Did my first Clover today!!!! WAHOO!!!

[Paul Taylor]

I was swapping emails with my buddy Louis Ranking this past week and we setup a time to meet out at his place to help me learn something new. Well I can tell you I learn a number of things today. First off Louis sat out in the circle and walked me through a clover leaf. WOW !!!
It was not real pretty but it was a clover. I forgot to mention that he flew my PigTwist (48.6oz) first and said it was tail heavy. I had added a 1/2oz to the tail to compensate for the tube muffler. I did not adjust anything after I exchange the tube muffler for a tongue muffler. So we took the weight out of the tail and adjusted the lead outs. Boy I could tell the difference once we took the weight out of the tail.
It is running almost 5 second laps.
Lou suggested I change the prop to slow the plane down a little more. I will do just that.
My goal next year is to enter intermediate at the MSC.
I big THANKS to Louis for taking the time out of his afternoon to help me over the hump and trim my plane.

[Randy Ryan]

Congrats Paul, now you can do the entire pattern right? Once you get through the square maneuvers and the Cloverleaf you have all the element for the pattern.

[Joe Gilbert]

Good job Paul , keep after it.

[Phil Coopy]

You Go Paul!


Phi;

[Leo Mehl]

Now you will begin a never ending quest to do all the manuevrs better You are on your way- To Portland someday I hope. Good going buddy!

[Greg L Bahrman]

WAHOO to you too!!!
Way to go, I think you just passed me up !!!

[Randy Powell]

Feels great that first time you fly the full pattern. Nothing like it.

Congrats on your first clover.

[Zuriel Armstrong]

Congrats Paul,

I was driving along and Paul called to let me know he had done the clover.  Way to go Paul and you could not have had a better coach than Lou.

Zuriel

[Paul Taylor]

Thanks guys!

Just had to share the good news with my friends.



(and Ty - no we were not at Lou's house. Not sure if he put a circle in or not.)

[Charlie Pate]

I was swapping emails with my buddy Louis Ranking this past week and we setup a time to meet out at his place to help me learn something new. Well I can tell you I learn a number of things today. First off Louis sat out in the circle and walked me through a clover leaf. WOW !!!
It was not real pretty but it was a clover. I forgot to mention that he flew my PigTwist (48.6oz) first and said it was tail heavy. I had added a 1/2oz to the tail to compensate for the tube muffler. I did not adjust anything after I exchange the tube muffler for a tongue muffler. So we took the weight out of the tail and adjusted the lead outs. Boy I could tell the difference once we took the weight out of the tail.
It is running almost 5 second laps.
Lou suggested I change the prop to slow the plane down a little more. I will do just that.
My goal next year is to enter intermediate at the MSC.
I big THANKS to Louis for taking the time out of his afternoon to help me over the hump and trim my plane.
 When you do the clover, just be sure and leave off the stem 

[Harleyman]

WHOO HOO! 
Way to go Paul!
Kind of fun when you got that one in your back pocket.

[Howard Rush]

That particular trick tends to go bad for me more often than some of the others.  One thing I've found useful is using the sun as an intersection target when it's downwind, as it often seems to be.

[Richard Entwhistle 823412]

Paul

Three or four leaves?

Later
Richard in Portland

[Clayton Berry]

Draw it on paper a few times.  It has some flat parts and even some long parts.  But, your aiplane can do it.  Have a little faith, and remember your  bottons.  You've done before.  It's bigger than you think (what Adam said to Eve, but that was a different flight).

Seriously.  Draw it out.  You'll see.

[Howard Rush]

Good advice, Clayton.  I did that last year and realized some of the stuff I'd been doing wrong with the clover. 

[Clayton Berry]

Good advice, Clayton.  I did that last year and realized some of the stuff I'd been doing wrong with the clover. 

It isn't like most of the other maneuvers.  We switch from an inside loop to an outside immediately (or at least we should).  That's part of the beauty.  Of most maneuvers.  Eights and stuff.

But, a clover leaf is distinctly different.  It has four separate loops, two intersections, and some flat spots between them.  Yu have to fly across  and vertical to get them loops.  I'm no expert (though that's what they make me fly), but it is a rather large manuever.  I had some coaching from Dick Houser a few years ago.  Glad he wasn't armed (his shouting was quite sufficient).  But, what I got out of it was that it wasn't four loops all on top of each other.  It is a big and graceful manuever.  The grand finale, if you will.


Just my thoughts.  It's under 30 outside, and all I can do is think about it.   Brrr.