Today’s players: Al Bleyenberg, Jim Bates, Dick Blackburn, Dave Putnam, Al Moe
Got there 9 ish, cool temp, low winds. First up was the Dining room table Hummer.
For me, didn’t do to bad. Actually, did some rolls and other pilot sh….
landed a little too hard one time and the landing gear was now where the rudder is.
Don’t think that’s right. C/A to the rescue. A couple more flights. Runned out of batteries.
Jim showed up and took out his Voltigeur. He’s been having “teething” problems with it
since he bought it. Today was no different. Got everything ready plugged up the battery.
No beeps, motor started making a “chunking” sound. That’s a technical term. Look it up.
Tried a different battery, same thing, I gave him a spare motor, same chunking.
Pretty safe bet it’s the speed controller. Bummer, no fly today with it.
Dave Putnam arrives in all his glory. No fanfare, just a hey how you doing.
He throws a P-51 foamie on the ground just behind his truck. Guess that’s what he’s flying.
Nope, he brings out a stick built sail plane. Looks really good. Once it’s on the plane stand,
he’s putting it together for first flight. Jim obliges by hand launching it for Dave.
Plane make a slooooooooooooow, circle at not to high an altitude around the field and down.
Come to find out, the air brakes (I think that’s right) weren’t working the way they should.
Only one side was engaging. Further inspection showed that one of the cables going to the
Control surface had come loose. We are going to take up a collection for Dave so he can buy
some C/A.
Now Dick shows up and does his usual routine. Out comes the padded lawn chair first.
Then he puts his Aspire sailplane together (nice bird). Jim does the hand launch, and Dick is
away to the races. Actually, he sits down and flies.
I bring out my Eflite Commander to try. The last adventure, the elevator servo puked out on
me. Alan Roberts was at the controls, good thing. He knew how to get it back to earth in one
piece.
So this time, I ask Jim to do the honors. Commander slowly gets air born. Jim is working his
magic with the trimming. Turns out to be a respectable flyer. UNTIL!, he tries to land it.
Fourth attempt was the charm to get it on the runway. The other 3 times, just as it was
about to touchdown, the wind would gust up and the plane would lift off again.
You go Master Jim.
Dave has put away the sailplane and is now in P-51 mode. You’d almost think it wasn’t his first
time at the controls. Even landing, it came down nicely.
Jim brings out his DARTH VADER jet. I sorta kinda hand launch it for him. Despite my poor
launch, Jim has it doing all sorts of zoomy stuff. I can barely see the thing as it’s blasting back
and forth.
Much to everyone’s dismay (how’s that for literary speak), the wind has picked up. So what
else do you do, but sit under Hangar 1 and tell lies.
Alan Moe has joined the group, pulls a Dick Blackburn, pulls out a lawn chair and starts
supervising.
We are all sitting, and lying about how things used to be in the club.
Half and hour blows by and we head for our respective Hangars.
Volunteer co-pilots are welcome tomorrow for grass cutting.
