Archive for August, 2008

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Ski Season

Wednesday, August 27th, 2008

Gary’s E-Starter cavorts in the air with a pair of skis.

Gary’s E-Starter cavorts in the air with a pair of skis.

Mike Nadler writes:

Pete, looks like snow AGAIN is forecast for Baylands. We are putting skis on our planes. Could be a good story for your blog. Maybe “Photoshopping” snow and a snow man on the Great Meadow.
See you tomorrow. Better bring your parka.
Mike of the North

Mike vastly overestimates my Photoshop skills and the amount of energy I’m willing to expend to bring his image to life.

Besides, the temperature hovered near 100° degrees Wednesday.

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Posted in Baylands | 7 Comments »

Sticking Together

Friday, August 22nd, 2008

During combat, Dave’s motor was knocked loose from his Wild Wing.

During combat, Dave’s motor was knocked loose from his Wild Wing.

After several brisk rounds of combat today, during which two of his Wild Wings suffered damage, Dave North says, “Choose your glue carefully, because eventually your combat wing will consist entirely of glue.”

Everyday combat leaves our wings ripped, clawed, torn, gashed, chewed, gouged, cracked, pocked and shredded, ever-dwindling amounts of foam held together by ever-increasing amounts of adhesive.

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UFO Floats Over Baylands

Wednesday, August 20th, 2008

This strange flying object appeared at Baylands Wednesday lunchtime.

This strange flying object appeared at Baylands Wednesday lunchtime.

The breeze was coming up midday, but that didn’t deter an odd horseshoe-shaped blue aircraft.

It looked a bit like an IFO, but bigger, buffer, bolder.

Mehmet was flying this strange craft.

“What is it?” I asked Mehmet.

Mehmet said he wasn’t sure what it was called.

Standing next to him, Rick Carmichael said that it was a VTOT: Vertical Takeoff Thing. I believe that they succeeded in a vertical takeoff, even in the brisk wind.

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Spares to Spare

Thursday, August 14th, 2008

The first ones were black & white, then we found color!

A Feast for the Eyes. The first ones were black & white, then we found color!

Combat flying is a rush, but it’s hard on the planes.

Props break, motor mounts rip off, elevons get chewed, wings get gashed and sometimes they split apart from the rigors of multiple impacts and hard landings.

Dave North now flies with a spare prop or two in his pocket and an extra O-ring on his finger. (We use O-rings to secure the props to the prop saver.)

He and I regularly bring an extra Wild Wing to the combat scene. When one steed goes down, we swap the battery into a new mount and charge back into battle.

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Shadowburn

Wednesday, August 6th, 2008

Wednesday’s Wild Wing Combat

Foam Fighting. Three Wild Wings and a Boomer circle in combat.

Wednesday we welcomed a new guest Wild Wing combatant, Akkana Peck.

Akkana and her husband, Dave North, joined us a couple of weeks ago at the PCC Half Moon Bay airfield. Late in the day, Akkana engaged in Wild Wing combat, quickly showing her considerable skills as a pilot.

As a reward for her valor, Dave gave her his Boomer for future combat sessions.

Today, Akkana launched her Boomer and promptly lit up the frenzied four-wing furball. In less than a minute she was trading punches with the rest of us.

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