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Oct 2001 - Flying w/ my brother Randy Beach in Williams, Ca
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Flight # 12
10/16/01
Location: Williams, CA
Wind: 1 - 3 mph
Duration: 30 min
Total
air time:5h 05m
What a special day! I flew with my brother, Randy. It was the first time for
both of us to fly with another PPGer.
I launched first, a forward, and climbed to ~1000' AGL.
The air was completely calm and I had a wonderful view of the countryside, completely flat and unobstructed
for miles around.
I was watching Randy's wing on the ground, but I couldn't see Randy or Sue.
I'd been in the air for about 5 minutes and was wondering if Randy's DK Whisper wouldn't start or he
was having some other sort of problem, when BANG, the wing came up and he was off and flying. He'd been
strapped in all along and just not visible from my altitude.
I began to descend and met Randy IN THE
SKY at about 500'. We flew next to each other 100' apart following a canal and around the field. At
one point, I flew beneath him and later he flew beneath me. After we landed, Randy commented that my
wing looked "pillowey" from above. I got a little bump when I flew through his wake. Nothing scary,
but another "first" for me.
It was the most enjoyable experience - to be flying high above the
Central California Valley landscape, in the sunset-colorful sky, birds flying below me and with my brother
Randy right there beside me with his bright yellow wing.
These wings are so beautiful. I felt
like I was a part of (and adding to) the beauty of the sky.
Randy then did a low fly-by for Sue
to get some pictures. He's more comfortable at low flight than I am, and I am more comfortable with
the higher altitudes than he is. I imagine that we will both extend our ranges with more experience.
.
We both had gentle landings.
Then we jumped up and down for about 5 minutes, until the mosquitoes
showed up to show us who really owns the air.
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