Autumn is here...you been flying ?

It was very still, dry and overcast yesterday in central France so I took my Senior Telemaster and foamy trainer to the flying field. I had three flights with the STM and a further three flights instructing a beginner. on the foamy. If the weather remains as calm on Wednesday I'll take my Roy Scott BE2e flying. Archive pictures of all three below.

Ash, I have an old 90 laser in it and it pulls it very well. Its not something I fling around like an acrowot but it is very easy to fly. Not tried weighing it.

Glenn

A bit wet at the field today.

Fortunately, I took the right model...

Predictably it's dry here in FL

but you might like a look at the floods in this :

**LINK**

My friend Lyndon airborne today from Gloucester in his Aviat Husky G-LIKY

Edited By Dave Cunnington on 19/11/2019 20:24:53

Edited By Dave Cunnington on 19/11/2019 20:36:29

There were 4 already at our field at 09.30 this morning (frost on the grass and 3 C) which expanded rapidly to a total of 10! It was a very low wind sunny day so I guess that was an attraction. I got in 4 flights instead of the 6 planned as I was chatting so much! Great day for all who came out to play!

It was a beautiful day for flying here but it coincided with the AGM and annual dinner.

Some poor soul turned up in the afternoon looking for an instructor to take them flying but we were all three sheets in a wind by then!

I made a speech in my unmgrammatical French and awarded prizes to those who had flown (and crashed) in La Coupe Des Barons and to those who had crashed most often throughout the previous year!

Here I am presenting the club president with a slab of polystyrene foam so that he may make a new wing for his model.

...and here I am presenting one of our younger members who builds beautiful models but is too scared to fly them with some car polish.

...well someone was amused!

Must lose a few pounds!

My E flight Maule out today wearing her winter tyres.

Yesterday was misty but calm and not cold. The main problem was that the cloud base was only around 200 feet varying to about 300 feet. Models kept vanishing into the cloud.

This was annoying as I was test flying a new model. Still, four of us had a good time and a good laugh!

The track down to our field is ever more treacherous, a veritable mud toboggan in Swedish (Rodel Bahn for the Germans) down to the field, the continuation now looking like a mud wrestling ring. Surprisingly, the adjacent field to the track also is glistening with water, why is it not running away.

Turning of into our field, all seemed well, Billy no mates, non the less, it seemed that no else has been near since I was last here, or others fasten the gate in the manner as myself. I parked the car, pulled on the green eco friendly wellies. I had a thought, I must purchase some bigger ones, so that I can get a number of pairs of socks on.

As I trudged towards the field, a passing thought was, the ground aint not harv bad. That is until I entered the field proper, then, each step was accompanied with a sucking, squelching sound. The flags for flying from, could not be seen, a pond now resides where they should be.

Launching my plane was a non event in the blue, sunny, windless sky was a non event, other than the bitter cold was now being felt by my increasingly cold hands. The rest of me was pretty fine, my skiing jacket kept me like toast. I now have a fleeced lined bobble hat. It seems even better than North American hat with ear flaps and what I assume is faux fir. non the less my feet were in quicksand, attempts to move had me close to tipping over. The effort to try and walk, or stagger to firmer ground, had me either coming close to falling over, or just staying put. As to my flying, the distraction of my efforts were not conducive to anything other than avoiding a collision with the ground and preventing the model flying of into the distance. I did not wait for the timer to alarm, this was not fun.

As for my next flight, are you joking, only the stupid go the field in this weather and yes you can chuckle and confirm that I am now in contact with my reality. I struggled to the car and went home, that was enough pleasure for one day, It took me 1 hour, door to door, just think what I might have done in that time. You are correct nothing.

You may think I am mad, well the fracking site now has the majority of the equipment gone. Initially I thought everything had gone, this afternoon a truck was pulling out with some silos on it. Yet the protestors are still there. The shack still belching out clouds of smoke across the road, whist bodies struggle to get into what must be akin to a Sardine tin. One other thing that surprised me was that a Blackpool Council Mini Bus blasted past me through the Radar trap at +40mph, as I dutifully trundled through at precisely 30 mph. The Peace Site still seems to be full of old caravans and tents, I guess no one is going anywhere.

Managed to get home from work surprisingly sharpish today and got a range check and watt meter test done on my latest bring and buy purchase. i looked at the rapidly setting sun and decided to nip over to the field which is ten minutes away, i managed to get there just as the sun was disappearing over the horizon and get one flight in. Not sure how much more flying i will get in though as the trip across the field to our patch was pretty water logged

I managed to get out today,It was a bit cold and wet under foot.

But clear blue skies. Test flown my converted Bolt glider plane.

It flies well fast and aerobatic just what i wanted from a £20 chuck glider.

Steve.

Blue skies and sunshine if a bit cold today. 2 of us with F3A machines were trying to get the new FAI P21 schedule mastered. It would be true to say that we both need more practice - me more than him!

A tad cold but we both had padded overalls and I had 2 Zippo hand warmers! What's not to like?

Time to put this thread on hold - meteorological winter has started...

Once more I ventured to our field, past all the old familiar sights. Or were they? A yes and a tentative no. At the fracking site, once again was the sight of police mini vans and policemen in attendance. My thoughts were, do these people never give up, is it a perpetual demonstration, against cows burping, manned crossings for hedgehogs to cross a busy road. Thank God I have no preconceived notions, I thought.

So what was happening this time, the police were supervising the dismantling of the shanty town, and that accursed smoke belching, carbon neutral, particulate free stove. That was perched on top of pick up truck, no doubt destined for some other lucky people to enjoy. As i trundled past, I could not but get an impression that police were, really making sure that all of the junk and debris was shoveled and picked up by the last of the protestors. Thank Fracking God they seem to be gone.

Having slid down to the field, I saw one car, two people somewhere along the flight line. Apparently they were practicing for Elvington. Most impressive, although I have no interest in trying to emulate them. Rolling Circles, harriers and all the rest are not something I want to do. Particularly I have no desire to undertake all the practice that surely comes with such precision. Natural ability will help, although I believe it is the practice that creates the master of the art.

Did I fly, that is a no. Although these guys had found a dryish patch, some distance from where the designated flight slabs are, it was still wet. Perhaps of increasing importance the grass is now almost knee high, as it has continued to grow and flourish in the wet weather. Perhaps the severe frosts we have seen here, on the coast, will stop the process. I do not want the same problems as last year, of elephants, roe deer, hidden in the dense swards of pampas. It was suggested that a long lost tribe were hidden there, although I think it was an exaggeration, or my leg was being pulled. The bottom line is that the grass is very long with no chance of it being cut, for many months.

On that note, I am with Martin Harris. I have not gone out, as there is ice every where, looks lovely, the glistening on the frost. It is Christmas Decoration time. Yahooo!

Hey - I only suggested putting the thread on hold - flying will still be very much on the agenda in the winter thread!

Some claim that winter starts on 1st December, others that it starts on 21st December, the shortest day, in the Northern Hemisphere. Whatever the case, I flew my Senior Telemaster yesterday, it was cold but calm, bright and sunny. It's only really suitable for flying big circuits and horizontal eights but I did chuck in a loop at the end of the day.

I really need to strip off all of the covering over the winter, to reinforce the fuselage structure, it's a bit wobbly as things are and recover her. She is twelve years old after all.

It's like Summer all over again, light winds and blue skies, check out my video on the 'Video Channel' section. Had loads of fun with my Flyzone Calypso.

Wish it was at our field. Weather's lovely, but access track is a quagmire and can't be used. Too far to walk for me!

Martin