Gregor99
Elite Veteran
Location: Western Wa
| After 9 months in the garage and backyard, today I finally went to the big field for the first time. Fed up with the constant gusts at home, I went in search of a more sheltered flying field. I couldn't find any, and the local ball fields were windy as well. But since I had come that far, heli and gear all packed, I had to try it.
First thing I discovered was what real wind feels like. In the back yard, I'm getting mostly turbulance. The heli will bob up or down. But that's about it. But out here, the wind grabs the heli and takes it up-up and away. I was applying more negative collective than I ever had just to keep the heli from being pulled away like a kite. The fast wind seemed to about 30 feet up. Once I got below that, the heli dropped like a rock. Kind like when you are in a tug-o-war and the other person lets go. The heli broke through to the calmer air while I still had negative colletive going. Luckly there were only close calls, no damage.
Maybe it was all the wind, or perhaps it was the tripple hazelnut latte, or maybe it was because I was flying 3 times higher and three times farther than I ever had before, but I never really felt comfortable. The wind picked up half way through the third pack. I waited for a calm, very brief moment and landed. I waited for a little while but the wind only got stronger, so I called it a day.
Canton MO backyard flying club
West Coast Chapter |
