Stooge kinks, 8's, kites

[Chris Fretz]

So I went flying yesterday by myself with the stooge. Dragging the airplane back to the pit causes my lines to just twist up an trying to get the twists out gave me a kink in a new set of lines How do you do this part by yourself with the handle an lines dragging behind you?  Besides landing the airplane where you want cause that doesn't happen for me.

Where do you stand for overhead 8's? I lose the airplane an my place an it's a mess...

Some kid at the field asked me what kind of kit that was.  That was a first for me.

[Mark Scarborough]

when I dont land where I want, ( iow right by the stooge) I generally walk the handle as far away from the stooge as I can, meaning I am moving the  handle and lines to the other side of the airplane from the stooge. The plan being to not drag the lines sideways across the grass but to ultimatly pull them in line towards the stooge. Then when you move the airplane to the stooge you are pulling the lines smoothly through the grass and they dont wind up as much.

for overhead 8, I stand facing into the wind, turn vertically up into the center circle right up my chest andfly the 8 over the shoulders, exiting behind your head, rotate your body after exiting the eights and pull out

[louie klein]

I use my stooge without problems, I have an old 5lb dumbbell weight with a dowel screwed to it. On the top I have a small wooden disk so the handle won't slip off. I keep it near the circle center and after the flight I slip he handle over the post and the weight is enough for me to keep the lines off the ground. Just walk it around and done!----Louie

[Mark Scarborough]

I use my stooge without problems, I have an old 5lb dumbbell weight with a dowel screwed to it. On the top I have a small wooden disk so the handle won't slip off. I keep it near the circle center and after the flight I slip he handle over the post and the weight is enough for me to keep the lines off the ground. Just walk it around and done!----Louie

.
thats a pretty good idea there, never thought of that, would save me probably a half mile of walking a night LOL
but then my girlfriend thinks the walking is good for me or some nonsense,, go figure

[Chris Fretz]

when I dont land where I want, ( iow right by the stooge) I generally walk the handle as far away from the stooge as I can, meaning I am moving the  handle and lines to the other side of the airplane from the stooge. The plan being to not drag the lines sideways across the grass but to ultimatly pull them in line towards the stooge. Then when you move the airplane to the stooge you are pulling the lines smoothly through the grass and they dont wind up as much.

That sounds like a simple solution that would work better than what I'm doing.

[Chris Fretz]

I use my stooge without problems, I have an old 5lb dumbbell weight with a dowel screwed to it. On the top I have a small wooden disk so the handle won't slip off. I keep it near the circle center and after the flight I slip he handle over the post and the weight is enough for me to keep the lines off the ground. Just walk it around and done!----Louie

I like that, I was pondering pushing a stake into the ground and putting the handle around it, then walk the lines tight an walk the airplane around! Excuse me I mean the kite

[Chris Fretz]

[quote author=Mark Scarborough link=topic=43290.msg448255#msg448255 date=1463498267

for overhead 8, I stand facing into the wind, turn vertically up into the center circle right up my chest andfly the 8 over the shoulders, exiting behind your head, rotate your body after exiting the eights and pull out
[/quote]
Do you lean back too? Or just looking up?

[Russ Main]

I do something similar to Louie, I carry a bottle jack out to the center. When I'm finished I put the safety thong over the bottle jack then walk the lines out and carry the plane to the stooge.
Russ

[Mark Scarborough]

[quote author=Mark Scarborough link=topic=43290.msg448255#msg448255 date=1463498267

for overhead 8, I stand facing into the wind, turn vertically up into the center circle right up my chest andfly the 8 over the shoulders, exiting behind your head, rotate your body after exiting the eights and pull out

Do you lean back too? Or just looking up?

well Its hard to say exactly what I do since I cant see myself, and as we all know we dont always have an accurate assesment of what we do

I believe I lean back mostly with my head, but in order to do it you HAVE to be looking straight up to the intersection which should be directly overhead,, ( yeah I know, its a fantasy here too)

[Steve Helmick]

The most common way to do the OH8 is to face upwind, feet square to the wind, to give yourself a reference plane (draw line from one foot to the other). Unfortunately, most of us geezers can't bend backwards enough to see the top of the circle, so about 90% do the OH8 "out in front", meaning upwind. That's bad! 

IMO, admitting that we can't flex enough to get the OH8 straight overhead, we might be better off to concede to that fact. Then, the moves would be to climb to the top of the circle with your feet 90 deg to the climb, move right foot (CCW flying assumed) another 90 deg, so the feet are then square to the climb, but you're facing downwind. Now, your OH8 will be "out in front", but on the downwind side of the circle, giving much better line tension, which should improve the shape a bunch. It's something I want to work on, but so far, all I've done is to scare myself silly and nearly crash. Some "dry flying" at home would be a huge help to get the feet moving at the correct time. It's either that, or "Hot Yoga" just prior to our flights. Ewww!  Steve

[Tim Wescott]

For handling the lines, I shove a stick in the ground and loop the handle over that.  If I forget to bring the stick, I scout around in the bush until I find one that I can break off and use.  In August I make a hole and then note the location, so I can find it again (this part of Oregon is usually moist, but in summer it dries out and the soil at the flying field is clay -- it turns rock hard in August).

For the overhead eights, do what Steve says.  Practicing your flexibility when you're not flying is a good idea.  Keeping a good reference when you're looking at the sky is hard -- I built myself a combination plumb bob and protractor that I use to practice.  The thing indicates vertical and 45 degrees off vertical, and I was amazed at how far off I was when I started using it.

[Mark Scarborough]

For handling the lines, I shove a stick in the ground and loop the handle over that.  If I forget to bring the stick, I scout around in the bush until I find one that I can break off and use.  In August I make a hole and then note the location, so I can find it again (this part of Oregon is usually moist, but in summer it dries out and the soil at the flying field is clay -- it turns rock hard in August).

For the overhead eights, do what Steve says.  Practicing your flexibility when you're not flying is a good idea.  Keeping a good reference when you're looking at the sky is hard -- I built myself a combination plumb bob and protractor that I use to practice.  The thing indicates vertical and 45 degrees off vertical, and I was amazed at how far off I was when I started using it.

I want a video of you using this device,,
for what you ask, well aside from entertainment, It may prove beneficial

[john e. holliday]

I my self from piloting racing planes have kinda learned to land close to take off spot.  So I just carry plane to take off spot if I miss it by a ways and walk the lines out.  Dave Trible has  plate with a rod he hooks the safety thong on.  Walks to his plane and carries it back to the take off spot keeping lines tight.

Now the over head 8.  Big Art told us when getting ready for it,  get ahead of the plane so you are facing the wind.   Make you vertical turn but don't look up until you get to about 45 degrees.   By the way when getting ahead of the plane spread your feet apart for balance.  Bend your knees a little and arch your back.  It takes practice and we do need the exercise.  If you are flexible enough you can twist your body from side to side.   I have lately gotten like the late and great Jim Thomerson in that some of the over head 8 is done by feel.   When exiting you have to do a turn about with the body with out tripping on your own feet.  Watch some of the better pilots doing their patterns and have fun.

[Fred Underwood]

My assistant never complains and does all the work.  One post holds the handle up and lines tight while I move the plane, then the arms hold the wings of the plane for a makeshift stand when needed, and then if I put the back on, holds me when needed.  I fold the chair and keep it next to the inner circle then stand it up at the end of a flight.

[Dan Berry]

I like that, I was pondering pushing a stake into the ground and putting the handle around it, then walk the lines tight an walk the airplane around! Excuse me I mean the kite

This is what Mark Troutman told me to do and it works just fine.

[frank williams]

TAEM Terminal Area Energy Management ...... with practice you'll get to where you can put it back to the pit every time, walk back to add energy, a little forward to reduce speed, know where you are relative to the pit when the engine quits  .. practice the perfect landing when someone is there to help retrieve ....  the other handle holder ideas are good too ...

[Larry Renger]

Quote"I carry a bottle jack out to the center"

The only bottle Jack I know of has a second name: "Daniels"

What the heck is a bottle jack?

[john e. holliday]

Larry, the only bottle jacks I knew of were used to raise a car up so a flat tire could be changed.  Used a long handle to wind it up and wind it down.   Now the new car the wife has we are told that we have to have some one else change the wheel/tire if it ever goes flat and can't be patched like we used to do it.

[Russ Main]

If I attached this correctly here is a bottle jack. Now that Honey Jack Jack Daniels is really good but doesn't help with the overhead 8's.

[Perry Rose]

I bent a piece of 1/8 landing gear wire so it's shaped like an Allen wrench 6 inches long. My handles are made of wood and I drill a hole in the center of the grip and stake it to the ground loose enough to swivel as I walk the plane back to the launch area.

[Fred Cronenwett]

one of our club members has a weight that leaves at the center of the circle, after you land hook the handle to the weight pick up the model and bring the model back around to the starting location. The flying lines are up off the ground at all times if you walk in a circle.

Fred

[Will Davis]

On the handle issue, I use a tall 4 40 driver  with big handle  to hold the control  handle  while I take the model back to the takeoff area, the driver helps me stay in center of circle and it is the same one I use to adjust handle if needed.

I fly off of a local ball field by myself  thru the week , so safety and maximum flights per session is needed.

[Chris Fretz]

Overhead 8's are kicking my butt! A stake in the ground works great! Only got 2 flights in until some ignorant baseball coach kicked me out He could of been nice about saying they had a game in 20min, but noooo had to be a prick Finding places to fly in the area is a pain.

[Mark Scarborough]

Overhead 8's are kicking my butt! A stake in the ground works great! Only got 2 flights in until some ignorant baseball coach kicked me out He could of been nice about saying they had a game in 20min, but noooo had to be a prick Finding places to fly in the area is a pain.

Lots more of them than there are you, and they bring money , so you have to be nice, we lost a fantastic flying site , room for 4 circles on dead flat asphalt because ONE person mouthed off to the soccer moms, so the city pulled our permission to fly there,

[Pat Chewning]

Thanks to reading this thread, I took a screwdriver out for today's practice (solo) with stooge launch.  The asphalt in the center of the circle has a small crack just wide enough to plunge the screwdriver in and it holds the handle great while I put tension on the lines and walk the plane back.   It worked great!

PS:  I went skiing today in new snow from 07:30 to 1:30 and was at the flying site by 3pm in sunshine and nice flying weather.  A GREAT day to ski and fly....

[Chris Fretz]

Lots more of them than there are you, and they bring money , so you have to be nice, we lost a fantastic flying site , room for 4 circles on dead flat asphalt because ONE person mouthed off to the soccer moms, so the city pulled our permission to fly there,

That's a shame!

I was nice to the guy which is more than I can say for him. He was to impatient for it to run out of gas that was for sure. After I got home I reviewed the video to see how horrible the patten was an heard him in the background as soon as he got there mumbled "he better get the f*** of my field".