BuiltWithNOF

Christchurch and District Model Flying Club
Sloping Off - our newsletter

DIARY OF A FLIER BY B LEONARD WISE

I have decided to try to take my B certificate. I have been practicing the flights which I shall have to do and given a bit of luck I should be alright. Walter tells me that the plane I have which is a Sukhoi is underpowered and if there is a lot of wind I could have trouble in doing the loops etc in a perfect circle.

 

There are two examiners one Joe Hackett from the model shop and his pal Fred Wosley. They take me through the examination which is conducted according to the new regulations. I pride myself on my memory and apart from a slight altercation over the interpretation of one question I passed well.

 

Now for the flying. There was a problem with the wind. I understand that competitions can take place in up to 25 miles an hour it certainly was not that but it was gusty strong and rising. In the back of my mind was Walter’s warning of not a powerful enough motor. I took off which with electric is easy. Started on my oblong at under 50 feet. That began my first problem. I went downwind like a jet plane. Flying cross wind in a straight line and at right angles with my power was nearly impossible I certainly drifted but thought I did a good job. My figure of eight was not even. The upwind flying was slow and I could not cross exactly in front of the examiners. The plane was blowing about. So far not so good I thought but I did think they would make allowances for the conditions. The next item was an inside loop which I did but it was again not perfect. Then an outside loop I took it up into wind and it really did not want to go over the top, but it did .I did not have enough power to fight the wind and make a perfect circle. I then came to the difficult one. Complete two consecutive rolls into wind. By then the wind was so strong that I would not normally fly, but I tried and the plane would only just about penetrate the wind but the rolls were not level I turned it round and tried the rolls  down wind. It went so fast that I could hardly get the rolls in before I ran out of sky. I then had to do a spin and that was my downfall. I stopped it like I should put the nose down and it pretty well blew away. I did sort of spin but not straight down more of an angle of about 45 degrees.

 

Stop shouted Joe Hackett this is a waste of time none of your maneuvers are anything like good enough. I was having a difficult time controlling the plane but managed to shout cannot you make allowances for the plane and the wind. No he shouted back give up and land. I made a good landing which was difficult in that wind. I thought that I had done well in the circumstances. The two of them had moved back from the pilots’ line and were standing in front of the parked planes in the Pits. Now I do have a bad knee which will soon need an operation and I wanted to get this over with before I had to have what will be a long lay-off from flying. So I went over to speak to them. What I did not know was that my shoelace had come undone. As I reached them I stood on it and staggered. Trying to regain my balance I must have swung the transmitter in front of me and it caught Joe Hackett on his bad knee. This caused him to stagger and grab Fred they sort of did a waltz then tripped over and sat on two of the planes which were waiting to take the B Test. You can imagine the confusion. Joe said I had assaulted him and would have to pay compensation also he would go to the Police. The Chairman stepped in and referred us to the constitution which states that any dispute between members must be firstly determined by an enquiry to be conducted as the constitution states. He announced the date as three weeks hence.

 

What will happen to our hero: will he be prosecuted for assault and get a large bill can you wait to find out?

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