ValkingBlog: One Year, 4 days...

ValkingBlog

Because there is more to life than just work...

Wednesday, September 08, 2004

One Year, 4 days...

Well, it's been just a hair over a year now since my solo flight.
What have I accomplished in that year? Let's see...
My logbook shows 62 flights, not a lot for a year of flying.
I've flown at what could be considered four fly-ins. Most of my flights have been alone.
About half without even ground crew. I have had three ocassions to fly with only one or two other pilots. I have been in formation with as many as seven. I have flown in the rain once.
I have personally seen three crashes... (2 splashes, one dirt-dart). All three were non fatal, and all three the pilot flies again today. I helped in the recovery of two of them.
The numbers:
I have roughly flown 1138.5 minutes or 18.975 hours.
I have flown in that time, 493.35 miles.

I have broken 2 propellers (in flight, not launching or landing). I have run the fuel tank dry twice. I have had one "bad fuel" day. I have made landings for flight issues five times ( just listed). I have landed for unpleasant flying conditions three times. I have been almost scared (very close to scared) twice. My most unpleasant experience was the day I was dragged by the wing. (No damage to me or equipment)
My best experience was my last sunset flight,
Watching the changing colors feeling the cool breeze... as day ebbed to night... and I to ground... alit from flight..

2 Comments:

At 8:34 AM, Blogger Sister Sunshine said...

How did you get dragged by the wing?

 
At 3:39 PM, Blogger Robert D. said...

Hiya Sister Sunshine,
I was trying to fly on a day that was too windy. I mean WAY too windy (probably 15+ mph). I had brought the wing up once or twice checking and thought, "yeah, I can do this...". Well with the motor running it added a little more excitement to doing everything and I ended up getting close to an obstacle. Okay, I was pulled to the obstacle, a fence and was about 15 feet from it with the wing overhead and everything good to go. If it failed from here, the wing would go back down on the other side of the fence... Well I turned quickly to take off (the wing stays facing the wind, I turned so now I was facing the way it was and the lines are all un-crossed and correct to fly, this is done like a quick "about face!" in the military) and went full power, as I did, the wing pulled hard left and I knew it was all over. I hit the kill switch and reversed back to face the wing and saw it was now standing on end, one tip on the ground, one straight up in the air. Remember that "WAY too windy" I mentioned above, well so did I as just as I realized the wing was standing vertical, I wasn't. I was yanked forward and off my feet, right thru the fence I mentioned a minute ago. Up and down a slight rise I thought of those war movies where the paratrooper gets pulled along by his 'chute...
I pulled in as much line as I could on the right risers and this was enough to stop the wing pulling me as I now pulled it. Help was there in the form of my parents (my stepmom hadn't seen me flying yet & this was her first chance) and it was later said no one ever even saw Pop jump that fence he went so fast. Well Pop came to help and he was able to get the wing balled up a bit and I unhooked and got up. I took off the motor, carried it back to the fence and put it over it, and went back for the wing. I sacked it up on the spot and got everything situtated and took a long break. I was one tired dragged puppy. I am now far more careful when looking at wind for flying... This is called a learning experience and my first "dumbchute" story.
-R

 

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