100th Flight!

john was already at the field when I arrived. I took of about 3:30 and played around the marina & LZ for about an hour.
Got into sink during landing but no problem. held the risers a little higher and the wing came up better.

Big List

Today was my 100th flight. …And …I'm looking forward to the1000th.I've swallowed three props a couple of frames a bit of pride and two years (plus a day). For a long time it was all about take off and landing , but it's been 55 flights since I've had a difficult landing or really stupid take-off and now I'm learning to fly. What a ride ! Foot launch is king but I love my buggy.There have been a couple of engine outs, broken muffler springs and semi"puckering' moments, but for the most part...all were non events.I've flown ocean beaches, dry lake beds, rocky mountains and cornfields. With hot air balloons, powered parachutes, gyro copters and a mess of PPG's.During three major fly-in s and lots of mini s I have met instructors and manufacturers veterans and newbies. I've lost track of some of the guys I started with, one moved away another sold his rig early, and one was killed in a during a fly-in …people come and go…but allin all, a great bunch.. Several have been key and I really thank you.And look forward to the next time we meet.So…Brian, Doug and Roshanna, Leon Wayne and Suzi, Bubba, Alex andBo, Michael , Bob and Jeff, Michelle Eric and Jim. Casey and Chad

THANKS!

98 & 99

Two botched launches The wing came up slow and off to one side. When i did get up the left brake line was locked in a loop around the pulley. I sorted it out without problem but it was disconcerting not to have any pull at all. Another problem was that I started with the risers a little lower in my had and so I wasn't able to "get on the A's" with as much pressure as I usually have.
The landings were great! 1/3 power and brake. I have no doubt that I could have eased off the brakes added power and lifted of any time.

96 97 Simms

Bad launch that looked great. I was launching 90 degrees off a very light wind. The wing was oscillating and I took off with the wing far to one side. Instead of centering I stayed on the brake and turned hard into the sky. It worked because the Simonini has plenty of power for my weight but if I had been in another machine with less power it could have been bad.

95 Simms

Chip Marek and I. Also a very strange little dude who had followed me from the gas station. Not the best of days, Marek and Chip were planning a long flight and I had only enough gas for about 45 minutes.
Marek got up quickly and I went north to the golf course and then to the Park. When I got down Chip was standing by his machine which was badly damaged. he explained that he had put it on his bumper rack to check out a problem and forgot to bolt it down properly before testing the machine. It jumped out of the rack and broke the prop...cage...and muffler. $1000 + in damages.

94

Nice long late season flight with john Sieb. No Ipod and it made me more sensitive to motor noise. I heard a sympathetic vibration between 4400 and 4700 RPM. I also heard the spare"non vented" clipping against the frame. I hung over John while he flew low at the south west end of the lake. The landing was a hard surprise, I remember feeling a drop in temp just before flare. Proof that Vince's repair was good.
I'm working on getting as much speed as possible before lift and trying not to use any brake.
I reversed the throttle to be able to get to the kill switch easier.

93

Broke the top left joint by the motor mount. Probably flew with it that way because the take off and landing were very smooth. I seem to remember that the motor was moving a little more on its mounts during the pre-flight.

91 92 Simms

Chip Marek and I .... Beautiful! Spoke with Bear Creek Ranger...no problems.
Problems with GPS. Great pictures of the guys with the moon.

88 89 90 Chatfield

Light and variable winds. Chip was also there. I did the pre-flight twice because I felt like I was missing something. Halfway through the taxi I found it...my Leukemia Cup has was on my head instead of the helmet. I located the cap after the 3rd flight in tiny little pieces. I hope this is the last time I lose a trusted hat this way.

86 & 87 Chatfield

Two quick flights Moderately bouncy air. Forgot seat belt. The only thing to note was that I had sink on final and then at the last lift. I floated for a long time before setting down

85 Titan

High Humidity and low cloud cover. Nil winds

Taxi was a little long with one take off bounce, but the wing was well centered and so was the buggy. I stayed low below the clouds probably 300 to 400 feet. The whole area over by the marina was socked in. The new exhaust is quieter and the whole unit feels stiffer somehow.

After the flight I was feeling nostalgic and walked around the field to the site of my last foot launch . The crash site was very apparent with bits of cage and tubing scattered around. I picked up a big piece of sun bleached prop and took it home to hang in the shop as a keepsake.