Post by thevon on Jul 28, 2009 21:30:50 GMT 10
I thought there might be some other contributions, but not yet, so I'll report on the Maleny club's get-together last weekend (for the AGM). There was a good rollup, with Windsockers being represented by me, Sean, Shane, Nick, Ken, and also Mikey and Garth turned up to say Hi before being politely ostracized prior to the formal proceedings being started. There were about 8 other Maleny members who aren't seen much on Windsock as well.
The meeting time was 12pm but things got moving slowly, so various guys got into some flying. It was a beautiful day, (for water skiing) so unless you had a DLG or electric, there wasn’t much to do. Ken and Nick started throwing up. Not puking, I mean launching their new Alulas - and they are a good looking little unit too. Did you know the new Alulas are molded EPP??? I didn't - and it's a big plus. A great little plane.
Shane and Sean threw up their "serious" DLG's (Taboo and Blaster respectively). That was very impressive. They caught little bubbles of lift and had long flights. Those DLG’s float so efficiently, fly so beautifully and turn so tightly without losing any height! It had a few of us scratching our chins, wondering if we should get one.
Finally the meeting got going. It didn’t drag on for too long, but I was getting hungry and kept whingeing "can't we start cooking the BBQ meat now???" Fortunately Nick handed out a few of his choice strawberries to ward of cruel starvation. Then without much fuss the meeting was over and we got the meat cooking and hooked into a simple BBQ lunch. I could have eaten the arse out of a low-flying duck by this time.
By the time we’d had a bellyful and a chinwag (and a quick power nap on the grass, in my case) a light but consistent Northerly was moving the grass and we could see 3 parasailers hanging high in the lift over the ridge to the north. The sloping pheremones got going and we all gradually trailed off to Brandenburg. There were a handful of guys (inc Mike and Garth) already there, and the Slope Monkey and Albatross were looping and rolling around. I got the Miraj out, and am still impressed with its speed and agility.
As more guys arrived and started flying the sky got filled with planes and the regular crack of combat impacts rent the air. I even had a midair with the Slope Monkey! (no damage). Charles was flying a nice balsa model and suddenly the plane dived and spiralled into the trees below at great speed. I don’t think they found it.
When Sean arrived he took one look at the traffic congestion and said he wouldn’t fly the Erwin out there, so we went over the gully onto the next ridge and although the lift wasn’t as strong as the “main spot”, we had a great time. Sean had a fly of both my Miraj and Vector. I love the way Sean takes my Tx and in 10 seconds he’s tossing the plane every which ways and starts noting things like “it just flicked … too much elevator” “too neutral - CG a bit aft” “Wow, look at that neostigmating gyroconducer effect from aileron hyper-yaw putrefaction” and so on (OK, I made the last one up, but you get the picture). I consider it an honour to have Sean fly my planes and to get his opinion - I always learn heaps every time.
There was lots to see. Shane had his un-electrified E-Banana going manic overhead – looked like it was on amphetamines, or had a caffeine sensitivity. The parasailers landed and took off intermittently – they were a really friendly bunch and hung around with the slopers for ages, genuinely interested. If I’ve forgotten anyone I’m sorry. I had to leave around 4pm and wished I could have hung around for longer. It was a classic sloping afternoon, Maleny style.
Nick, do you have any photos to post?
The meeting time was 12pm but things got moving slowly, so various guys got into some flying. It was a beautiful day, (for water skiing) so unless you had a DLG or electric, there wasn’t much to do. Ken and Nick started throwing up. Not puking, I mean launching their new Alulas - and they are a good looking little unit too. Did you know the new Alulas are molded EPP??? I didn't - and it's a big plus. A great little plane.
Shane and Sean threw up their "serious" DLG's (Taboo and Blaster respectively). That was very impressive. They caught little bubbles of lift and had long flights. Those DLG’s float so efficiently, fly so beautifully and turn so tightly without losing any height! It had a few of us scratching our chins, wondering if we should get one.
Finally the meeting got going. It didn’t drag on for too long, but I was getting hungry and kept whingeing "can't we start cooking the BBQ meat now???" Fortunately Nick handed out a few of his choice strawberries to ward of cruel starvation. Then without much fuss the meeting was over and we got the meat cooking and hooked into a simple BBQ lunch. I could have eaten the arse out of a low-flying duck by this time.
By the time we’d had a bellyful and a chinwag (and a quick power nap on the grass, in my case) a light but consistent Northerly was moving the grass and we could see 3 parasailers hanging high in the lift over the ridge to the north. The sloping pheremones got going and we all gradually trailed off to Brandenburg. There were a handful of guys (inc Mike and Garth) already there, and the Slope Monkey and Albatross were looping and rolling around. I got the Miraj out, and am still impressed with its speed and agility.
As more guys arrived and started flying the sky got filled with planes and the regular crack of combat impacts rent the air. I even had a midair with the Slope Monkey! (no damage). Charles was flying a nice balsa model and suddenly the plane dived and spiralled into the trees below at great speed. I don’t think they found it.
When Sean arrived he took one look at the traffic congestion and said he wouldn’t fly the Erwin out there, so we went over the gully onto the next ridge and although the lift wasn’t as strong as the “main spot”, we had a great time. Sean had a fly of both my Miraj and Vector. I love the way Sean takes my Tx and in 10 seconds he’s tossing the plane every which ways and starts noting things like “it just flicked … too much elevator” “too neutral - CG a bit aft” “Wow, look at that neostigmating gyroconducer effect from aileron hyper-yaw putrefaction” and so on (OK, I made the last one up, but you get the picture). I consider it an honour to have Sean fly my planes and to get his opinion - I always learn heaps every time.
There was lots to see. Shane had his un-electrified E-Banana going manic overhead – looked like it was on amphetamines, or had a caffeine sensitivity. The parasailers landed and took off intermittently – they were a really friendly bunch and hung around with the slopers for ages, genuinely interested. If I’ve forgotten anyone I’m sorry. I had to leave around 4pm and wished I could have hung around for longer. It was a classic sloping afternoon, Maleny style.
Nick, do you have any photos to post?
