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Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Cloud Flight 751 Arcadia

Met up with Bob and Mike O at 7:00.  The Arcadia Airport is mid sized with a large nicely mowed grass field.  There was thick ground fog and a lite 5 mph breeze from the north.  As the fog started to burn off we set up and Mike launched right away.  Bob set up and blew his first attempt.  I was hoping to get good video and attached the Go Pro to the right side of the wing.   Mike was out of sight almost as soon as he took off. We could hear him buzzing around and I assumed he had gotten above it very quickly. 
My first launch was a bust.  The wing came up crooked and I tried to save it to no avail.  The Go Pro was dragged and swung up over the lines just as I aborted.  Here is where it got interesting.  The wing was thoroughly soaked during the first attempt.  While I was setting up for another, I kited it to build a wall and was amazed by the crisp inflation.  WOW, What a difference!  I'd forgotten how a theEden III used to feel, this was definitely not the wing I had been flying the last several months.  It was very responsive ground handling and once up it just felt different... better.  I'm guessing that soaking the wing gave it almost zero porosity and dry it would not pass that test.  I think it's time to get a new wing.




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