Flight notes from a couple very short flights
Posted: Mon May 12, 2014 8:39 amI took 2 flights on Friday, a total of about 10 minutes! 
(Bates Rd., Carpinteria), my first of any significant slope soaring on a PG... here's my thoughts when I got home and posted on FB. I've been flying since last Summer 2013. Looking at this list I realized that even a half hour of PG time can teach you a boatload of lessons...
Todays flight lessons:
1. Changing or removing vital equipment needs to be done thoughtfully and safely - if ever. Like, don't just decide you don't need your helmet because you haven't crashed ever, kind of thing, yeah, sounds obvious but you wouldn't believe the things we do... I took off my foot stirrup because it's heavy and gets 'in the way'.. yet somehow forgot why it was there in the first place, until I launched and had to spend precious seconds fumbiling with my harness to get my ass into the seat... oh yeah, the foot stiruup. It's going back on, and I'm going to be thinking hard about my equipment before I try something spur of the moment for convenience.
2. Radio checks are important... make sure the volume is full up usually...you've paid your peeps good money to tell you how to survive in the air... you may want to hear everything they are saying to you...especially if it entails doing something RIGHT NOW!
3. You never have to launch. You can always wait if you don't feel the wind is your ally at this particular moment. It's just an inanimate object... you, however are NOT.
4. Flying with friends is the best. High fives all around for the few people who love flying together. There's no room for competition so don't foster it. That includes backhanded bashing the 'other group' out there (you know, the one that YOU didn't happen to train with)... homey don't play that.
5. Stay conservative... in flying that is. The more space you have, the more relaxed you'll be and eventually the less broken bones, etc... Today an unfortunate pilot crashed on a tree, rolled down the cliff, and got hurt. He survived, but I bet he will always wish he stayed another 10 feet to the right of that tree... It's always PILOTS choice where we fly, these wings are a little movey, but for the most part they go where we tell them, and I vow to give myself plenty of berth. How much funner is it anyways to buzz a tree 3 feet or 20 feet away... no one cares really, and the consequences are way too high for misjudgement.
Anyways, enough from this noob. Good times all around. See you in the air.
(Bates Rd., Carpinteria), my first of any significant slope soaring on a PG... here's my thoughts when I got home and posted on FB. I've been flying since last Summer 2013. Looking at this list I realized that even a half hour of PG time can teach you a boatload of lessons... Todays flight lessons:
1. Changing or removing vital equipment needs to be done thoughtfully and safely - if ever. Like, don't just decide you don't need your helmet because you haven't crashed ever, kind of thing, yeah, sounds obvious but you wouldn't believe the things we do... I took off my foot stirrup because it's heavy and gets 'in the way'.. yet somehow forgot why it was there in the first place, until I launched and had to spend precious seconds fumbiling with my harness to get my ass into the seat... oh yeah, the foot stiruup. It's going back on, and I'm going to be thinking hard about my equipment before I try something spur of the moment for convenience.
2. Radio checks are important... make sure the volume is full up usually...you've paid your peeps good money to tell you how to survive in the air... you may want to hear everything they are saying to you...especially if it entails doing something RIGHT NOW!
3. You never have to launch. You can always wait if you don't feel the wind is your ally at this particular moment. It's just an inanimate object... you, however are NOT.
4. Flying with friends is the best. High fives all around for the few people who love flying together. There's no room for competition so don't foster it. That includes backhanded bashing the 'other group' out there (you know, the one that YOU didn't happen to train with)... homey don't play that.
5. Stay conservative... in flying that is. The more space you have, the more relaxed you'll be and eventually the less broken bones, etc... Today an unfortunate pilot crashed on a tree, rolled down the cliff, and got hurt. He survived, but I bet he will always wish he stayed another 10 feet to the right of that tree... It's always PILOTS choice where we fly, these wings are a little movey, but for the most part they go where we tell them, and I vow to give myself plenty of berth. How much funner is it anyways to buzz a tree 3 feet or 20 feet away... no one cares really, and the consequences are way too high for misjudgement.
Anyways, enough from this noob. Good times all around. See you in the air.