Name change?

Hello chicks and friends!

Happy new 2011.... and wishing all new soaring heights for the new year!

This is an administrative kind of post, inspired by random discussions and reactions about our flog. We are about to become 1-year-old, so this is good time for introspection before the birthday ... For those who don't know, our readership extends way beyond local, which is actually a bit surprising, since the flog is not searchable or linked to anything on the web!

This story was never posted here, but papirtiger (or helmet girl) and I started this as the 21-century alternative to the ever elusive log book, accidentally on February 21. We wanted to share our own learning with ourselves, slowly add other students until this becomes a resource for lessons, our memories, stories, pictures, you get it. Student flying log. Now the name - if you have not figured that out yet - is a joke (I forget who came up with it, but helmet girl knows), played on the fact that our grand and small flying community club has the highest number of women pilots, compared to any other establishment that we are aware of. It didn't mean that our authors are all women, just kiddinngggg! While jokes are healthy, it is possible that the name might discourage others to join and write. That would defeat the original purpose - have students post and share experiences. 

I propose we discuss this in a democratic way - post comments if you care, and by all means, vote! Poll posted, voting ends on our birthday :-o)

Clear skies to all,

yours - cookie girl

Skunked. At Least I was.

Am a few posts behind and this was a draft from a few weeks ago. Am suffering from 60 hour work weeks and spending what little time I have left with the kiddos and Dan. Went out to Ed Levin in mid January with the family and headed up to the top. Uh....blowing over the back at 12-15mph. Looking at the bright side, visibility was good. This was the first time the boys had driven up to the top and they were none too pleased with the road and insisted on walking down to the LZ. As the conditions looked poor for me to go flying, Dan drove our gliders down while the boys chased after the truck, took shortcuts across the hills, rested on boulders, made a sundial, found a walking stick, and generally did all the developmentally appropriate things a 6 and an 8 year old boy should do. I followed along and took a few pics.

We hiked all the way to the top of the 300 at which point Dan came and scooped us up to take us to the top of the 600'. I was hoping to get at least one flight off, but the conditions were varying so dramatically and so quickly (N, NE at 12, S at 7, E at 6, N, NW at 8) as was my mood, especially after a wind gust blew my glider over when it was just on its wheels and not even open. I thoughth it prudent to drive down with the boys, while Dan took an extended 6 minute sledder ending with a 'power to the people' one-handed flare in the spot.

Learned an important lesson for a very cheap price

The club aquired an Ultrasport 166, and I wanted to fly it. So, I took it to Ed Levin today, and flew with Daniel M. We started the day running on the flats, until I was almost taking off from the 5 foot hill. Then, we progressed to the 50 ft hill, where I managed to get a 5 second flight from starting half way up the hill (in dead wind!). I was quite proud of that. Next, I launched from the top of the 50 ft hill, and I nearly landed in the H4 spot- this glider has better glide than my pulse. Also, it was very easy to land; I was really starting to like this glider.

Next, we carried our gliders to the top of the 300 ft hill for one last flight to cap off the day. My glider weighs a little over 70 lbs, so this was no small feat (though Daniel carried it half way up the hill for me). I took a quick break and launched off the hill. I immediately started PIO'ing...BADLY! I started getting into bigger and bigger oscillations and in my mind I knew that I was supposed to let out and fly more slowly, but being this close to the ground I didn't want to stall either. I followed my flight plan as well as I could but the glider kept going all over the place as it oscillated. I've seen videos of other people in a PIO, but none of them were as severe as the situation that I found myself in. My glider was literally standing on one wingtip, completely vertical when I was a mere 20 ft over the ground. I thought for sure I was going to crash, so I was getting mentally ready to bring my arms in before I hit the ground.

Miraculously, the glider leveled out and went into ground effect. I was too frazzled to pull off a good landing, but I gave a small flare, ran out a little before the glider got ahead of me and had a small whack. I was more than a little freaked out by the experience, and I am very happy that I am alive and without a single injury to myself or the glider. A very, very cheap price for the learning experience. My lesson: fly more slowly and listen to the glider.