May 13/13 – Todd started to go through his accelerated course.
Todd knows how to fly PPG – just need to get his license. I am fast tracking him through all the requirements.
Archive for year: 2013
May 9/13 – Pat, Paul and Bob PPG course – day 6 – pm – Paul will go with A assist.
After Bob and Pat left it was just me and Paul. We got to the field at 6 pm and re-assessed Paul’s chances. Due to his “frozen” shoulders and lack of strength in his arms we have concluded that continuing the course using the gear I have provided would not increase his chance to fly. The only system would be trike fited with A assist system. This pulls up the glider for pilot and no pushing or tensioning A lines is required. Paul is currently looking into a trike that will have this system installed. One he has it, we will resume training.
May 9/13 – Pat, Paul and Bob PPG course – day 6 – am – Pat and Bob are finished!
The weather this morning was bit foggy and hazy but we had a slight breeze.
Both Bob and Pat were planning to complete the rest of the flights. Bob had 7 to go and Pat 3 more to go. In no time Pat managed 4 flights and Bob 8 flights. They both ended up with 31 flights and they are finished. Paul was still working on improving his trike taxi skills.
This is a track of Pat’s flying this morning.
Paul trying to take off on trike
Grass was quite wet so we had to hang up the two gliders Paul was using for triking
Pat is a master carpenter – he made me an mazing cutting board for our kitchen. Note the PPG pilot in the right top corner…Thanks Pat!
Congrats Pat and Bob on completing the course requirements!
May 8/13 – Pat, Paul and Bob PPG course – day 5 – pm – No flying tonight!
It is raining and wind is coming directly from E. Direct E is always acssociated with crappy weather and badly turbulent. The evening flying was cancelled.
It looks good for tomorrow am.
May 8/13 – Pat, Paul and Bob PPG course – day 5 – am – Paul first flight!
Started again at 7 am. Very good conditions. Bob took off first – he has got it down! Pat struggled a bit in no wind conditions till I have explained to him the “create your own wind” technique. After this, the take off was no longer a problem. Paul was ready to fly on trike. We have tried about 10 inflations till he finally locked the glider in and took off in very controlled fashion. Good flight but bit rough landing. Congrats Paul on your first solo! Bob managed 7 flights this am and Pat 8 flights.
Summary after 5 training days:
- Pat 27 flights
- Bob 23 flights
- Paul 1 flight
Students after morning session
May 7/13 – Pat, Paul and Bob PPG course – day 4 – pm – Flying circus!
At 5 pm conditions were too gusty to fly. Forecast did not look good at all. Decided to go to Tim Hortons for coffee. Back at the field after 6. Wind decreasing very very slowly. Waited till 7:15. I have checked the air twice. First flight nasty, second so so. Students started to fly after another 20 min. Both Pat and Bob focused on touch and goes. In 1 hour Bob got 8 flights and Pat 7 flights. Paul could not trike train as winds were gusting over 10 km/h. Pat has 19 flights and Bob 18 flights. Great work guys!
Various take offs, landings and touch and go’s by Pat and Bob
Pat’s flight pattern
Celebrating successful evening…
May 7/13 – Pat, Paul and Bob PPG course – day 4 – am – Bob lost shoe in flight!
Incredible and calm morning. Pat managed 4 more flights and is now setting up, taking off and landing on his own. Bob did 3 flights and on the last one his shoe came off mid air. These guys are really trying to entertain. I am just waiting for someone’s pants to fly off… We did more triking practice with Paul – he is getting better. Once finished we went to Peaks to balance the Walkerjet trike for Paul. He may solo soon.
Paul setting up
Bob landing – this is flight number two. I know because he has both shoes on!
The lost shoe…
May 6/13 – Pat, Paul and Bob PPG course – day 3 – pm – Bob kicked the prop!
Nice evening. Pretty much ideal conditions. Pat put up his super tall wind sock and it looked like it was very windy. So we waited. Then I realized that there is hardly any wind on the ground and we started to fly. Pat quickly dispatched 3 flights. He is taking off and landing on his own. Bob on the other hand had very nice first flight and on his second take off run managed to kick his foot back and up and into the cage in such a way that his heal has touched the prop. He must be triple jointed! I have never seen anything like this in 15 years of PPG. Bob’s heel was fine, just bruised up a bit but the prop was cracked – write off. I normally have spare in trailer but not this time so that was it for Bob.
Paul was working on his trike inflations and taxing, this time using the electric start Walkerjet. It is goind slow I must say.
Soo so far we had engine out. 50 % collapse and kick in the prop. I do not know what is going to happen next. Paul did not do anything yet, is it his turn? We will see tomorrow…
This is Pat’s flight pattern
May 6/13 – Pat, Paul and Bob PPG course – day 3 – am – Pat run out of fuel!
Started at 7 am. Good conditions. Pat and Bob both got into the air very quickly meanwhile I was working with Paul who was learning how to trike. It was a morning of technical issues. First, one of the radio helmets stopped working, then the paramotor Paul had on trike started to act up. I had to pull the start cord so many times that my right shoulder is out to lunch now. Bob and Pat were having great time and pretty long flights. Till Pat radioed in that he landed on the very south end of the runway. I was wondering what happened but he simply run out of fuel. Not a big deal in PPG – he made nice and soft landing and I picked him up with my car. Bobs flights were nice and uneventful.
Congrats Bob anf Pat on two more flights.
We got our gear everywhere…
I do not see any fuel…
Paul with trike
May 5/13 – Pat, Paul and Bob PPG course – day 2 – pm – Bob first solo flight!
We were supposed to get together at 4 pm but the forecast was for gusty winds till 7 pm. So we changed the plan and got together at 6 pm. It was still too gusty too fly but OK to ground handle. Bob got it down, Paul is almost there. Pat does not need to round handle, he is 100 % on kiting.
We had few visitors that came to the field to check this out. Eric and Harry + his 2 friends. I went for quick flight to show them but it was very gusty, I had to come down on big ears and I almost landed on my ass. That does not happen often.
We waited till the sun set then Bob flew for the first time. Very nicely done! got off the ground on first try, flew for about 15 min and he landed very well too. Pat also took off, but we are having hard time communicating so not much guidance from me during his flight. He is using his helmet and radios and this may be the problem. We will try my helmet set up tomorrow. Both guys landed when it was almost dark.
Congrats Bob on your first paramotor flight!