| It was still
blowing pretty good when Tim and I arrived to meet Mo Sheldon at one of
his flying sites. There's always fun to be had with a wind, dangerous
though it can be. We'd been getting pictures for upcoming articles on
high-wind handling but there was one set of pictures I never managed to
get: kiting up the Enterprise.
A lack of pictures wasn't surprising since I'd never done it before.
I've kited up (and fallen off) other things like the previous enterprise,
cargo vans, buildings and poles, but this particular motorhome was not yet
broken in.
It was Tim that thought of the camera, actually. When I discovered the
breeze was stiff enough I started going for it. Tim hurried over with
shutter finger armed.
It feels so unnatural but in a good way. You're climbing up this
vertical wall whilst kiting the wing for support. It has to be strong and
the early afternoon time frame meant gusts were coming through. There's a
lag, too--if you start to settle pull more brakes but as soon as you start
going back up, let off the brakes some. There's no substitute for practice
and every time I do it there is refreshing on just what it takes.
Tip Line Kiting
In a really strong wind, kiting with the brakes gets you lifted. The
wind was strong enough at times that, even with trimmers out, using any
brakes at all would lift me an I'd drift downwind. Using the tip lines (stabilos)
allows kiting without engaging the brakes. Of course if the wing overflies
you it's gonna frontal so you have to use your feet to move backwards
under it.
This only works reliably in a strong, fairly steady, wind. Other
conditions are tougher because the tip lines don't let you dampen a
forward surge. It can still be done but you have to quickly go for the
brakes to stop a surge before it frontals. Doing so with the C-risers
would probably work, too, but the brakes (from behind) were far more
accessible.
Towing
It's great training to actually get airborne without the motor on your
back. Mo Sheldon and Jim Eskildson were doing some tow training in
Phoenix, AZ using an electric winch. It was originally built by Mike
Masterson of California, purchased by Mo then improved by Jim. It works
quite well with a few minor bugs to squash.
Towing is incredibly
risky. Not that motor flying is a walk in the park but towing LOOKS so
benign and it's not. The most telling comment came from an experienced
tow operator after a fatal crash: he was amazed at how quickly it went
from a normal tow to out of control. There have been many other lesser
crashes. Never, ever tow unless the tow operator is experienced, preferably
certified, and clearly understands the risk. There are numerous safety
requirements of a well-run tow operation. A turn-around pulley adds
enormous risk and should be only be used for low tows (less than 10
feet) or by experienced pilots clearly briefed on various emergency
scenarios.
The unit is brilliant as you'll see from the pictures and these guys
did a wonderful job running it. I always enjoy flying with my free-flight
harness and this was a chance to do so. Craig Squillante hooked me up
using the funky, but standard, 3-loop release and Jim ran the machine
while Mo watched over him. I got to probably 250 feet which was enough to
circle back and land back at the starting point. What fun. |
 
This
is a quite useful skill for mountain launching because you sometimes have
to maneuver around obstacles. Otherwise, it's just fun and not as hard as
it looks.
The
wind never slowed which actually makes this easier. I could almost just
hover to the touchdown.
This
was another thing I wanted to demonstrate and photograph: tip line kiting.
Notice the stowed brakes.
 
Left:
Jim Eskildson sitting at the controls with its owner, Mo Sheldon, standing
beside him. Right: new pilot Kyle is hooked up ready for a tow launch with
Mo at the machine's controls. Paramotor student "Rhino" looks
on.
All
photos by Tim Kaiser and Jeff Goin.
|
