aeajr
02-16-2005, 10:37 AM
Do you enjoy more than one kind of flying?
Just because you start out in one type of flying doesn't mean you can't explore others. Here is my story. You may learn about styles of flying you didn't even know about. So much fun! :D
I started in electric parkflyers and still enjoy them very much. I have 2 flying and three waiting for preparation.
Then I became involved in thermal duration, TD, sailplanes and that has become an obsession. :eek: I just love hunting for lift. When I find it and the plane begins to rise, I feel like I found a treasure that no one else knows about. I work the lift and try to keep the plane in the sky for as long as I wish.
If there are other flyers around I invite them to join me it the find and to come work the lift with me. It can be very social. :p I now have 3 sailplanes in the 2-3 meter range that are flying and I have three waiting for prep.
The problem with TD sailplanes is that when the wind gets above about 15 mph it can be hard to hold onto the lift without going very far down wind. It is challenging, but as the thermals move with the wind I find I have to abandon them too soon or risk losing the plane, or worse.
Enter Slope soaring for windy day flying! :)
I found someone to introduce me to slope soaring. The problem with slope is that you need the wind to come from the right direction and a site suitable for slope. However when those two points come together, oh my goodness is this fun. Almost endless lift and almost endless flights.
My longest is about 90 minutes but I had to land as the transmitter battery was running down. I now have three slope planes, one of which was originally a parkflyer. I have removed the motor and set it up as a slope glider. I have also discovered that my thermal planes do great on the slope. My Aerobird, parkflyer, does great on the slope as well.
Now I have entered into discus launched gliders. I have one today, a Boomer side arm/discus launched glider wing. I have a second kit sitting on the bench but that will sit for a while during my beating up of the first one. This is lots of fun. Totally different experience.
This plane has a wing loading of about 3 oz/sq foot so it won't take much lift to take it up. My launches are about 50 feet today but I know I can get it higher. Once I get good with it I will start hunting thermals and explore slope with the Boomer on those light slope lift days.
The Boomer may become a "keep in the car plane" along with my Aerobird.
So I started with electrics but find I am moving more and more into gliders and sailplanes.
Now I am working on a 3.6M scale sailplane that I got form another member. A crash victim, I am restoring it to flying condition. This will be my introduction into aerotowing. This should be fun, flying a scale sailplane, which will also be largest at 12 foot wing span. I am told this plane should thermal well and could be flown on the slope when the lift is strong AND if there is a large landing area around.
I hope to learn how to fly the tow plane as well. This is a large Piper Cub with a big brushless motor that flys on 32 NIMH cells or a bunch of lipoly cells. This takes me back to electrics but on a larger scale. Who knows, maybe I will have my own electric tow plane some day.
I want to free the tow pilot up to take up his own scale sailplanes. So this would be another aspect of flying I can enjoy. Towing up sailplanes and setting them free to hunt and rise with the air.
All clean, all quiet, all fun fun fun. Maybe someday I will give fuel a try, but that would be long into the future as I am having too much fun exploring silent and almost silent flight!
What's next after these?
I am not much into aerobatics yet, but my Zagi slope wing and one of my newest slope planes are capable of some great aerobatics, so I will begin to explore that as well.
And back to electrics again. I also have a mid speed electric I am preparing that has a symmetrical wing. It should be good for aerobatics on the club field. Perhaps even a bit of 3D.
Now the club has started doing some indoor electric flying with another club. I think I need another plane!
So many ways to enjoy flying and so little time. I hope you get to explore many of them! ;)
Just because you start out in one type of flying doesn't mean you can't explore others. Here is my story. You may learn about styles of flying you didn't even know about. So much fun! :D
I started in electric parkflyers and still enjoy them very much. I have 2 flying and three waiting for preparation.
Then I became involved in thermal duration, TD, sailplanes and that has become an obsession. :eek: I just love hunting for lift. When I find it and the plane begins to rise, I feel like I found a treasure that no one else knows about. I work the lift and try to keep the plane in the sky for as long as I wish.
If there are other flyers around I invite them to join me it the find and to come work the lift with me. It can be very social. :p I now have 3 sailplanes in the 2-3 meter range that are flying and I have three waiting for prep.
The problem with TD sailplanes is that when the wind gets above about 15 mph it can be hard to hold onto the lift without going very far down wind. It is challenging, but as the thermals move with the wind I find I have to abandon them too soon or risk losing the plane, or worse.
Enter Slope soaring for windy day flying! :)
I found someone to introduce me to slope soaring. The problem with slope is that you need the wind to come from the right direction and a site suitable for slope. However when those two points come together, oh my goodness is this fun. Almost endless lift and almost endless flights.
My longest is about 90 minutes but I had to land as the transmitter battery was running down. I now have three slope planes, one of which was originally a parkflyer. I have removed the motor and set it up as a slope glider. I have also discovered that my thermal planes do great on the slope. My Aerobird, parkflyer, does great on the slope as well.
Now I have entered into discus launched gliders. I have one today, a Boomer side arm/discus launched glider wing. I have a second kit sitting on the bench but that will sit for a while during my beating up of the first one. This is lots of fun. Totally different experience.
This plane has a wing loading of about 3 oz/sq foot so it won't take much lift to take it up. My launches are about 50 feet today but I know I can get it higher. Once I get good with it I will start hunting thermals and explore slope with the Boomer on those light slope lift days.
The Boomer may become a "keep in the car plane" along with my Aerobird.
So I started with electrics but find I am moving more and more into gliders and sailplanes.
Now I am working on a 3.6M scale sailplane that I got form another member. A crash victim, I am restoring it to flying condition. This will be my introduction into aerotowing. This should be fun, flying a scale sailplane, which will also be largest at 12 foot wing span. I am told this plane should thermal well and could be flown on the slope when the lift is strong AND if there is a large landing area around.
I hope to learn how to fly the tow plane as well. This is a large Piper Cub with a big brushless motor that flys on 32 NIMH cells or a bunch of lipoly cells. This takes me back to electrics but on a larger scale. Who knows, maybe I will have my own electric tow plane some day.
I want to free the tow pilot up to take up his own scale sailplanes. So this would be another aspect of flying I can enjoy. Towing up sailplanes and setting them free to hunt and rise with the air.
All clean, all quiet, all fun fun fun. Maybe someday I will give fuel a try, but that would be long into the future as I am having too much fun exploring silent and almost silent flight!
What's next after these?
I am not much into aerobatics yet, but my Zagi slope wing and one of my newest slope planes are capable of some great aerobatics, so I will begin to explore that as well.
And back to electrics again. I also have a mid speed electric I am preparing that has a symmetrical wing. It should be good for aerobatics on the club field. Perhaps even a bit of 3D.
Now the club has started doing some indoor electric flying with another club. I think I need another plane!
So many ways to enjoy flying and so little time. I hope you get to explore many of them! ;)