Today was just another one of those perfect days at Kahakuloa.
Winds were a steady 25+, straight up the slope. The lift band was smooth as silk and seemingly endless in size. Even the rotor cooperated today by being nearly non-existant, and everyone was getting great landings.

I took some more vids with my digital cam. I still haven't figured out how to compress them so please forgive me for the large files.
I pretty much stuck to a wide angle today in order to try to capture the size and feel of Kahakuloa. My digital cam doesn't allow a change in zoom when the vid is recording, so it isn't possible to start with a wide shot and zoom in for a closeup.

Anyway, I posted 5 different 15 second vids to try to show off what the day was like.

The first one shows Steve launching his Bowman Super Scooter. This is a very nice foamie. It penetrates better than a Daw warbird, and has a very quick and very axial roll rate.

Number 2 shows my 48" Bluto banging out a few pylon turns. It almost looks like the film has been sped up. I wasn't even carrying ballast. I just love my Bluto when the wind is good.

Next shows Steve's f3f Miraj carving some big air. Steve recently bought the plane from me. I have been selling a few of my toys lately to help pay for my full size flying lessons. Hint: If you must sell a $700 airplane, sell it to a buddy you fly with regularly on the condition that he gives you some stick time now and then.

The last two show my Phoneix (scratch built reno racer). This plane was purpose designed for high energy flight in Kahakuloa's huge air. In the first clip you see a huge vertical, followed up with a 3 turn spin on the way down, just for fun. The second clip shows the Phoenix doing a fly by. It shows how at Kahakuloa you can go from sraffing the lip up close, to being a speck in the far distance in only a few seconds.

I hope you guys enjoy the vids, and I hope it makes you green with envy for us lucky SOB's who live on the island of Maui.




http://www.maui.net/~courtice/

Hey, was that the Miraj I saw there in the F3F video? I thought you sold that thing.

ian

Hehehe. I sold it to one of my best friends. He still lets me fly it. How good is that?

B-

Was wondering what it'd be like today - it's been honking and looking like it's gonna stay like that for a while

Headed out for my lunchbreak flying at Waihee today and thought about you guys. NWS had a steady 24 G31 today for Waihee/Kahakuloa. The Two-off was ballasted w/ 3 oz (on an AUW of 14 plain) and couldv'e used probably at least 3 more oz. - Plz. tell Steve that I'm weighing my weights now. Looks like you dint get rain - lucky bastards. There was a full-on squall coming into the Waihee turnoff about a 1/2 mile out and I chucked for the heck of it all....

Anyway, looks like you guys are having fun. Steve looks like he's having a darn hard time even getting the BITE ME out of his hands - I'd be knocking knees for sure.

If work permits, i'll see you next week. TOO AWESOME!

***TFLG, Seafury, DAEMON, MTNGOAT, (you CO guys), tenover, SD-flyer and his nice bud, Serious Mr. Deiter, cobalt, surfimp (and all the AXIS powers), sapok, hmhoshi, vinnya42, Young Mr. Reyes, Mr. WOOD, VLTRUSCCO, et. al. - THE START-UP GUYS (*hint* - Mr. Tuffplanes/Electron) - all of you other guys ***
--- PLEASE save the $$$ for some plane tickets to Maui for SM2004. For those of you that can't shell out the bucks for Kapalua/Kaanapali, you can "hit the mattresses" w/ Me, Annie and the dogs. We live in a built-out former crackhouse - it'd be fine...

Awesome, Brian, simply awesome.

John

Wow. That Phoenix really hauls the mail! Good job!

We get wind like that from time to time around here in Santa Barbara, so I'm not sooo jealous of that, but then...you guys ALSO have Honolua Bay, for which I shall be forever jealous. Rincon is nice, but Honolua's a whole 'nother story altogether!

I guess the "surf" part of your handle isn't just there by chance...
I love Honolua for a different reason. I'm a diver, and Honolua has an awesome reef.

Hmmm. World class sloping, world class surfing, and world class diving. Everyone has to be jealous by now!

Originally posted by Brian Courtice
I'm a diver, and Honolua has an awesome reef.

Actually, I've never surfed Honolua (but of course have seen pictures), but was really referring to that magical summer day back in...I dunno, '96?? when I was snorkling there. Man, talk about beautiful...snorkling Honolua on a warm, sunny day with clear water (what's that, like 99% of the time? LOL) is as good or better than just about anything else I can think of. So many fish, so many little rock crevices to explore...so damn cool! NICE

Wow.............................
I've never seen anything like that type of lift before. It really makes flying look easy.
I'm going out to Maui in August with the family and will be at a resort called
Kealani(sp?) closer to the airport side of the island. How do you guys travel with your planes. Well some husbands play golf for 4 1/2 hours I'll just explain that I'm going flying...... Oh this will go over really well
Just in case, any ideas on fitting in a bluto or moth would be helpful. Is it hard to get your radio thru the screening process?
Brian,
How is the wind in August? And how do I find your little slope site?

The expensive way to transport gliders is to find a way to fit them into a hard golf club carrying case. The cheaper way is to build a case of your own with roughly the same dimensions. Some people do it with like a 10" diameter, 60" long PVC pipe that they cap the ends of in one way or another. It's not unheard of for someone to just pack a foamie in a long cardboard box surrounded by foam, reinforced with some boards to prevent them folding it. The latter is probably the preferred method for a Moth, which I think would be the best all rounder for travelling. I've wondered about the radio myself. I'd just be sure to check it with the luggage, and make it clear to them, if they inspect your bags, that the battery has been removed so it can't switch on accidentally.

ian

In the summer time you can depend on the winds to blow just like in those videos every day. Bring along a Bluto and it will fly to it's fullest potential in the big Kahakuloa lift.

I found a cardboard box at a local Mail Boxes Etc that measures 56"x12"x12". A 56" Bluto fits in perfectly. Fill the empty space with bubble wrap and write "MODEL AIRPLANE. DO NOT CRUSH!!" in big dark letters on every face of the box. Wrap your transmitter in a sweatshirt for padding and pack it in your luggage.

I did exactly this with my 56" Bluto a while ago and it traveled to California and back with no problem at all.

Kahakuloa is about a 40 minute drive from your resort. Call me when you get here. (I'm in the book.) I'll be more than happen to give you directions and I'll look forward to doing some flying with you.

BEWARE! Sloping maui could ruin you for sloping anywhere else!!!

going to maui in september my self cant wait to fly that big lift.

Originally posted by ajroahkni
--- PLEASE save the $$$ for some plane tickets to Maui for SM2004. For those of you that can't shell out the bucks for Kapalua/Kaanapali, you can "hit the mattresses" w/ Me, Annie and the dogs. We live in a built-out former crackhouse - it'd be fine...

Awesome, Brian, simply awesome.

John

When is SM2004. I should have enough 'frequent flyer miles' saved up by next year. I would LOVE to take a trip down there. It would be AMAZING to fly there. I spent some time in Hawaii, when I was in the Navy, but never been there for vacation. Put me on the list for some floor space.

Im making plans, checking planes twice, gonna find out who's gonna fly real nice....Sapok is comming to Town...LOL

We are shooting for mid September 2004.

Im kinda surprised at the number of pilots all ready showing an interest and starting to make plans.

TFLG and a handfull of his fellow slope rebels are already coming for sure. (It was Brian who had the idea and first got things rolling with this.)

Russ Thompson, the Fermin Master Designer is going to be here.

Dieter of Shredair is making plans to participate. I told him to bring a foamie... he told me the only EPP he's bringing is packing material for shipping his mouldies.

Like John (ajroahkni) said, you guys should all start saving money and making plans.

The Maui soaring club has already indicated a desire and willingness to host the event. The club members are a great bunch of guys, and I am sure most of them would be thrilled to bunk a mainland pilot or two during the slope festival.

For those of you planning to get hotel rooms, I work as a concierge at one of the major Maui hotels, and I have some pretty good connections and contacts if you need help with your plans.

I can't wait already!

Time to start planning for a trip to Hawaii next year. You can go ahead and count me in.

Sapok

Try wrapping 2 layers of foam rubber over the vidcam's mic to lessen the noise from that sheet-metal factory you're flying in front of!