Sunday, August 06, 2006

Rewrite - I flew the Lighthouse this morning

It's never as good the second time.

Perhaps I should mention that I spent 2 hrs playing HL2 Episode 1 before bed, it may amuse some of you.
Last nite when I went to sleep in my caravan at around 11pm it was 21'C inside.
I usually sleep in my birthday suit and so just a sheet is comfortable at these temps.
At some point in the night I must have gotten cold and pulled the Duvet over me.
I woke up at first light around 6.45am soaked in sweat and feeling like I had been poached.
A quick dip in the ocean and I was the most awake I have ever been before 7am.

The wind was SE at maybe 8-12knots. I parked in a beach carpark just under the Lighthouse last night so I am up next to the lighthouse by 7AM.

I looked at the situation, the wind is very light and marginal, but just perhaps you can stay up if you are really good.
The wind is off to the right about 35', but you've flown sites before when it was 45' off. Faster downwind that's all ;-)
There are these huge 30ft metal spikes sticking out of the hill, don't hit them obviously.
The wind is going to be very turbulent because of all the hills out front, extra airspeed is very important.
Top landing in the carpark looks doable, who are you kidding, top land in these conditions?

At this point have a look at the photo I posted just earlier, its the view from takeoff. Go on try and find the bottom landing area.

So anyway it played out something like this.

Just as I was all rigged up and getting into my harness some missionaries arrive, great its always good to have a witness ;-)
The missionary tells me I must be crazy for flying HGs, I tell him you just need a little faith in yourself.

I take off and am just able to maintain, about 15ft up. Now my work is made much more interesting  as I have to go around those darn spikes. I manage a few beats and then find myself moving forward on the ridge, and where there are no spikes there is also no lift. Bummer.
No worries, before I took off I knew I was going to bomb, I've done this before ;-)
I had selected the access road to the chalets in front as the landing area as it was the only clear flat patch big enough to put a HG down in.
If you have see a hawk drop on his prey thats exactly what I was going for in the fun, reef the bar in and dive through the rough air and then round out and flare for a perfect uphill no step landing. I love my fun.

Here is is the second version, not the pages of the humourous and brilliant writing to which I aspire but more  of the same drivel.
 It  would have been better, honest. Blame Telstra.

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