans are left at Chatfield

A side benefit of experimenting with the throttle strap is that it is forcing me to do a slow roll out.  The strap is a little too wide and right now it inhibits my ability to “mash the throttle” until after I released the “A’s” and rearranged my fingers   I was rolling and accelerating slow which gave me so much more time to pay attention to the details. The wing comes up…release the “A’s” …stabilize the wing … reposition the hands to get more throttle … accelerate … and take-off.
I’m going to trim the Velcro before my next flight and should have better throttle control but I ‘ll remember how it felt to get the wing stable over head at a third to one half power ….

6th Annual Birthday Flight

#464  &  #465 
Double Nickles

Titan with a fresh breeze … 54 degrees and John Sieb to round things out.  The goose hunters were hoping to bring in a flock and did !  Dispite us flying around. A large group came in as I was making final approach they got 4.
The first was short because the air was ratty but the second was nice.  I was having trouble with the weeds snagging the wing during inflation and had to abort when a tip was nailed firmly to the ground.   BUT I made it a point to keep the taxi slow for a good long time before committing to launch.and was pleased with the landings.
John and I flew around the patch a bit but it was getting chilly and we landed about 4:30

No Fly Day

     At 3:00 John was already up and climbing to the North.  

I unloaded and watched the wind shift through 290 degree arc.  It was a cold wind with lots of moisture (well …lots for this country) and for some reason I didn’t feel like flying.  I watched and waited for 45 minutes and it was cycling South East to North and North West about every 20 minutes.  I almost pulled the trike back down but once I decided not to fly my head wasn’t in it.

As the sun dropped to the foothills it calmed down for about 5 minutes and John Sieb came into sight, high following Roxbourough Rd.  He said, “it wasn’t too bad”, but then he told about getting tossed and  a partial collapse with serious altitude penalty.  John always has had a better bump tolerance than I so I felt good about sitting this afternoon out.  He had a good flight and I was glad for him…

We chatted a bit about wings and the Salton Sea Fly In When the cold started to get to me I headed home.