I just got a go-pro and have been having fun playing with it. Here is my first shot at editing something since the VHS days... Not that cool of a flight but the go-pro makes it look kinda cool. =)
Oct 4, 2011 - 05:39pm PT
I bungee-jumped about 15 years ago and it scared the hell out of me. I'm thinking of getting into skydiving, and I figure it's less scary on account that one doesn't really feel the sensation of falling, with the frame of reference so far away.
ms5441, there is no sensation of falling skydiving, only if you jump from say a hot air balloon or a helicopter. The forward speed of an aircraft prevents one from feeling it, what you get to feel is an awesome sensation of the wind and a 60 second free fall is amazing. Think of how it feels when you put your hand out of a car window while traveling fast, that is how it feels except a lot cooler-going terminal velocity is almost cushion like.
Hank you probably can explain it better:)
Reilly, he wants a DC-3. Have you ever flown one? It is a hoot, heavy on the controls like a big lumbering giant. Story for you, years ago when Perris Valley still used DC-3's, my ex and I took one up for a flight just the two of us. We spaced out not knowing the ladder was still in the doorway, so the office radios us up to report this. Well, my ex tells me to fly it while he puts on a parachute to go in the back to pull it inside. It seemed like he took forever, when I noticed the air speed was getting a bit low, at that time (really no experience flying) but I knew enough to lower the nose to gain speed. My ex got back in time, thank goodness since I think the 3 was getting ready to stall. Crazy.
Another thrill was taking off in it on that short runway at Perris. Full power was applied while feet on the brakes, when he would let go of the brakes it would shake like crazy, the sound was incredible, the whole experience was just plain fun! Miss that. Oh, the guys often did low fly-bys after dropping off the sunset loads, screaming by you could see the fire coming out of the engines, the 3's were called the fire breathing dragons.
Lastly, I live under the final approach by Long Beach airport and every time that Catalina DC-3 flies over I practically get ..., lol, use your imagination!
Karen,
Let me know when he gets his DC-3 so I can get a divorce. Not only have I
not flown one I've not even flown in one! From what I hear you were in no
danger of stalling it - all it would have done was mush and nose over on its
own.
What I really want is a PBY. I went through one that was for sale about
15 years ago. The dood had pimped it out BAD! We're talking tuck-and-rool
white leather setees under the blisters, a chef-worthy galley, and a couple
of Ritz Carlton staterooms! Oh yeah, and he had these big-azzed speakers
installed on the underside of the wings so he could fly over some idyllic
bay and hail the natives.
"I say my good people, might I land in yer lagoon and have a palaver?"
it's not hard to love a dc-3. departed in one from a dirt strip outside cabo san lucas back in '75. we walked along the runway to the terminal taking note of the tires marking the edge. each one had a several plies revealed by wear. i suppose those were the ones that didn't get carted off and remounted. still it was unsettling to realize that they were in use with three out of four plies exposed. surely things have changed since the airport is paved now. it might have lights!
how about a little love for the c-46 ... curtis-wright commando. this outfit made regular fuel deliveries in their less pampered one of these to our village along the yukon. as the weather guy i would host the crew in my office while the truck was off unloading a third of what they brought.
their coveralls were basicly saturated with polished diesel grime seasoned with aged urine which i assumed resulted from inflight relief out some hole air was rushing into. i'm not sure since i never took them up on the standing offer to ride along. anyway, we've all learned some empathy for the condition, though for the sake of the office upholstery, i provided each a trash can to park on.
pretty lax these guys. when the (non-explosive rated) pump would catch fire under the belly they would gather round and casually kick snow on it.
on one (luckily summer) occasion they called from twenty miles out and i provided the full airport advisory which included the obvious showers in the vicinity. when they announced three mile final for straight in runway 24, i gave them a windcheck since things had gotten gusty. before long i was startled to hear them roaring by at midfield, tail up fully loaded with 2k ft of gravel remaining.
a lot of dust and commotion down that end. i looked at my instruments and the wind had reversed direction in that short time. i was mortified but very relieved to see them back taxi. one can presume a microburst like condition existed where a column of descending air hits the ground and blows out in every direction. as it passes directly overhead one can watch the windsock swing right around, and that's what i should have been doing.
an unexpected downwind landing only barely phased these guys,
but that was cold water out past the threshold
Karen, I've changed my mind. I'm not gonna get a PBY. It's gonna be an
Ekranoplan or nuthin'! I know it doesn't look real sleek but you don't
wanna be in its way especially seeing as how it could only fly a maximum
of 60' off the deck! But it could haul a boatload of vodka at 300 kts!
An interesting article in LA Times about hang gliders vs paragliders brings
up some disturbing similarities to 'trad' vs 'sport'. Oh, and there are curmudgeons involved!
PS: Loved the BASE segment in Front Range Freaks. That was right about the time I was just getting interested in BASE. That and having Frank G's video and Will Ox's Baffin footage were all part of getting me psyched to learn.
Let us know!