Christchurch and District Model Flying Club
 

I believe in the resurrection of the (nearly) dead

By Brian Wiseman

I gave up flying in September 2010 because I was ill. I had what was a form of Vertigo. It seems that there is a virus going around which attacks the balance part of the head and can make people feel very ill. I am better at being ill than most people and made the illness last just over a year. I notice that when Royalty get ill they used to put a bulletin the on the fence at Buckingham Palace So I thought I would put one out on our wall, to save visitors the press etc having to enquire about me. A large dog came along, pretended to read it. I cannot bring myself to say what happened next but the bulletin was unreadable.

 It was not until autumn 2011 that I started to feel anyhow decent again. I kept a low profile during Winter. In the Spring I started on the maintenance jobs which had got neglected. During this time I had sold most of my aeroplanes and the kit, keeping only the 2.4 transmitter and some receivers. I bought a railway set, but that is another story.

I felt so well that I thought I might try another go at flying. But what to fly? .I had kept back the Stryker, a delta foam plane on which I had built an undercarriage. This would be too tricky to start again with. I did not know if my reflexes would be quick enough after a layoff of nearly two years, taking into account my advanced age. I looked at the Easy Star but it did look rather tame. So I went for the RIOT. This is the most misnamed plane there is. It could not start a riot in a Brewery .It is easy and gentle. It will loop does not really want to roll, will knife edge but for a restart, like me it was just the job.

,I got my friend Ian Hammond to take it off and put it up high and I took over with at certain amount of trepidation. I flew well. It is just like riding a Bike you never forget. I trundled it around. It was a hot day and the Riot likes looking for thermals and when it fmds one up it goes. I have one of the £18.50 Batteries which they tell me is the same price as good fuel per gallon I only fly for 7 or 8 minutes I am worried that I could have a senior moment if I lose concentration. So that is about the right time for me.

As it has gone so well I now have a Foam Acro Wot and boy does she fly. It will do any aerobatics of which I am capable still on the cheap battery .I am still exploring the envelope as we say. I like to do what I call a spiral roll which is a sort of extended barrel roll. So far when I have been flying it the weather has been windy and I have not managed to get it to do more than two revolutions. This is as much my fault as the plane’s and I will get it to do the manoeuvre when the weather calms down. I have also now flown the Stryker again. It looks a demon but if you kept her speed down it flies well. You have to drive it all the time but I can control it so it looks as though I have returned to the hobby. How long for depends on health and the effect J of aging. I am now in my fourth childhood. Some of us never grow up and some of us grow younger instead of older.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas !

Brian Wiseman

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