Powered Parachute Progress

On By The Flying DutchmanIn Six Chuter P3Leave a comment

I am told that my PPC will be ready some time around the middle of March.  I’ve made arrangements to drive up there at the end of March to pick it up.  Since it won’t fit on the trailer I have I bought another trailer.  The PPC manufacturer just happened to have one that belonged to a customer that the were trying to sell.  I went ahead and bought an enclosed cargo trailer.  It will not only serve as a hangar for my PPC but will also make a decent camper.

I’ll keep a portable heater and fold up bed on board to make it a mini-toy-hauler.  I’ll also need to add a battery so I can run the lights when it’s not connected to my truck.  I’ll eventually add solar charging for the batter at some point too.

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This will come in handy when flying from other fields.  There is a very active PPC group about an hour and a half north of where I live.  It doesn’t make sense to wake up really early and drive two hours just to fly.  This way I’ll be able to drive up the night before and camp in the trailer.

NorCal Flooding

On By The Flying DutchmanIn Faith, TravelLeave a comment

One aspect I didn’t bring up in yesterday’s blog posting was the adventure getting to and from Lincoln Regional Airport to view the P3 Lite.  With all the rain we’ve had in California this year we’ve got some pretty severe localized flooding.  Traffic going north bound on I-5 was heavy and slow between Twin Cities Road and Elk Grove.  There were no accidents, everyone was slowing down to look at this:

At least the roadways were clear.  Coming home was a different story.  Google took me out in a different direction than it brought me in.  I thought that would be fine because I’d miss traffic taking the back roads.  It was not all that fine:

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Luckily the deepest water I had to drive through was only about a foot deep.  What I didn’t like about it was that it was moving water, not standing water.  Providentially I, and the car in front of me, made it through the several sections of flooded roadway we had to pass.  These folks could sure you your prayers if your the praying kind.

Six Chuter P3 Lite

On By The Flying DutchmanIn Aviation, Six Chuter P3Leave a comment

I had a chance to drive up to Lincoln Airport today to take a look at a powered parachute being put together.  It’s called a P3 Light by Six Chuter.  I took a close look, sat in it, and took lots of pictures.  The flying characteristics are a lot more stable and more docile.  I think at this stage in life I’m looking for a little more stable and docile.  I spoke to the owner of the P3.  He told me he used to fly PPG and there was no comparisson on how much more stable a PPC is compared to a PPG.  I think for my type of flying, low and slow, lazy cross-country flying, the PPC will be a better choice for me.

He also gave me some good ideas for equipping my P3; bigger tires, hydraulic brake, bigger front tire, heavier fork, quick release on the top section of the prop cage.  So, armed with this list I’ll be calling the factory on Monday to place my order.

Here are a few pictures of the P3 Lite…

 

I’m going to order a larger front tire and fork like this one.  Also shown is the steering bar.  You steer with your feet.  Push on the left bar to go left, the right bar to go right.  Your hands are free.img_20170211_162434

 

This unit also has the larger front fork.  An item I’m going to order as well.img_20170211_162511

I love the open front seat.  I feel very constricted in the harness of my Nirvana.img_20170211_162514

The top portion of the prop guard is removable on this unit.  I’m going to build mine the same.img_20170211_162516

I’m also going to order the larger tires as on this one.  Will make for operating in rough terrain easier.img_20170211_162525img_20170211_162533img_20170211_162535img_20170211_162555img_20170211_162610img_20170211_162620img_20170211_162627img_20170211_162641

This is the tiller.  It’s only used for ground steering.  Move it left to turn left, right to turn right.  Also has a hand brake.img_20170211_162646img_20170211_164316

Showing the front hydraulic disc brake.img_20170211_164328

From PPG to PPC

On By The Flying DutchmanIn Aviation, Six Chuter P3Leave a comment

I’ve been flying my powered paraglider (PPG) for a year now and very much enjoy it. cropped-71c26c1073fda0755088ed4e7b53d956.jpg However, one aspect I do not enjoy about my PPG is its susceptability to wind.  This past flight where I took off in calm air and then had the wind pick up before I even landed which had me trapped in my harness for a few minutes made me realize I need an aircraft that is more stable.  I have since decided that I’m going to trade my PPG for a powered parachute (PPC).  The wing (parachute) on a PPC is far more stable than a PPG.  That can also be read as far less maneuverable but I’m fine with that.

p3lite2Right now I’m leaning towards purchasing a P3 Lite by Six Chuter.  Like my PPG the P3 is classified as an ultralight aircraft.  This means that it’s exempt from most FAA regulations.  I can do all the maintenance myself and can fly it without a pilot’s license.  I have a pilot’s license so that wouldn’t be a problem but FAA certified aircraft require annual inspections from FAA mechanics.  In California where I live I’d have to pay a luxury tax on a certified aircraft.   So the two big factors in sticking with an ultralight aircraft are cost and regulation.  And in the end I believe it will be every bit as portable as my PPG is.  Plus it should be far more stable for low and slow cross country flying which is what I would really rather do.  PPG’s are more suited to aerobatics which, I’m not.

More to come.

p3lite

One Year Ago Today

On By The Flying DutchmanIn Faith, Opinion, WorkLeave a comment

I have a bad habit of hanging on to calendars so I can see what I did over the past few years.  I was looking at last year’s calendar tonight.  Last January my son had just moved out to the first of three group homes he lived in.  My wife was just getting over the flu.  I was still planning to live full-time on the road and finding a way to get my employer to buy off on my hair-brained scheme.

The plan was to travel from data center to data center, hitting all our properties on the way to or from.  I had meticulously planned routes to RV parks and campgrounds closest to our business properties.  My job at the time was pretty much location independent.  However, management being what it is, they always wanted us to be somewhere so it’s pretty unlikely they would have bought off on this plan.  I was still blissfully unaware of the plans management had for us.  I was still driving an hour to our corporate headquarters to plan to bond two core switches together.  Happily, my time with my employer came to an end before I had to do that work.  I was wondering why my boss wasn’t pushing me to move faster on that project.  Now I know why, I would never have been able to complete it before the transition happened.

There’s no moral to this story.  No point really.  Just reminiscing while looking at the calendar.  Well, maybe there is a moral to the story; don’t set your plans in stone, stay flexible and be ready to adapt those plans to what life hands you.  And if you’re so inlined, as I am, never stop having faith that God will work things out for the best for those whom He loves.

Airborne Again

On By The Flying DutchmanIn Aviation, Powered ParaglidingLeave a comment

I’ve been feeling grumpy all day.  Not sure why.  Just moody.  I was so happy to see the wind forecasts were very favorable for this afternoon.  Sure enough, when I got out to New Jerusalem (where the earth meets the sky) there was only a hint of thermal activity and very little wind.  I laid out my wing, warmed up the motor on my trike, strapped in, and had one of the best launches I’ve had in a while.  Slowly advancing the throttle, flying the wing first, then squeezing in the throttle more and more until the wing lifted me into the sky.

I flew over to the Tuolumne River to see how high it was running.  It’s still well within it’s banks but still running much higher than normal.  It’s a reminder of it’s former glory before the dams and irrigation canals were built.

There was one house that was completely surrounded by the rising waters.  Their barn and equipment were under water.  Hopefully the waters will recede before the snow starts melting in the mountains.

I flew along the river until I started getting cold.  I turned back toward the airport and decided to do a few touch and goes.  All four touch and goes were really good so I decided to call it quits.  My hands were starting to cramp so I was just done.    I rolled to a stop in front of my truck.  I sat a listened to the birds and felt so much lighter than I did when I took off.  There’s just something about flying that frees me.

Broken Hip and Finally Flying

On By The Flying DutchmanIn Aviation, Powered Paragliding5 Comments

It’s been an exciting few days.  I got home from work yesterday to find my mother-in-law sitting on the floor.  She had “fallen and couldn’t get up”.  Poor thing had been there for an hour or more.  I felt so bad for her.  We had to call an ambulance to take her to the hospital because she couldn’t walk to the car.  Turns out she had broken her hip.  She got a partial hip replacement today.  Now she’s on the road to recovery.

Since we had been at the hospital most of the night, I decided to call in sick.  Cristy would need help and support while she was helping and supporting her mother.  Later in the day after things had calmed down I decided to head out to New Jerusalem (where the earth meets the sky) and see if I could finally get a good flight in before the next storm comes in.  The winds looked very favorable on the ground as I was preparing to launch but the atmosphere was still pretty thermally. I took off and immediately found out how thermally.  It was controllable but not comfortable.  I landed and kited a while then decided to stop and wait for calmer air.

img_20170125_171352Finally as the sun dipped behind the Diablo Range the already light winds stopped and all thermal action ceased.  I launched into the air again and found some nice silky atmosphere to play in.  However, the sun was going down and it was CHILLY.  I came back and made a great landing and sat and just enjoyed the airport noise as is my custom after a flight.  It was a wonderful end to a crazy two days.

img_20170125_171340img_20170125_171808img_20170125_172411

 

You Can Never Go Home

On By The Flying DutchmanIn Opinion2 Comments

XL. Into my heart on air that kills

INTO my heart on air that kills

  From yon far country blows:

What are those blue remembered hills,

  What spires, what farms are those?

 

That is the land of lost content,

  I see it shining plain,

The happy highways where I went

  And cannot come again.

A. E. Housman (1859–1936).  A Shropshire Lad.  1896.

 

Be happy with where you are.  This is home.

Aviation Anonymous

On By The Flying DutchmanIn Aviation, HumorLeave a comment

Hello.  My  name is Scott, and I’m an aviation addict.

Hello Scott.

It’s been 4 weeks since I last flew.  I’ve been flying for almost 25 years and I can’t seem to to stop.

You can do it.  Welcome to our program.  We’ll help you.

I don’t want to stop.

We’ll assign you an accountability partner.

Oh, you mean like a co-pilot?

…

Yeah, I really need an aviation fix.  Come on rain, go away.

The Old Man In The Rain – Cont

On By The Flying DutchmanIn FaithLeave a comment

Read part 1 of this short story here.

He began with obvious relish, “She was the most beautiful woman I have ever known.  But her physical beauty paled in comparison with her spirit.  I had been searching for something, someone, to fill the void that had existed inside me my entire life.  To my mind, she would fill that void.”

His eyes sparkled and he looked off into the rainy darkness as if he could see the subject of his story.  “What I didn’t know” he continued, “is that she couldn’t fill the void in my heart.  What I didn’t know is that I had a Christ-shaped hole in my heart that I had been trying to fill with things… and people.   What I didn’t know was that until Christ filled that void, I would never be complete.”

“She prayed for me, she was patient with me, she loved me far more than I deserved.  She was the living embodiment of Christ in my life.  Finally, I asked Christ to fill that void.  Finally I was whole.   I had been running from one place to another, from one person to another up until then.  Once I gave up control to Christ, there was no reason to run anymore.”

He smiled a crinkly smile at the bruised young woman.  She wasn’t sure he’d even noticed.  He noticed.   The smile never wavered as he touched her shoulder, “Thank you for listening”  he said, a little more somberly.  Then he straightened up, shuffled around, and started back toward his truck.  He paused, turned back toward her and said, “Think about my story, won’t you?”  The young woman nodded without saying a word and felt tears starting for no reason she could think of.

She watched the old man shuffling off into the rain and darkness .  He was a dark silhouette against the headlights in her rear view mirror.  As she watched another silhouette came from the darkness carrying an umbrella.  The other person put an arm around the old man and held the umbrella over both of them.  They got into the truck and the lights slowly dimmed as the truck backed away.  She kept waiting for the truck to pass her on the roadway but it never did.  Perhaps they turned around.

The young woman looked again at her sleeping children in her minivan and turned and rested her head on the steering wheel.  There were still tears on her cheeks as she whispered, “Jesus, I don’t know if you’re really there, but I have a hole in my heart…”