I met Marek at Simms at 7:30. There was a cop at the gate who told me "no motorized vehicles allowed". He was cool about it though and overlooked the motor on the machine I agreed to park outside and push the machine into the field. There was no wind at all, so I set up right at the entrance and was going to use the road to launch. we were both in a rush to get airborne and I really didn't spend enough time scoping out the site or laying out the wing. I didn't build a wall with the motor and the surface was filled with fist sized rocks and mud nobs to grab the lines.
The wing came up crooked probably because a line got caught and instead of aborting like I should have, I tried to save it. The left tip caught a piece of steel fence post that was hidden in a patch of weeds and tore the wing pretty badly. The tip is torn and some panels are going to have to be replaced. I'll give the wing to Michelle at Bubba's and let her determine if it is worth repairing. I won't be surprised if she declares it dead because between Monte and I there are probably 350 to 400 hours on the wing. Maybe it's a good thing...it was time.
If I'd looked the area over better I would have seen the post and maybe set up differently. Doesn't matter... the wing is out for several weeks.
Lessons
1. If I had used the motor to build a wall ... I think the lines would have been above the surface and I'd have had a good inflation.
2. I could have laid out the wing better
3. Don't rush it !
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