Crestline to Big Bear 10-23-2011

[JD]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlPh-47fcfs[/youtube]
Sunday's weather was very nice and we had a big turnout at Andy Jackson. I got to enjoy some scenic XC flying and captured some places I've never been. On my way back I thought I'd take in a few unusual angles for fun and attitude practice. In at least one scene I hit my own wake.

I shot in r5 (1920 x 1080) which drained my GoPro batteries 3:01hrs into the 3:58hr flight. I missed some additional scenes I'd have liked to have for the edit. Next time, I shoot 16:9, I'll use r 2 mode (1280x720) which should give me 5 hours of battery life.

Cheers, Jonathan

[skygeek AKA Seabass]

Near the end you almost did a full loop, when you pull it off you will feel your wake on both wings at the same time, if you have smoke its easy to see when you are doing a loop because the smoke will center on the nose when you hit the wake. It actually helps if you practice true back flips in a trampoline, you commit your landings flat on 2 feet with no off axis. Your almost there. pretty cool

[JD]

Near the end you almost did a full loop, when you pull it off you will feel your wake on both wings at the same time, if you have smoke its easy to see when you are doing a loop because the smoke will center on the nose when you hit the wake. It actually helps if you practice true back flips in a trampoline, you commit your landings flat on 2 feet with no off axis. Your almost there. pretty cool

Thanks for the tips skygeek. I never thought about how a straight and level loop will put you right through your own wake like that. I'm currently hard at work on correcting sloppy and lazy flying habits. #1 on my list has been eliminating cross-controlling. #2 has been to come in to land with plenty of speed and fully upright w/ both hands on the control bar all the way until trim speed in ground effect. #3 is developing the smoothness and precision required to perform past-vertical maneuvers. After flying w/ many top pilots at the SCFR I really got to appreciate how fluid and efficient pilots like O'Brien, Bunner, Martin et al are. These guys don't waste any motion. The payoff is that I get to take the camera all sorts of interesting places and of course get some fun angles along the way.

[skygeek AKA Seabass]

Aerobatics made some of these pilots smooth and efficient, it gets you in flying attitudes that a person would encounter in severe turbulence or a tumble, that experience helps and can get you out of trouble. It has for me on several flights.