267 & 268 Simms

It was a beautiful day

Sunny and warm,

The Dawn was calm with very light winds which built as it got warmer. I was loading the buggy about 3:30pm and noticed gusts from 3 to 15 which came and went very quickly. I was hoping that it would mellow as the sun got lower. Since I was a little early I stopped at S & B "South Side Power" ... I ordered high altitude jets for the carb and B.S'd with the staff for a while. They are a good bunch and I think they will be very helpful.

Simms ... Two ten minute flights. Equipment was without issue. 65 degrees.
Climb is good but the takeoff was much longer. Reading last weeks log,... I notice all the same things. I'm still tentative on the wing and missing the old throttle.

The first flight, I climbed to 400 feet and landed. The run out was very long with the trimmers out but the wing came up very fast. Very ratty air all the way to the ground. I was more than happy to use the entire runway and make a long straight approach. There were puffs I flew threw that would slow me down and change the glide. Not dangerous but not the best place to be making tight turns either.

By the time I had walked the entire width of the field the wind was starting to mellow. A 15 year old kid was tagging along...nice kid I'll try to give him a little more attention next time. :)

Second flight came 10 minutes after the sun had set behind the foothill. I kept it short and enjoyed a little better air. Trimmers in, wing came up slower, but takeoff was quicker. Climb out was sluggish at first but came up nicely. Landing was perfect ...power on dragged the back wheels for a long time before I felt the front wheel touch.


Getting used to the Thumper/Powerplay Sting... It's bigger, heaver, and slower to react. I miss the Simo's snap but the trade off's of the 4 stroke are still worth investigating. The place where it will really shine are long x-country flights. And...I have not had a good opportunity to do that this year. Guess I'll have to get up early and put on my Michelin Suit to do it right.