phil alvirez's blog View Details
Archive for July, 2014
Posted by phil alvirez | Jul 20, 2014 @ 10:05 AM | 9,095 Views
right of way
1 of the great things of living in places like the grey wild north is that we have frequent encounters with wild life, be in large cities or in the middle of nowhere.
1 episode that i just lived happened on my way from the park where i fly my lil radian:

when i was driving back home i noticed that the cars had stopped-both ways of the road- and didn't see any reason why, until got closer: it was a single goose that was on the road, but not walking. it was at the edge of the park, where a pond is located, and seemed like hesitating; looking towards the pond and the other way. then i noticed that there was a flock of about 20 geese near him, still on the grass, looking at him, that also were hesitating. they were trying to cross the road to reach the pond nearby. then i saw what was the reason of their hesitation: there was a girl with a dog walking around the pond, in the direction where they were aiming at. it was not until she went far that the goose started walking towards the pond. slowly, no hurry. calling the others. and then the others followed. it was until all were safe at the grass, that we started driving. it is amazing to see how they know that they have the right of way-and we have to accept that.
but after all, they were here before, isn't it?
Posted by phil alvirez | Jul 18, 2014 @ 09:28 AM | 7,728 Views
july 17: at 5:30 am took the lil rad (umx radian) https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show....php?t=2089760 to the nearby park (the pond). some wind, but great time anyway. then came back at 8:00. more flying. even got into a thermal. then went to my son's nearby for a while. then we were going shopping, but as i had the planes with me, i asked him to get the camera and film me flying at the street. but when i tried to land, the plane was overshooting, as the glide was too flat and didn't want to come down. i realized it was sloping at the houses roofs. so i had to overshoot instead of catching it. landed a little bit ahead on the street. this thing can fly almost anywhere!
Posted by phil alvirez | Jul 04, 2014 @ 08:01 PM | 8,123 Views
today i had the pleasure to get my micro radian into a thermal for the 1st time. https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show....php?t=2089760
i fly usually at dawn, as it is when i find a window in the wind, but today at 8:00 pm i looked into the window and noticed that all the trees were still, so got my rad and radio and ran to the pond nearby (10 minutes/6 km), and launched the plane. after several uneventful but pleasant flights in a blue sky without clouds, when i had done 4 minutes of motor, on the last run, noticed that it was not coming down. as usual, i was turning, so kept doing it, but after some time it was getting too high and small and drifting too far, so i brought it back. but it was a wonderful experience!
i had flown the rad consistently, but at dawn there are no thermals-at last i have been unable to detect 1-and also have flown many planes of all kinds into thermals, but with this little wonder i have the oportunity to try it at places nearby, even with some wind, so it expands my horizons enormously.
to all of you who already have got your lil rads into thermals, you understand the feeling.
and to all of you who still haven't, i dedicate this, with the best wishes that some time you will also enjoy the feeling.
it's a wonderful life.