14 Packs!

It didn't feel like so many, but I ran 14 battery packs through my aircraft today.  One on the Goblin, 5 on the X5, 4 on the Trex 450 FBL, and 4 on the Star plane.  Good fun in great conditions.  After an hour, I was able to shed the jacket and wear just a long sleeve flannel with T underneath.  Sky conditions were good too, with mostly sunny skies making visibility of the helicopters good.  I had only a single flight on the Goblin because it just sounds abnormal.  I landed once to loosen the tail rotor belt, and it sounded different but still not normal.  I think I will have to closely inspect every nut and bolt for looseness. Thus, I flew the X5 more since it shares the same packs with the Goblin.  It did feel great to finally get to fly again after being down with bad weather and a bad cold for two weeks!

First Oil Change

April 18, 2014 was the one year anniversary since the dual delivery of my 981 Boxster and Tad's 991 Carrera S.  At 9AM, we left Salem for the dealership in Portland for the first oil change and servicing. I had about 2030 miles going up, so I am officially over the break-in period, but I have sort of ignored that the last 500 miles since I am no racer anyhow. We got a lot of looks on the way up and back as we caravaned the 1 hour+ trip each way.

Somehow though our hoped for one hour waiting at the dealership ended up much more. I needed the oil change as well as the patch for the service engine now dummy light issue that has existed in my car since delivery. Also had them take the meep meep out when I lock my car with the fob. My son only needed the oil change too, but they decided to do a campaign fix that took about another three hours on his 991. Knowing that we were together, they just took their time with my car too. What we hoped might be a 1-2 hour wait ended up 5 hours! Fortunately the dealership gave us a loaner car midway in the wait so that we could go eat lunch and kill some time. They actually offered my son the use of the car overnight, but we figured we were there and should just get it all done then. Lunch was just over an hour and we still had to wait almost an hour after we got back. Our 10AM appointment finally ended at 3PM and we got to hit the back roads home through some twisties, taking more like 90 minutes to get home.

While it was a frustratingly long wait, we managed to have fun and create another Porsche focused memory between father and son. Checked out all the cars in the showroom and the front lot at the dealership, window shopped all the Porsche Design merchandise inside, had lunch, and drove the marvels up and back between Salem and Portland. Not exactly as we had intended, but it was a nice day doing our Porsche car thing together, nevertheless.

I was real happy with how the car ran up and back. It's just easy to drive for short or longer trips, and I was comfortable all the time in the sport plus seats. The car handled all the roads well, and I can see taking a long roadtrip with no problems for my body. Oh hey, I noted the car was getting 28.3mpg as we neared Portland, via I-5 all the way except for a few miles in Salem.

I am a dinosaur and finally got a cell phone a few weeks ago. Using it via the bluetooth communication to the car is simply the best thing since sliced bread to me, lol. Really was easy and convenient to call my son dozens of times as we drove. I did keep the top up so that I could use the phone anytime. I think it might have been difficult to hear him with the top down. I noticed though that I got distracted a few times just using the hands free controls, so it ain't a great thing for me to use even the hands free while driving!

Best things...I love the sound during acceleration in the lower gears, so intoxicating still. Shifting is such a pleasure with the 6 speed gearbox, smooth and precise, snick snick snick. Monitoring the temps, oil, tire pressure, mileage, etc all easily with the lower right lever (forgot the name, haha) is a comforting capability. Comfort in the cockpit is outstanding to me, and I got out feeling tired only from being out for 8 hours, but my body did not ache from the seats or ride. I was still ready to stand there several minutes and grin at MY Boxster. The longer I have it, the more I love it, and the more I feel good about spending the money for it!

3 X 3

Beeyooteefull weather this AM.  I got in 3 packs on the Goblin 500 followed by 3 on the Gaui X5.  I did more inverted hovering and slight forward inveted flight.  Got in trouble once when the G500 drifted away to the West and when I half flipped out, I lost orientation momentarily, but quickly figured which way to turn and bring the heli back in forward flight safely.  Good to recover, good fun, all part of the progression in learning.  Also did my first inverted hovering with the X5.  Did many loops today with both helis, bigger loops than a stationary flip.  Few forward flips, few rolls, stall turns, and FFF.  Also did my customary hovering sideways and nose-in about 15' high just across the dirt road over the North field.  Rudy, Dick and Ken were out flying today too.  Dick brought out the new CZ Splendor  pattern/3D foam plane.  Wow, looks pretty cool like a modern pattern plane, and flies very true, it seems.

Unusual!

I took only one aircraft out to fly today...a PLANE!  No helis as I deemed it too windy for me.  I was right, and actually it was too windy to have stress free flying with my Sbach!  I took one long flight, got down safely when I thought the wind was lighter and steady instead of gusting.  Typical crosswind out of the North, between 5 and 10mph.  Our 5mph new windsock was straight out horizontally most of the time.  The Sbach felt a bit touchy and weird after a long layoff, but I got used to it and had fun after a few minutes.  Tad got in 3 packs on his Goblin 500.  Anthony and Quang were there and done early too.  Other flyers...Mike, Dick, Chris, Ken.  Quite surprising that there were this many there, on a windy day.

Fun in the Sun

I anticipated fog at the field like at home, but had to go to Lowe's anyway, so I took my X5 and Goblin 500 along.  After I did my chores at Lowe's,  I went to the field, and the fog was mostly burnt off already!  Hallelujah!!  I flew 4 packs on the Goblin 500 and 2 on the X5.  What a day.  It was sunny so I had no disorientation incidents!  Got to fly some inverted with the Gobby, doing some extended forward inverted flight, pulling out with half loop outside, therefore gaining altitude on the exit.  Fun.  The Goblin is gentle.  Also did a rather funny but safe maneuver...from FF pull up to about 45 degrees climbing, do a roll, stop, hit rudder for stall turn, and exit flying forward and descending on the 45.  Just helps build confidence doing things in sequence in prep for someday doing 3D, lol.

Sunshine and breezy

The wind was over 5mph instead of the forecasted 1-3mph, but it felt fine with the Goblin 500, Gaui X5, and Star.  Workers were done for the day very early, with me arriving around 10AM.  In fact, JB has completed its harvest of all sod on the 80 acres.  Some member came early and saw them working here and there, so they stretched the closed sign across our pit entrance.  I think JB must have just been finishing their last load of sod when the member was there earlier , because there was nothing to prevent us from flying when I got there.  In fact Ken was already flying.  We took the sign down and proceeded to have fun.

I got in 3 packs on the Goblin, 3 on the X5, and 5.3 on the Star.  Something cut power to everything on the Star on my 6th battery.  Fortunate for me that the Star was low, wings leveled, and the plane just landed without any flare out in the mud/dirt sod farm, with absolutely no damage, not even a broken prop!  How lucky is that.  I think the Dean's connector on the ESC is the culprit.  Gonna have to do some investigation on it, and likely will replace the connector.

Rather impressed with quality of pics taken with my new cheap cell phone!

 Wow it was fun with the G500 and X5.  Good lighting today vs the last time when the sky was so grey and overcast.  Today the blue broke out, and I could see so much better, with no disorientation episodes at all.  I did a number of loops, stall turns, FFF (fast forward flight), hovering sideways and nose in.  Too fun.  No inverted attempts today with the breeze.  Next time maybe!