Summary and Images
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Magic. by Maurice Sheldon
It was one of those magic days in the Southwest desert. It looked like it had rained significantly the day before and the air and ground were heavy with moisture. Days like this are rare, and when they happen usually the conditions are ideal for flying. The air was warm and still, not a breath of motion in it. The sun, poking through the horizon in the early dawn hours, cast a sea of brightness, with streaks of gold and silver as it hit the low band of clouds.
I arrived at the field eager to fly. I had a strong taste to fly, since I had kited in a park a few days prior. I laid my wing out and warmed up my motor. Bill was getting ready to take off so I asked if I could help by holding the center part of his wing up. After several unsuccessful forward launches, he decided to rest, exhausted and drenched with sweat.
Bill and I noticed that my wing and motor were calling me to fly. I strapped in, engine running, lundged forward, full throttle. The wing glided off the wet ground and floated above me as I began to run. I ran and ran until I felt my harness change from pushing down me down to pulling me up. The ground slowly lifted away as I pushed myself into a more comfortable position.
I flew to about 3000' watching the rays of morning sun peek through the clouds. I flew over some farmland, watching from above the beauty of the automatic irrigation systems feeding the land and the toy sized tractors raking and tilling the ground below. I could see and smell a fire in the distance. Then I came down, maybe 50' agl, hovering the landscape. A hawk flew from out of a bush and I followed it as best I could. It was much faster than my slow wing, so it wasn't long before I lost sight of it. I flew on til I met with a creek that had recently overflowed with water. Now there were just patches of water in the sweeps of sand.
This was the second time I had brought my digital camera with me and I was still getting used to it, with a bit apprehension of dropping it or worrying that it would get caught in my wing or motor.
It was getting close to the time to land (Bill had to leave for work) so I throttled up to about 2000' and killed the engine. With the noise of the engine silenced, I could hear the wind whistling though my canopy. Enjoying the soft, quiet ride down, I made some sharp turns for the fun of it and then came in for a nice landing 15' from my car.
This is one of those flights I will remember and dream about.
Bad day by Bill Wright
Well, I had my first total failure day. Mo and I got to the field at about 5:45AM. It was perfect. NO wind, clouds covered the sun (thus no thermal activity) and humid as an ocean beach on a still day. I set up and went for it. Then I blew it and went for it again. and again. and one more time. Then I took a breather, and tried again. No luck. Wing kept falling back to to the side. I think I wasn't getting on the throttle hard enough, too timid I think. The wind just wasn't there to save me like I was used to.
Then, Mo did a perfect short run to a take off. He tried to make me feel better by saying he had to run real hard, but it sure looked perfect to me. Effortless from where I was standing.
Bummer
Images
Some images of the LZ from the air.
Magic at sunrise.
Farmland and I-10.
Crop circles?
More magic.
