Dave Holmes
09-06-2005, 10:49 AM
I got my 2 meter GP Spirit out after more than a year and took it out to the Prince Edward County flying site (Picton Airport) I have Norvell .061 on a pylon to drag it up, but it didn't seem to be doing the job at first, not developing much power.
I was struggling (it felt like) to get some altitude, and I brought it in towards me and over the paved airstrip. I must have blundered into some lift because it started going up much more easily. Finally the engine died as the fuel ran out, and to my amazement the little sucker kept on climbing!
Before I knew it it was "way up there" and guys were saying things like "Look at the little thing go!" and "He's going to lose it!".
It got to the point where I was flying it in a part of the sky where it was silhouetted against a cloud, so I wouldn't lose track of it, as the blue underside was fading into the blue of the sky.
As it was descending I was able to horse around a bit with a couple of loops and even an outside loop.
When it finally did come down I was able to bring it it and land it on the grass so that it skated to within 15 feet of me. I have NEVER had a flight like this with my sailplane ever before and I still can feel the exhileration! What a rush it was!
Hopefully I will soon learn to hunt out and use thermals, but for now if I can blunder into one like that, I'll take it.
The second flight was nowhere close, but on landing it skated to within 5 feet of where I was standing and I heard somebody say "He sure doesn't like walking much, does he."
I took it as a compliment.
I was struggling (it felt like) to get some altitude, and I brought it in towards me and over the paved airstrip. I must have blundered into some lift because it started going up much more easily. Finally the engine died as the fuel ran out, and to my amazement the little sucker kept on climbing!
Before I knew it it was "way up there" and guys were saying things like "Look at the little thing go!" and "He's going to lose it!".
It got to the point where I was flying it in a part of the sky where it was silhouetted against a cloud, so I wouldn't lose track of it, as the blue underside was fading into the blue of the sky.
As it was descending I was able to horse around a bit with a couple of loops and even an outside loop.
When it finally did come down I was able to bring it it and land it on the grass so that it skated to within 15 feet of me. I have NEVER had a flight like this with my sailplane ever before and I still can feel the exhileration! What a rush it was!
Hopefully I will soon learn to hunt out and use thermals, but for now if I can blunder into one like that, I'll take it.
The second flight was nowhere close, but on landing it skated to within 5 feet of where I was standing and I heard somebody say "He sure doesn't like walking much, does he."
I took it as a compliment.