LEDZx Heliman Location: Cape Town, South Africa
| Hundreds of close callsAt our field the prodominant wind usually forces us to take-off straight towards the highway, ~60 m from the runway. Last year while I was learning I built myself a spad and put an old beat-up .40 on it. The engine was very old and didn't have great compression. Well, one take-off I opened the throttle and it shot off down the runway, got off a couple of metres from the end and started an extremly slow climbout. The highway is slightly elevated as we fly at a vlei( swampy sanctuary, pan.) I was flying right on the backside of this little crafts' envelope and was nearing the road. Then all I heard was hooting for what I presume was someone changing lanes to avoid my plane. I finaly turned out and as I did so , the engine quit, so it never reached te road.
But the other reason we hear hooting is that the worst drivers just without signaling just cross lanes to stop on the side and watch. The other day the club had an airshow, and there was limited parking, so it ended up having spectators on the side of the road as well as in the field, about 200 or so.
Cheerz
LEDZx
P.S. Not to dissapoint you, I have subsequently taken up helis, planks are so limited. |