Eye Sore
Sep 03, 2002, 09:30 PM
Hey All,
Well, Saturday I went with my buddy to Santa Margarita,CA to fly some thermal with my new Skeeter hand launch plane (http://www.hankandheather.com/picts/skeeter.jpg). I got it about a week ago and installed all the electronics. Yeah I bought it built, cause I'm lazy! After a crash during the trimming phase the week before, I fixed it all up and went out on Saturday. We got there around 9:30 and setup. It was very warm and the birds were already circling.
After I let my buddy trim it out (I obviously didn't do it that well the first time), I flew a few times just to get the hang of it. It's very different from flying slope, or even flying my buddy's Gentle Lady (which was the first thing I ever flew that wasn't a sloper). I had a couple of 2 - 3 minute flights, pretty much just up and back. Then we saw Turkey Vultures coming in from all around, even a Hawk, so buddy is up first and starts circling with them. I had to wait for the highstart to comedown, whcih seemed to take minutes! I head up next, and it was great! My total time aloft was 19 minutes. I'm sure some of you seasoned veterans would have double or even tripled the time, but WOW!
It was great. I felt elated and couldn't wait to go back up again. Only issue was I made a bad turn on approach and nailed the fence. Yeah, I'm green. No real damage though. I have to readjust the horizontal stab and I'm ready again!
I really enjoyed thermalling, even more so than slope. My buddy had his huge Genesis out and was doing loops before he brought it down. Can't wait to go up again!
I also wanted to say what a help it is to have someone who knows what they are doing around. I think with out someone helping me get started in thermal flying, I would have just stayed up on the slope and missed the experience all together. So go out and help a friend!
Hank
Well, Saturday I went with my buddy to Santa Margarita,CA to fly some thermal with my new Skeeter hand launch plane (http://www.hankandheather.com/picts/skeeter.jpg). I got it about a week ago and installed all the electronics. Yeah I bought it built, cause I'm lazy! After a crash during the trimming phase the week before, I fixed it all up and went out on Saturday. We got there around 9:30 and setup. It was very warm and the birds were already circling.
After I let my buddy trim it out (I obviously didn't do it that well the first time), I flew a few times just to get the hang of it. It's very different from flying slope, or even flying my buddy's Gentle Lady (which was the first thing I ever flew that wasn't a sloper). I had a couple of 2 - 3 minute flights, pretty much just up and back. Then we saw Turkey Vultures coming in from all around, even a Hawk, so buddy is up first and starts circling with them. I had to wait for the highstart to comedown, whcih seemed to take minutes! I head up next, and it was great! My total time aloft was 19 minutes. I'm sure some of you seasoned veterans would have double or even tripled the time, but WOW!
It was great. I felt elated and couldn't wait to go back up again. Only issue was I made a bad turn on approach and nailed the fence. Yeah, I'm green. No real damage though. I have to readjust the horizontal stab and I'm ready again!
I really enjoyed thermalling, even more so than slope. My buddy had his huge Genesis out and was doing loops before he brought it down. Can't wait to go up again!
I also wanted to say what a help it is to have someone who knows what they are doing around. I think with out someone helping me get started in thermal flying, I would have just stayed up on the slope and missed the experience all together. So go out and help a friend!
Hank