Guess who soloed??????
03-18-2003, 12:37 PM
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Guess who soloed??????
Yup....... it was me. 
I've been messing around with electric park flyers for the last couple of months as a quick fix when the weather allows. This has given me a lot more confidence to just 'go for it'. Heres a report that I posted on our club forum :
"As said above, after Alan went, there wasn't much happening. Until the newbie started up. (sorry I didn't get his name, but he can really fly, and if your reading this, thanks for the shot of your glow plug starter)
Anyway, my 1st attempt at a takeoff resulted in a ground loop, hence Alans' help the 1st time. My second attempt at takeoff was perfect. Arrow straight,right at the fence . (the 'audience' were panicking, but it was under control) I let her get up plenty of speed, so much so that she really leapt off the ground. Got her up into the pattern, and thats when it hit me, that I had to land her again .
Anyway, was flying her pretty well, and I know it was naughty, but I did a loop aswell. Maybe it was a bit tight, in fact it was soo tight I thought I was gonna break her back, . Oh yeah, I did a beautiful split S. So for a wee bit I was inverted too. I know, I know, but you have to try these things and theres gotta be a 1st time some time.
Did one ok flyby to practice my landing approach etc. and went for my second, now, I know that on the ground at idle, she doesn't move, but it seemed like a good idea to tweak the trim tab and pull the throttle back a little bit. This stalled the engine..... At this point I had the plane quite a bit away, to give me more time to get the landing sorted out, so I had time to think about things. ( I think at this time my'audience' heard me saying that, I was committed now)
Anyway, in she comes, as you know, she glides forever, so she wasn't exactly dropping very fast. I was at the left side of the runway, and she was coming in from the road. As she passed me, she was about 10' up. No engine noise, just the wind whistling over her. I thought at this time she was moving too fast, but as there was no wind, I guess that was to be expected. She greased in about 10yds from the far end of the runway on her mains, and was just starting to lower the tail wheel when she rolled into the longer grass. She completly stopped about 5yds into the longer stuff, and as usual, nosed over onto her back.
Voila!!!!!!! no damage, job done......
I picked her up, took her back to the pits, and sat down. NERVES??? WEAK KNEES????? I was knackered. Felt absolutely brilliant, but my heartbeat musta gone off the scale. I wish you coulda been there, but Willie witnessed it also.
Stroll on next week, although I'll be much happier with someone there to back me up."
That was on Sunday...... the plane mentioned i smy 72" Cub. It crashed in August last year, and thats the 1st time she had been airborne since, and not for the lack of trying.
To say I was chuffed is an understatement.
I've been messing around with electric park flyers for the last couple of months as a quick fix when the weather allows. This has given me a lot more confidence to just 'go for it'. Heres a report that I posted on our club forum :
"As said above, after Alan went, there wasn't much happening. Until the newbie started up. (sorry I didn't get his name, but he can really fly, and if your reading this, thanks for the shot of your glow plug starter)
Anyway, my 1st attempt at a takeoff resulted in a ground loop, hence Alans' help the 1st time. My second attempt at takeoff was perfect. Arrow straight,right at the fence . (the 'audience' were panicking, but it was under control) I let her get up plenty of speed, so much so that she really leapt off the ground. Got her up into the pattern, and thats when it hit me, that I had to land her again .
Anyway, was flying her pretty well, and I know it was naughty, but I did a loop aswell. Maybe it was a bit tight, in fact it was soo tight I thought I was gonna break her back, . Oh yeah, I did a beautiful split S. So for a wee bit I was inverted too. I know, I know, but you have to try these things and theres gotta be a 1st time some time.
Did one ok flyby to practice my landing approach etc. and went for my second, now, I know that on the ground at idle, she doesn't move, but it seemed like a good idea to tweak the trim tab and pull the throttle back a little bit. This stalled the engine..... At this point I had the plane quite a bit away, to give me more time to get the landing sorted out, so I had time to think about things. ( I think at this time my'audience' heard me saying that, I was committed now)
Anyway, in she comes, as you know, she glides forever, so she wasn't exactly dropping very fast. I was at the left side of the runway, and she was coming in from the road. As she passed me, she was about 10' up. No engine noise, just the wind whistling over her. I thought at this time she was moving too fast, but as there was no wind, I guess that was to be expected. She greased in about 10yds from the far end of the runway on her mains, and was just starting to lower the tail wheel when she rolled into the longer grass. She completly stopped about 5yds into the longer stuff, and as usual, nosed over onto her back.
Voila!!!!!!! no damage, job done......
I picked her up, took her back to the pits, and sat down. NERVES??? WEAK KNEES????? I was knackered. Felt absolutely brilliant, but my heartbeat musta gone off the scale. I wish you coulda been there, but Willie witnessed it also.
Stroll on next week, although I'll be much happier with someone there to back me up."
That was on Sunday...... the plane mentioned i smy 72" Cub. It crashed in August last year, and thats the 1st time she had been airborne since, and not for the lack of trying.
To say I was chuffed is an understatement.
03-18-2003, 02:07 PM
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Still smiling
Nope. Every time I tell a friend etc. I start grinning all over again.
I love your avatar, btw. Thats exactly how she looked after landing. In fact after every flight I've had with her, since I bought her, thats how she ends up. A right little t*rt, always on her back... lol
One day I'll get her down and she'll stay on her wheels.
I love your avatar, btw. Thats exactly how she looked after landing. In fact after every flight I've had with her, since I bought her, thats how she ends up. A right little t*rt, always on her back... lol
One day I'll get her down and she'll stay on her wheels.
