Flight log: October 27-28, 2020

 Pretty sure I already missed logging some days again, lol.

Flew the Ultrastick yesterday three flights.  Gaui  X5 twice.  Note that prior to going to the field, I tightened the mesh of the gears in the tail.  It got rid of an unwanted sound back there.

Today I was very happy to get three flights on the Bravata.  That plane flies so nice and easy but represents the biggest hassle in my mind to haul to the field.  Requires no tonneau of course plus the tailgate has to remain down/open.  It’s a mental issue of not wanting folks on the highway to see my plane back there.  The plane flew great.  The DLE-30 always takes a bunch of flips on that first startup...about 40 this time before the first bark.  But then it started after about 7 more flips.  It however ran very unsteady as throttle was advanced.  I varied throttle back and forth and gradually it ran steadier and steadier.  Perhaps some gunk worked through the carb.  It ran perfect after that for all three flights.  No hesitations in rolls, loops, nor inverted.  All landings were nice and easy on the runway too.

The X5 went up twice again today and was nice.  The unwanted noise in the tail came back but much less than it used to be before tightening the gear mesh. 

Flight log for many days

July 5:  2 flights of Toledo Special with the new aluminum spinner provided by don....good flights.  Definitely the front bearing is loosening up and causing the beginnings of the tractor sound.  Gonna fly it til it cries to be replaced!

July 6:  Warbird Day at the Wingdingers!  3 flights of the P-47 and one with the Val.  Oh so fun!  Best flight was my single flight of the Val in tandem with Bob’s blue nose P-51.  We had so much fun flying formation and zipping fast low passes.  A couple guys told me that was the best entertainment of the day.

July 7:   I arrived first...flew the X5 twice and 7HV thrice, plus the Starstream four times.  It’s a funny lil fun plane that flies kinda touchy yet totally spirited and controllable.   I like it lots but just wish the  3s 2200 packs would provide longer flight times than 3.5 minutes!

 Tad flew his Avanti three times, twice with Quang and his Avanti.  They might awesome closeby, low, and fast passes over the runway.  Actually Quang was too close, lol, but all went well.  Those jets took off in nay 2/3 of the grass runway.  They landed well too, but the grass makes good brakes.  Might be tough to stop on a smooth surfaces runway.

Major Heli flying progress today!

Gaui X5

Major accomplishments today in heli flying!  I did many flips to right and left to inverted and back out, plus I made a good five or six circles inverted to left and right.  All done high and I will work lower with time.  Feels so good.  I am gonna claim I can do forward inverted flight albeit high.  First 3 flights were with the X5, then 3 more with the 7HV.  Much easier to do with the 7HV due to ability to see it, and because it moves slower.  The X5 is pretty agile with its light disc loading.  WHAT A GREAT DAY FOR MY HELI FLYING!

Compass 7HV

Look at the clear sky!

I have had the goal of inverted forward flight complete with turns for a couple years and each year ended with little or no progress.  Just a month or more ago I decided to push harder by doing some sim time.  That built some muscle memory and today it all worked in the air with a real heli at risk, lol.  Like I said, it was high to be able to hopefully recover , but not so far I could not tell the heli attitude. Now I can work towards lower heights.  FEELS GREAT TO REACH THIS GOAL!  Now I will add stick time and get comfortable lower and connect maneuvers like in pattern plane flying...that is my goal for 2019!

Deja vu!

It has been a week since flying due to wind and rain and busyness.  It was foggy again, so we spent time huddled around the heater like hobos until the fog lifted enough to fly.  I got in 2 flights on the X5 plus 2 on the Toledo Special.  Nice day of flying with the die hards Don, Ken, Gary, and Bob.   I didn’t get to venture much with the heli due to the fog on the first flight, then discomfort on the 2nd...I think the X5 is too quick and small for the inverted forward flight attempts after my RF sim training.  Gonna try with the 7HV next time.

Foggy flying!

Flew in medium fog this morn.  Too low to do my dirty birdy...did it once and the plane almost disappeared on one half loop back to me.  Flew the x5 twice.  Getting more relaxed with side flip to inverted, due to sim time.  Die hards Don, Bill, Ken, and Gary were there, but only Gary and I flew. They didnt like not seeing my dirty birdy in the fog at times, lol.

Helis in the fog!

Well crap, it was foggy enough to screw my plans to try more inverted forward flight(FF) this morning.  At least i got to fly close in to psyche myself up, and as the fog thinned some, i did right roll flips to inverted, which I had not done before.  Easy peasy after doing it on the RF sim at home the last couple days!  I did the first couple on the X5, then a handful more on a  couple flights of the 7HV.  With the 7HV, i attempted left turn inverted FF, but the fog still was bothersome enough to make me chicken out.  Got 3/4 of a circle done once.  So its a good bit of progress for me...been plateaued a long time.  I was trying to start the inverted turns from my half loops to inverted, but for me that put the heli high where its harder to see.  Right flips are quick, so i dont begin the inverted turns as high as the half loop entry.  Anyway, now i am anxious to try the inverted turns with this new entry and based on getting the RF simulator working again and practicing there more too.  The year is not done, maybe i can make my goal of Learning inverted FF this year!

Helis only

Today I went to the Keizer field to fly helis only.  It was coldish and drizzly with hardly any wind.  Got in 2 flights on the X5 first, then 3 on the 7HV.  All good.  Felt comfortable.  No issues.  Still not feeling confident to fly inverted turns.  Have been at this plateau for at least two years!  Arg.

Eleven!

I got in 11flights at the Keizer field today, and I did it very quickly because not a single soul came to fly today!  So I put up 4 flights on the X5, 4 on the Aerostar 40F, 2 on the Aerostar 76, and one on the lil Ascent electric glider.  Not really liking the Asssent much so I might return it to Jer with a free orange receiver in it so he can fool with it in parks or schools where he lives. It was a ball flying the heli and the planes.  With the X5 I did a whole bunch of flips and rolls, and I put it inverted frequently.  Just gotta keep doing it and hopefully turning will come gradually.

Pau MAD

Hahaha, the title is just a salute to pidgin spoken in Hawaii!  It is the day after MAD, so all pau MAD!  Flew again at Keizer today.  Got the helis in action again...2 flights each on the G500 and X5.  Also put up three flights on the Stinger II plane.  The YS63 ran sweet and made the plane whistle by. Great fun doing high speed low flybys over the flat dirt plain which is the sod farm with no sod on it at this time.  It has been seeded but not netted or irrigated yet so absolutely no grass is on it. More guys came out today with the much lighter winds than yesterday.

Lots of flying and no blogging!

I have flown lots since last reported two weeks ago.  Can’t remember the days nor exactly what I flew, lol, and I am getting tired of this blogging. Attempting to sum it up, I have flown the helis (7HV, G700, G630, G500, X5 all at least a few flights each), plus a host of my planes including the Intruder, Dirty Birdy, Yak 54, and the  Bravata.  Yesterday the Bravata was just sublime for three glorious flights at Dallas.  What fun...it  started nice, ran well, flew brilliant.  That is indeed my favorite plane at this time.  It may not do great aileron rolls or inverted flying, but it is just a sweetheart plane that does its share of aerobatics gracefully in slow motion.  Playing with the flaps is so satisfying.  

Today I flew helis at keizer.  I have hit the wall on improvement.  Just cannot get the balls to do turns in forward inverted flight.  I got inverted many times today with the 500 and 700, did 180 or 360 pyros, then rolled or flipped out.  I tried to just yaw the tail each way and hold altitude and location, but doing a full circle inverted at one altitude is super hard for me.  The good news is I did not get disoriented and did not crash.

Goblin 700 maidened!

The Goblin 700 maidened today...Ron took her up for me and said she flies good, so I flew her the next three flights.  She handles light, much lighter than the 630, and she also runs quiet.  I used 4000mah packs today because i discovered when charging this morning that one of the 5000 packs has a bad cell...five cells were up near 4.2V one was at 4.05V.  That will be dumped.  With the 4000 packs, the batts were reading about 3.82-3.85V per cell after each 4 minute flight.  That is ample and i might be able to go to 4:15 easily.  Normal for all my other helis is 4:30.  NICE HELI!  Thanks Tad for selling it to me real cheap!

 I also flew the X5 once and the Aerostar 40F twice in breezy and very grey conditions today.

Lotsa flying!

Been flying super lots since last posting, especially the last five days with cousin Ron here on his annual visit to fly , fly, fly.  We have flown everyday so far but will skip tomorrow for the annual Spirit Mountain trip with him.  Not much to say except I have flown lots of Ultimate, Dirty Birdy, etc.   Over the weekend we flew lots of Battlewing missions...with Jer and Alex on Sunday, with Tad and Quang on Monday.  At least a few heli flights everyday with Ron, but six today...two each on the X5, G500, and 7HV.

Today Ron set up the G700 on my transmitter for me.  Now it is ready for me to fly after having it about two years.

Flight log: 05/27,28/2018

Flew Sunday at Keizer.  Took two flights each with the X5, 7HV, then G630.  Very good comfort level coming back with helis.  Not normal yet but getting there.  Also flew the SNAFU for four flights.  Then on Monday, I flew with the Dallas gang.  Only took two flights with the SNAFU just due to talking lots with the guys, and enjoying the banter and other planes.

SNAFU

Action down the flight line.  Gary's Kaos in front.

TEN!

Yes, i got in ten flights spread over four aircraft this morning at the keizer field and was home by about 9:30AM!  Here’s how it went! First up was the X5 with two flights...that is always my warm up heli, being most dispensable, lol.  Next up was the G500 for two flights.  Felt sensitive but i know it is just my lack of feel for it due to lack of flying.  Then i flew the green watermelon 7HV for two flights.  Felt like a beast, in a good way.  And then i flew the Starstreak plane, another aerostar variation from Dick Smith, just for pure relaxation.  Planes are too easy, lol.  I tried to take pics of the aircraft flown today but my iphone memory was full.  When done, i was very satisfied, and relieved that i did not crash any helicopters!

Flight log: 04/28/2018

Logged four flights of the X5 today and two of the Aerostar 76.  Had the 7HV with me but I forgot the battery tray at home, so I used the two packs in the X5.  Still feeling nervous with the heli due to lack of frequency flying them,  been just concentrating on planes with the Dallas guys.  Nonetheless I force myself to make the heli flights or I will lose all muscle memory for sure, lol.  Got in a few back flips when I got comfortable enough.  Never lost orientation.  Good fun anyhow , all alnoe at the KRCA field.

Unconfident

Took helis and the Aerostar 76 out to Keizer today.  Flying the Gaui X5, I just felt total lack of confidence in my brain and fingers.  After two flights, I quit flying helis for the day.  I brought the 7HV for three flights but it stayed grounded.  Flew my new to me Aerostar 76 twice and enjoyed the total relaxation of a plane.  It flies great and is a keeper for now!

Heli of a day!

I took only helis to the Keizer field today.  Got in 8 flights!  Four on theX5 and four on the G500.  All went well, but i was nervous to fly helis after not flying them for about a month...I always think I am gonna go brain dead from lack of stick time.  Just been flying planes lots lately!  All went fine though, and i got to throw in a number of inverted hovers and inverted straight lines up at a safe altitude.  Nobody was at the field...I think they were bargain hunting at the annual Mc Minnville swap meet!

Exceptional Good Weather!

Blessed with exceptionally nice weather, i got to fly Saturday and Sunday!   I flew Saturday at the Keizer club field.  Had 2 flights on the X5, 2 on the 7HV, and 4 on the Osiris!  Then today I had 3 flights with the Bravata!  Great conditions both days with sunny skies after light spotty fog, and calm wind becoming light breezes over a few hours at the fields.  Temps were mid 40's at the start of each day, and mid 50's by the time i left the field...ultra nice and rare in the middle of January.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2018!!!!

Been too lazy to enter blog reports , but indeed i have been flying since the last entry on 10/25/2017! I was however sick a bunch of times and did not fly as frequently, but i have been flying almost  weekly.  Suffice to say i flew mostly planes while sick, and i flew mostly at the Dallas club with the old gang that is super entertaining.  I will just pick up now and report that i flew the Polar Fly Day, New Years Day, with the Keizer guys.  Anticipating cold conditions i just flew the Aerostar 40F, using all five packs that i have for that plane.  It turned out so nice at the field with sun and almost no wind that it was very comfy, and i should have flown a nitro or gasser!  The turnout was great, and so was the flying and lunch...chili, hot dogs, fried chicken, corn bread, chips, desserts.  The open fire pit kept warm those that found it too cold....not me.

Then today, Jan 6, i flew again and was all alone most of the time.  I wanted it that way though because i needed solitude to fly my X5 for the first time in months.  Got four flights in without incident, yay!  After that a visiting flyer from Florence, OR showed up and i invited him to fly as my guest.  He had a foamie Cirrus SR-22 and flew it well enough.  At that time i flew my Toledo Special a couple flights.  All went well with that plane, as groovy as ever.

Foggy Flying Again!

Well, tis the time of year again for fog, cold, grey skies, late starts, ie crap.  Had to go later to the field due to fog and cold temps.  I left the house at almost 9AM and 39F.  Got back home around 12:30 and 54F.  That just gives an idea about the temp and how it slowly increases to bearable.  Fog was still around when I came home but definitely much better than at 9AM.  I had to stay low and close on my first 5 flights.  Finally on the last two packs, I could air the G630 out safely.  Not all is lost on that closeby flying though...the stick time is still good, and it forces me to be in tighter control.  Also I practice more hovering orientations.  Got in four flights of the X5 and three of the G630.

Note the foggy background!

Followed the heli flying with three flights of the Aerostar 40F.  Always a joy to fly in any conditions.

Definitely better visibility now.