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Thursday, December 15, 2016

947 Peachtree LZ

It's been a busy day.  Social Sailing in the morning followed by helping a club member buy some folding bikes for X-mas.  Then watching the new H20's arrive and off to Mike's LZ for an evening flight.  The winds were brisk and puffy when we arrived.  Mike and I kited for awhile and when Mike Otten showed up we didn't have any more excuses.  So... Mike n Mike launched and I followed about 5 minutes later.  I don't know,  sometimes you just don't feel the love and this was one of those times. The air wasn't bad, the wind wasn't strong, there was nothing to put my finger on, it just felt wrong.  So, after about 30 minutes of flying in circles I came in to land.

This is not my favorite LZ.  the surface is big time bumpy under the grass.  It feels like they dragged the surface to make irrigation rows and the rows never washed out.   During the run out, the bumps got worse toward the middle of the field and about the time I was at take off speed I crossed some particularly bad terrain.  I could feel the airflow above the wing being disturbed and the trike losing lift.  Eventually I got up and all was good with the world.
This LZ (as I've said) is a bit of a challenge.  The field is ringed by wires and trees.  During takeoff I was launching into the tree rotor and on landing I had to make a short final to land into the wind.


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