Spring is here - what is stopping you from flying?

David Ashby - Moderator · April 22, 2014

First flight of my KA3 yesterday and from an aerotow, all went well, I'm very pleased.

Erfolg · April 24, 2014

As with many other modellers of a certain age, Easter is a holiday which is a "off season" flying period. Grandchildren staying with us, my time devoted to Easter egg hunts, cooking dinner, never ending days of torture, whilst parents declare, we are so tired, its the grandparents opportunity to have quality time with the horde.

So on Tuesday, i was planning my flying programme. My first shock though came early in the morning, driving past the flying field of club No.1. Our car park was full. I had noticed, who could not, a crowed of media, at the rear entrance to the Manchester United training ground. Which lies about a mile down a private road, although I had thought a public right of way for walkers.

So that would probably scupper my chances of flying there today.

Come Wednesday, I decided that club No.2 was the place, although lying about 2- 3 miles from the front entrance to training ground, it is a lot easier for the media to park there.

At the field, I was greeted by 4 ducks doing a fly by, straight down our strip. It is most defiantly spring now. The Sun no longer lies low on the horizon for the whole day, before finally setting. Which is an issue at this field, requiring either a take off or landing into the Sun, at a critical period of both events. Also in the last fortnight, the surrounding fallow ground, has turned from a light brown, of dead grass, to a green abundance of growing nettles, and other assorted grasses, which will soon be waist height.

I had taken four models, although I only flew three, which was enjoyable, although demanding, as although the wind was light at +10 mph, the turbulence from the abundance of trees caused issues lower down.

It is strange, that the electric model I used for my "A" test, purely a work horse for a purpose, has become one of my favourite models. My Nobler type model is now getting some air under its wings, for the first time in a year. Lastly i flew a Parkzone Stinson Reliant, I just cannot get over how these apparently scale models, fly so well, virtually vice less, where as i have found landing and taking of with scale models a bit of an issue in the past, not so with Parkzone.

My IC "A" test club model is now even better looking than ever, now sporting DB Mascot stickers, even though it is a clipped wing version, it still flies a treat. It is being readied for training budding engineers in the Heavy Lift competition, in the art of flying. All those BMFA members who give their time and knowledge to these youngsters are to be applauded. I do miss her, even having the clean up operation before i could take her home

Just two other models flew, a NH Cando and a IC slope soarer, that has similar endurance as when flown on the slope.

As for MU, just one helicopter flew low over our patch, not even certain that it came from the ground, or just sight seeing. Quite often when a big signing is taking place, ther seems to be an abundance of executive helicopters coming and going.

All In all a good day.

Yet today, a even better day, I am working, for my daughters, as an unpaid slave. Oh well. nothing to do now, that I have retired!

Masher · April 24, 2014

Great day at our club today but the Mosquito's were biting!

2 x 100cc engines and 18ib of lead up front! 2 years to build and flown by Steve Holland at the shows. Took the 2 blokes most of the afternoon to get ready for engine tests - sound and draft was amazing!

Steve Colman · April 24, 2014

Great day yesterday St.Georges Day.

Here, in Aragon, Northern Spain St.George is the Patron Saint and so it was "Fiesta" yesterday. I spent 5 hours at the club in the morning and flew a selection of models. One of the highlights of the morning was when we flew 3 Multiplex Solius's in a formation launch followed by some low passes and general tomfoolery. The finale turned out to be a half baked attempt at a formation landing which almost, but not quite worked out.

After lunch the winds picked up which now means a visit to the slope. So, another couple of hours of late afternoon / early evening were spent riding the westerly breeze as the sun slowly began to settle in the distance. A friend even flew a calmato as a sloper (see pic) and it flew remarkably well. In addition we were joined by a pair of para gliders which were working the slope.

All in all a great day.

Edited By Steve Colman on 24/04/2014 21:40:09

Erfolg · April 29, 2014

WOW! It really is spring. The sun is out, the sky, soooooooo blue and that wind that has blown incessantly since the New Year has dropped to a balmy 2 mph.

There is only one place to fly on a day like this, that is club No.1. That is in the country, where the cows are grazing, you know the rest. It must be the first time in a fortnight here, then the wind was peaking at 30 mph. Today. what wind, which way to launch. What little wind there was, was coming from the direction of the sun, pretty much the south.

Moyes is so yesterdays news, that all the press had long gone, the car park to myself. Being Tuesday not a regular day for flying, yet you have to snatch a hour here and there as you can.

In the field, so much has changed, the last time, the grass had grown, no longer possible to take off from. Now however, it is so long that I half expected to find a lost tribe, in the deep grass. It will not be long before the farmer cuts it for silage I am guessing, it has grown so tall, so fast.

I had taken 4 models, yet only flew three, all self launched, the Delta, the Nobler and the PC. All were launched on full power, underarm toss, all went away rock steady. No panic to get to the sticks. Just feed some back stick in for height, and then throttle back. I flew for fun, yet now I do have a bit more of an agenda. All roll well, all loop fine, yet I cannot get the PC as yet to fly inverted, the model squirrelling out just as I get to the inverted. Need more practise.

There was however one slightly sour note. Just after landing the Delta, I heard a motor cycle screaming along the lane. Then I noted 3 or 4 models flying 2 fields from me. Which is also one of our fields. The noise was from these other modellers, not a young hooligan. I decided I had to find out why they were there, and not with me, or me with them. It was soon apparent that these fliers had nothing to do with our club. There were a number of things that bothered me, the first was that we could have been on 35, with the implications that this has not liasing. The other is that our club pay the farmer for access. The other is that we insist on insurance, our club requiring BMFA affiliation, plus the insurance aspect is part of the agreement we have with the farmer. Just as importantly, although we are an electric club, we are very keen on not disturbing anybody. Particularly that we fly on NT land and have a bird sanctuary bordering one of our fields. Complaints that can be averted are not welcome. Very graciously these fliers decided that they would go. In some respects I lost an opportunity to invite them to the club. But Ohhhhhh!!!!!!! that noise would not be acceptable!

A good hour though, departed as the sky darken ominously, although the sun has since shone intermittently, although the weather seems to be on the change.

john stones 1 - Moderator · April 29, 2014