Hey Larry.. how goes it? We retired Coasties are truly nice guys!!!
Chris is my first student. He was amazing becuse we flew only about four flights before I handed him the controller and told him to do three orbits and land. He did just that. I then told him to go around again and land a few more times, which he did. Then he was pretty much on his own.
(This is just a general reply and is not directed to Larry).
Our field is a real nice place to fly, but it has one interesting problem. When the cross wind hits there, it can be something to behold. There is a tree line behind the pilot's stand, then about 150 feet or so down the runway is a cross-wind runway (this is a full-scale grass airport) where the wind can come in from behind the trees and play havoc with anyone that is not ready for it. Then, once at altitude, above the tree line, the wind can, and usually does some interesting things. Chris has had many more successful flights than he has had crashed. He has done wonders with the planes he has flown, all of them are hand-me-downs.
He is currently building a custom Goldberg Tiger 60 that is quite impressive and is coming out pretty light. I can't wait to see this fly, and fly it will. I have a Tiger 60 ARF that I left pretty much stock and flys pretty good, even after I've crunched it a few times (never enough to retire it, but enough to repair then fly). It was my second plane after my trainer and I still have it and fly it on a regular basis, but never thought of doing what Chris is doing to his Tiger 60. Hey, he even enclosed the engine with a side-ways mount. Pretty clever and pretty ingenious!!!
Nope.. Chris is doing just fine, and yep, that's a bit of pride from his instructor as my first student. His buddy Steve, who had flown before, but it has been quite a while since he solo'ed, was also solo'ed that day and flys just fine too.
I have on doubt that Chris will be up there with the best of them, flying Pattern events and winning!!
DS.