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May /August 2000 - First Flights on Nice, Ca
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Flight # 4
Date: 5/21/00
Location: Nice, CA
Wind: calm
Duration: 30 min
Total air time:1hr
35min
I'm really nervous. This is my first flight at home without my instructor. Got up on my
first forward launch. After running WAY TO FAR and almost wearing myself out. Not like San Diego -
no hill, & no wind. Finally gave it some gas and up, up and away! Thought I was going to have a heart
attack between nervousness and running so far. Flight was beautiful. Landing a little rough. But I
did it. Shazaam!
Flight # 5
Date: 5/28/00
Location: Nice, CA
Wind: calm
Duration:
20 min
Total air time:2hr 15min
Forward launch. Still haven't done a reverse since I'm scared
of the wind and only fly in the early morning calm.
Flew a little farther from the field but kept
lots of possible landing spots beneath me. Landed on my butt again. Wasn't quite as scary. I think
I'm getting used to this.
Flight # 6
Date: 6/19/00
Location: Nice, CA
Wind:
very light and variable in direction.
Duration: 25 min
Total air time:2hrs 40min
My friend
Scott Burke accompanies me to the field. Thank goodness, because I was going to need plenty of help.
Initially the motor won't start. Flooded. We remove the air filter and let it dry out and now the
battery is dead. My first four forward launches fail with the chute falling sideways to the ground behind
me. Scott helps me get repositioned and gets me pull started again. Either the air was too variable
or I just don't yet have enough experience to correct before it gets away with me. More ground handling
practice is definitely in order. Anyway, 5 is the charm and I get into the air.
The flight is
beautiful with rice paddies below and herons and horses going about their business. Can't wait until
I reach a comfort level that I can take my camera up with me. I think I could do it now, but want to
concentrate on launching, flying and landing before I take up arial photography. A couple on bicycles
waves to me and also some workers installing a swimming pool.
Best landing to date. Engine off,
good flare at the right moment. I just might get the hang of this after all.
Jerry has returned
from the store and sees me flying from the highway and meets me after my landing. Too bad he didn't
see the actual touch down, since it was the softest I've accomplished so far. I took a couple of steps
and sat softly down with the chute flying over me to land downwind of me. So, I've still got some learning
to do before I land, stay on my feet, turn and collapse the chute like a pro.
Date: 7/3/00
Location:
Nice, CA
Flight # 7
Wind: very light and variable in direction.
Duration: 15 min
Total air
time:2hrs 55min
Went to the field with Mom, Jerry Amenson, and his Mom and John Phillips and Larry.
Dennis the owner of the field was also watching.
Botched my first forward launch attempt. Second
forward launch was beautiful.
Misjudged approach for landing and realized that I was going to land
on top of my spectators. So, I braked at 25 or 30 feet so that I would land short of bystanders and
came in once again too hard and landed on my butt. No harm done except to my pride.
Flight
# 8
7/25/00
Location: Nice
Wind: variable in speed ( 0 mph to ~12mph )and variable in direction.
Duration: 35 min
Total air time:3h 30m
Again, I botched first forward launch attempt but
second forward launch has me airborne. Flew farther from LZ and higher, maybe 1000' AGL than ever before.
I think that this was the highest wind I've flown in so far. Got bounced around a bit, but not scary.
All was well with the world.
Now, as for the landing. This is another story.
I was
pretty psyched up to finally land on my feet, instead of my butt.
I called Josh Meyers, my instructor
from San Diego, last week to get some pointers. The 3 things I was to keep in mind were:
1) Hands
all the way up on approach to build speed.
2) Don't flare until 6 feet above ground.
3) Repeat
"Trust Josh..........trust Josh.........trust Josh....etc.
The wind was changing directions every
few minutes, so I had a hard time lining up into the wind. I'd come over LZ, check the windsock, make
a loop around to land, only to find that the wind was now out of a different direction. So, around again
and again. Six blown approaches. At last I got lined up to land, waited till the right time to flare
and came to my softest landing yet. Still fell down to my knees, but softly. I'm ecstatic.
With
some more practice I'm going to nail this.
Jerry took a lot of pictures with the new camera.
I'd have a lot harder time with this if I didn't have his help and moral support. He also said he saw
the wing go into a partial frontal collapse. 2 or 3 cells in the center going down into a "V" shape.
I think I might have felt it, but by the time I looked up at the wing it was already re-inflated.
Flight # 9
8/8/00
Location: Nice
Wind: Very Calm
Duration: 15 min
Total air time:3h 45m
Got up on first forward launch. Yeah!
Yesterday, Rivaud had come with me to make movies
of my take-off and landing. I aborted 4 forward launch attempts. Just couldn't get it up straight.
So, exhausted, I gave up for the day.
But today, no problem.
As for the landing, again on
my butt. But softly, at least.
I have 12 days up here at the lake before my trip to Atlanta. I'm
really hoping that I get these landings down before the trip.
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