Sunday, September 30, 2007
LAST DAY TO ENTER EAA's VIDEO CONTEST - Today September 30, 2007
Check out the LINK to the contest rules:
Friday, September 28, 2007
Weekend Getaway - with a BRS and a side of strobes...
I took off this morning at 10am from Trikepilot Ranch in Sawyer, Michigan and had gorgeous 75 degree weather, light 10mph winds at my tail, and 10 podcasts of "CarTalk" on my iphone to keep me busy during the flat stretches.
In SW Michigan we have gorgeous rivers and trees and Lake Michigan. In NW Indiana (and SW Illinois) we have FLAT FLAT FLAT... hence the need for a little audio diversion. Nevertheless, with no phones, no noise, and no one to talk to... it was a great time to let my brain take a rest from the stress of daily life.
With the tailwind I made the 238 mile journey in about two hours and twenty minutes, averaging about 93mph ground speed most of the way. Not bad for 4200 RPM and 3.5gph burn on the 912s. I dropped down on the deck for most of the central Indiana route, checking out the wheat harvest that is going on almost everywhere this week in the Farm Belt.
When I arrived at Shawnee, Rob Caya was waiting for me as he had driven down Thursday to book another marathon weekend of flight training with Allistair Wilson of Astratrike. Rob is advancing rapidly and I'm hoping he'll solo this weekend!?! He's already bought a slick Quantum 912 (white) and we're eager to get him back up to Trikepilot Ranch before the winter.
A great bit of lunch (had a "Manhattan".. which I learned is a Turkey sandwich on White Bread with lots of white gravy on top?), we went back to Shawnee to meet Chris Bailey from AirplaneGear who set me up with a new Skybright Quad Strobe kit as well as my BRS bits. The strobe has top and bottom circular white strobes, with two wingtip combo lights. The tip lights have red/green position, rear facing white LED position markers, and flashing white strobes. I saw these on John Keith's GT450 and they ROCK. When we came back to Trikepilot Ranch on our way to Cushing this summer it was about twenty minutes past sunset and John looked like a Christmas Tree he was so bright. Perfect for the hard-to-see trike in the brave new world of GA flying!
It was getting on 4:30 and I knew I had a headwind.. so I said my "goodbyes" and headed North. It was another blissful flight, with light winds, the sun setting on my port side and nothing but the harvesters and my daydreams to pass the time. Once again I arrived to Trikepilot Ranch just around 8:00 with the sun having just gone below the water line of Lake Michigan. Gorgeous.
I'll be posting photos of how the BRS 1050 softpack installation works out for me. This is my second softpack install, but last one was a bit smaller and I had some other details to work out. Likewise, I'll be doing a "how to" on the strobe installation, particularly how to make brackets to hold the wingtip units.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
I'VE QUIT FLYING ULTRALIGHT TRIKES!!
Well, the truth is... my little baby has become a big girl today and earned her N-number. American Quik #1 has finally been given her driver's license and stamped with "N912Q".
The process was actually incredibly painless. My DAR, Tom Milton, from Lansing Airport, was kind enough to drive up to the Trikepilot Flying Ranch today and complete my inspection and sign-off the paperwork.
The whole procedure took about an hour, including a bit of discussion over the FAR details and the recent modifications to the airspace restriction regs. All in all, it was a no-brainer once I had followed all the preparatory steps outlined in the EAA handbook:
1) Stamped and installed my placard to the base frame of the trike where it could be seen;
2) Applied my "N912Q" in 3" letters as well as my "Experimental" graphics in 2" letters;
3) Double-checked that all other warning and instrument and guage decals were in place;
4) Had my Weight and Balance completed along with my FAA Registration card and my engine/airframe logbook (from P&M);
Tom gave my machine a once-over, checked all the paperwork, and then signed my logs. A $400 check for time and travel and it was official. As soon as I have my Mode-C altitude encoding transponder I'll be seeing you guys at O'Hare Airport! ;)
Good luck to everyone else getting it done... it's a load off the shoulders.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Cold Weather Flying Gear - Part Deux! Thanks Rob Caya!!
Monday, September 24, 2007
Website of the Day - SportAviationCenter.com
Today's feature is Sport Aviation Center from Samanth Moore out of Carson City, NV. She has an extremely informative site, with information about her background, the process of obtaining flight instruction, and some clever multimedia. Looks like there is terrific geographic terrain for sightseeing as well, should one want to take a visit for fun or instruction. Her prices are all clearly available as well as further details about the packages she offers.
I noticed that in her video (below) she's using a bar-mounted switch box with at least three mini cameras. I'm not sure of her setup, so I hope she will join us and provide some details? It reminds me a bit of my multicamera setup that I used in the video Jitka's Big Adventure, which was four bullet cameras, a home made switcher and remote pan and tilt mechanism. See the whole rig HERE.
From her site:
Samantha Moore has been flying since 1981. She started hang gliding and
quickly became a recognized personality in the competition circles.
After placing in the top five in several international events, Samantha
began flying powered trikes. She became an instructor because she
wanted to share her love for flight with others.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Thailand has an incredibly strong Aviation community
Juan Amestoy has joined us from Thailand, and Wayne Bezner Kerr has done some flying in Thailand before... I'm waiting to hear from Eddie Smith, who practically lives down there full time now. So, I decided to do a little research and I discovered that Thailand has a VERY strong Aviation and Microlight community. They seem to favor "clubs" over just open airports, which may be a way of supporting the maintenance and costs of the fields... (Juan?) With such incredible scenery, great food, and warm weather... mark me down for a trip to Thailand!
Check out the Thai Flying Club main page for more info!
LINK
INDIAN SUMMER - TAKING THE WEEKEND OFF TO GO FLYING!
No doubt I'm not alone... we average over 300 viewers a day on this site. Yesterday and today that number has fallen off the shelf. I can only guess it is because of this GORGEOUS weather we are having and the fact that everyone wants to get in the last of their "summer" before it is too late. It was 88 degrees in Sawyer Michigan Friday and Saturday and I put in three hours of pure bliss... flying 100 feet off the crystal clear Lake Michigan Water while skimming the beaches filled with "landlubbers" and wealthy people waving from their multi-million dollar homes on the bluffs. It just doesn't get ANY better than this. Forget the psychiatrists, drugs, alcohol, gambling, or any other vices... this IS the way for any restless spirit to get out of the trap of daily existence and be FREE!!!
Because of this self-induced hiatus, and the fact that I'm taking my kids sailing today on the big lake, I'm just giving a link to the site that inspired me to start Trikepilot.com back in 2000. It is the second of two sites by Jim McKay, the first of which was about his experience building a Quicksilver Ultralight. This one is about his "return" to the world of ultralight flying in his Trike, and how life is too short to "not" take advantage of our dreams of flight. The site remains an inspiration to me, and please take the time to visit his guestbook where you will see how he has been an inspiration to hundreds of others as well.
Enjoy the weekend and fly safe!
Spence
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Flying the Falls High Definition African Adventure - Coming Soon!
From our friend, Mark Becker, in South Africa we have received notice that his latest adventure is called "Flying The Falls" and will soon be available on DVD (we'll have a full review here at Trikepilot Social). In the meantime, check out the dynamic scenery taped in High Definition... such a huge improvement over standard DV when looking at the wildlife and geography of the Nambian wetlands. Beautiful!
LINK
Best of John 'Ole' Olson - Stories from the Wild Blue Yonder
John Olson (or Ole') as he likes to be called, is an old-timer in the trike world. Having come from the Hang Glider adventures of the 1980s and 1990's, he has spent much of the last decade or so traveling up and down the west Coast and into Mexico where he has taught hundreds of students and acquired thousands of great stories. His website is LearnToHanglide.com and here is the page of his "best" stories. Keep in mind, John has a "spicy" sense of humor ;)
Enjoy!
LINK
WOW - Check out the slick new DTA "Combo"
I don't have any further info on this incredibly hot looking machine from DTA (without a front strut, just like the Voyageur). But there is a PICTURE GALLERY available and some other info.
Download Combo leaflet here (PDF)
Download full Combo Brochure here (PDF)
Prices from the factory in France including delivery are quoted as ranging from $28,700 for a Combo 503 to $46,200 for a Combo 912. Anyone had their hands on one of these yet?
Digital Photography Tutorials
This site includes tutorials on how
to acquire, interpret and process digital photographs. A great introduction for anyone who is looking to improve their aviation photography skills, as well as their post-processing editing techniques.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Website of the Day - Top 1000 Ultralight and Microlight Sights
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Microlighters in South Africa
Mark Becker turned me on to this great bulletin board from South Africa. Great way to compare points of view from a different part of the world.
LINK
Magic Trikes USA - Ace Aviation
Located in Casper, Wyoming, Magic Trikes USA was created by Dan Cooper to import, sell, and service Ace Magic Trikes throughout the United State. What I particularly like about this design is its portability (check picture above!). These are part 103 single-seat designs and a great alternative to LSA.
Ace Aviation started the design on the single seater Magic Microlight series back in 1999. It has been tested, modified and produced in India since then. Materials from Europe and America are used in the construction of the trike, air-frame and sail. The airframe tubing is certified for ultralight construction. John Penry-Evans who originally came from Wales in the UK has been involved in the aerosports industry since the 1970's. He directs all of Ace Aviation’s production work in India and together with a workforce of 18 skilled people keeps the standard of the finished product very high.
LINK
Wings of Madness - Alberto Santos Dumont
Today I saw a fascinating Nova presentation (PBS) on the life and accomplishments of Alberto Santos Dumont. He was one of the most significant pioneers of flight, though his accomplishments were initially overshadowed by the Wright Brothers.
After retreating to the countryside at age 32, his life took a tragic turn. WWI began and he saw the fruits of his hard work and hope for their peaceful use turned to non-peaceful means. This took its toll on his psyche and he went in and out of mental institutions for more than five years. Eventually, his family moved him back to Brazil for help. While in a sanitarium in his hometown, he saw military aircraft flying overhead and ultimately crashing during Brazil's civil war. The thought of brother killing brother with his invention was too much for him and he hung himself in his room that day. He was ultimately buried with the cause of death listed as "heart attack" in order to preserve his status as a national hero of Brazil.
The show is captivating and shows how incredibly similar some of his early machines were to our modern ultralights, especially his best design, the 1909 Demoiselle #20.
Don't miss this wonderful presentation on a PBS station in your broadcast area, or check the preview and details online.
LINK TO PBS
Wikipedia Article
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Alex Gore makes some of the best flying videos in the world... why won't he join us?
Well, I have to say that Alex is pen-pal of mine, but we don't see or speak to each other much. I begged him to join me in creating this website about two months ago because he is simply amazing when it comes to his video and web skills. His website at WindsandWings is one of the best I've ever seen.
Unfortunately, Alex has indicated to me that he is not into the "social thingy" and has, up till now, decided not to join us here. I figure that my only choice is to try even harder to get him to join by showing you one of my favorite videos from his YouTube collection. His editing is flawless, he has a great storyline, and the music goes with the flow. A master at work.
If anyone can help change Alex's mind (Abid... Larry...??) please give him a poke and tell him we're missing him over here. In the meantime, check out "Sky Rats Adventure"
Hey...isn't that Lucien Bartosik?
Anyone know where Lucien is these days? Bring him in and get him on board!
Trikepilot Social Featured Member - Rhett Dooley
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Potentially the COOLEST tool I've seen on the Web this year - PERIOD!
Ok, so the story goes like this...
I'm talking to Tal Newhart today, and he sort of casually mentions that his "nephew and some of his pals" have launched this new website. Well, I'm thinking it is some kind of MySpace page, or whatever. Then, I go to the Website at Animoto.com and what I find there CHANGES MY LIFE FOREVER! Seriously, it is that amazing.
What they'e done is to create a site where you can sign up, add your photos (or have it get your photos from an online site such as Flickr or Picassa or Photobucket or Trikepilot Social), pick a musical soundtrack or upload your own, and then ask it to generate a unique music video (slideshow). While you are waiting for it to be generated and a link sent to you, the site gives you a ton of interesting toys and links to play with (obviously how they fund the site).
In a couple minutes, a link is sent to you with your completed video. Now, I've been editing my videos for six years or more, and have used almost EVERY video editing tool, including those from Apple. What Animoto has done here is REMARKABLE. The video comes back as if it were done by some high-priced producer in Los Angeles. The cuts, wipes, fades, drop-ins, everything..amazing.
So simple that anyone can use it. Below is a 30 second sample I made in about ten seconds of work. See if you agree that this is going to change videos on the internet:
Tutorial #1 - How to Add A Hyperlink to Trikepilot Social Posts
Find more videos like this on Trikepilot - Social Edition
Be sure to click on the Full Screen Button to view it larger!
Monday, September 17, 2007
Bring a Friend to Trikepilot Social Day!
It's official! We're now "inventing" holidays! ;)
Seriously though, Trikepilot Social is really kicking in the afterburners here with more than 150 members strong and adding an average of five a day. We have a TON of lurkers, with now more than 4500 unique vistors this month and more than 45,000 unique page views!! Won't you please pour some gas on our fire by inviting "one" friend or more to visit and join our site?
Our goal is to become the ONE site on which EVERY trike or microlight pilot from around the world has staked a claim... so that we can FINALLY know where everyone is, what kind of machine they fly, and what if any website they have. Most importantly... so we can all share cool videos, photos, stories, how-to articles, and adventures!
We're stirring up quite a controversy with some of the "old school" bulletin board websites (which shall remain nameless) and have even been (shudder....) MODERATED from at least one of them because we attempted to notify some of its members of our site. Why? Who knows? Since all of our content if FREE and so is theirs, perhaps they just like building a walled garden around their members for fear that they will find a much more fun and interesting experience elsewhere??
I for one am a strong believer that people will reward good content with loyalty. If you "are "enjoying our content, please show us by bringing in a friend or two to crank-up our ranks and start making our MEMBER MAP look like it was shot with a machine gun!
Cheers and Safe Flying!
Spence
Video of the Day - Quik 912 Day out to Wales, UK
I wasn't sure if my Quik could take off and land from the beaches around SW Michigan...but now I know!
Um.... what to do when your engine dies, your wing fails, and you have no BRS?
When all else fails... and you are basically "SOL".... then what to do? ... BASE JUMP VIDEO of course!!
Potentially crazy folks who like to fly without an airplane. Makes us trikepilots look like we're actually "sane" individuals ;)
LINK
Sabre Trikes - American Made Ultralight and LSA machines
According to the factory, Sabre Aircraft performs stability testing to higher speeds then required, and strength testing, beyond anything required by this new category. They also claim that any Sabre Wildcat, new or old, can be certified to the Light Sport Aircraft Category, as currently written, without any modification, or further testing.
LINK
Sabre Trikes - American Made Ultralight and LSA machines
According to the factory, Sabre Aircraft performs stability testing to higher speeds then required, and strength testing, beyond anything required by this new category. They also claim that any Sabre Wildcat, new or old, can be certified to the Light Sport Aircraft Category, as currently written, without any modification, or further testing.
LINK
Website of the Day - Trikephotos.com
LINK
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Pictures of the Day - Welcome Wayne Bezner Kerr
Wayne is legendary in the Trike Community, a superb pilot, and just an all around great guy. Buy him a beer some day and ask him to tell you the stories of his incredibly interesting life and travels...you will not be dissapointed.
I'm featuring Wayne's photos today because he's REALLY selected a couple GEMS on his member page, and this is a great use of this site. He runs First Light Aviation, when he is not globetrotting or spending time with his little girl.
Check out the superb slideshow of his photos:
My old girl has a new boyfriend...
Steve started dating her right after Tony Castillo got done having his way with her. Rumor has it that "once you've had Tony you can never go back to an ordinary guy again..." but who am I to believe those stories from the street?
Since Tony and I have subsequently gone on to dating these Quik new European girls, I guess Steve is going to have to settle in to a nice long relationship with N254A and "bond with her wing".
Website of the Day - Official Guide To Experimental Aircraft
LINK
Do you have your N-number yet? Check it now or check someone else's...
Here is a direct link to the FAA's Aircraft Registration Database. You can check reserved tail numbers, existing numbers, or even expired numbers. It's both useful and even "fun". Check out some of the early "low" numbers and the type of aircraft to which tåhey are attached!
LINK
Want to help find Steve Fossett?
The search for Steve Fossett continues, unfortunately to no avail at this point. His friends and supporters are enlisting some help from the general population by asking that the new satellite photo imagery be analyzed square by square with human eyes. If you are so inclined, you may help by reviewing images as well.
LINK
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Airport Monitor - Another great way to spend a rainy afternoon...
LINK
The Civil Air Patrol - Have "you" joined yet?
Serve Your Community By Doing What You Love
If you’re a pilot, or you’d like to be, CAP has plenty of opportunities tailor-made for you. CAP owns the largest fleet of single-engine piston aircraft in the nation, and CAP pilots are able to fly those planes to perform CAP missions in service to their local communities.
CAP pilots fly reconnaissance missions for homeland security, search and rescue and disaster relief, and even counterdrug reconnaissance at the request of government or law enforcement agencies. They transport medical personnel and supplies, blood and live tissue. In times of disaster, they assess damage and transport emergency personnel from site to site.
The Civil Air Patrol's aircraft are hangared at strategic locations throughout the nation to be readily available when missions arise. CAP members maintain these aircraft at the highest levels of safety and efficiency and have access to specialists at CAP National Headquarters for maintenance, safety and training questions.
If you’d like to become a CAP pilot, you must be at least 17 years of age and hold a valid FAA private, commercial or airline transport pilot certificate. You must have a Class III or higher medical certificate and a current flight review.
You’ll have to satisfactorily complete a flight check and pass a written exam. You’ll also need to complete aircraft questionnaires for each plane you’re qualified to fly.
As a CAP pilot, you perform some of the organization’s most important work. CAP is also a great place for you to meet and work with people who share your interest in flying and want to use their skills in a meaningful way.
Website of the Day - BRio The Brazillian Flying Boat
LINK
New Feature Coming Soon - Trikepilot Social Member Map!
One of the features which is sorely lacking on our site at the moment is a way to see just where all our members are located, along with the trike model they fly. Likewise, to have a quick link to their member page and their own website (if applicable). Lastly, to see immediately just "who" is online at the moment, without having to scroll through all the member pages. Along with some other improvements (such as a Latest Additions tab to show what has been added on anyone's page) the above map is a way for us to make this the "must visit" site for all world trikers.
The beta version above is not fully functional, but is a preview of what we should have running in a day or so. Right now you can see the members by list or clicking on the pins, but the links to their member pages and home pages is not fully functioning. Hope we're on the right track. Please give us your suggestions and ideas.
Thanks!
spence
LINK
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Sport Pilot Exam Q&A Online
This is a neat little program someone wrote to help one practice for the Sport Pilot Exam. It gives you the question, then allows you to try and answer. It provides the information you need to correct your knowledge in the event you answer wrong on the first try. Would be a great benefit to anyone who has not yet passed the Sport Pilot Exam. Let me know what you think?
LINK
Barnstormers "Mashup" Tool from Mick Balaban
I just received this note from Mick Balaban, explaining a tool that he had put together to visually show the location of trikes that are being sold on Barnstormers. I think this is one of the most clever things I've seen in a long time, and a great use of Google Maps. We are planning our own Classified Section here at Trikepilot Social that will allow all the members to buy, sell, and trade gear and trikes amongst themselves... but in the meantime, this is a fantastic way to save some time on Barnstormers.
In Mick's own words:
Hi Spence,
Months ago, when I was looking to purchase my first trike, I was browsing barnstormers every day and constantly looking how far are trikes that are being sold away from me, and trying to figure out how much would it cost to transport them... So I got sick of that and wrote a small data scraper that crawls barnstormers site for trikes and updates local database on my server that then presents them on google maps. I showed it to some friends and they thought it was cool. So check it out when you get a chance: http://trikes.newmediafront.com
Flying Guys - Check out the trike formation at the end of the video
Thanks to Mick Balaban for this vid link. Love the announcers' reactions in Japanese and the way-cool formation flying of the trikes near the end.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
An Incredible Resource! - Technical Articles by Mike Stratman of California Power Systems
This is probably one of the best little "gems" I've recently found on the internet. It is a series of articles written by Mike Stratman of California Power Systems (and RotaxParts.net) that appeared in Ultralight Flying! Magazine starting in June of 1987. These articles detail many important topics regarding the ownership and maintenance of an ultralight and its power system. Some information is out of date, but CPS has the complete series reprinted in its Catalog as well. It is an absolute "Must Read" source of information.
LINK
Video of the Day - Barry Foer Strikes Again!
Not sure if he is trying to get a viral ad-campaign going for Nestle, but Barry is one wild and crazy dude. I'm always cracking up at his videos ;)
Monday, September 10, 2007
Website of the Day - Start Flying Flexwing Microlights
An absolute "Must Read" resource for learning about our amazing flying machines
LINK
Labor Day Photo Contest Finalists...
Well... you guys are great pilots, and terrific photographers, but you are LAZY LAZY LAZY contest entrants!! ;) Not a single pilot bothered to enter his or her images into the contest. Maybe I'm just a horrible promoter! ah ha!
So, I took it upon myself to go through the almost 800 photos presently on the site and pick some of my personal favorites. Not for any particular reason, but just because they caught my eye in some way. I know there are a ton of other fantastic shots there, so if I didn't pick one of your favorites, NOW IS MY INVITATION to send me a link to your photo so I can consider adding it to these "keepers."
Without Further Delay... here they are: (click to go to the original shot)
Sunday, September 09, 2007
World's first Quadriplegic Trike Pilot!
LINK
Able Management Group has also posted video of Dave soloing below:
Ultrlalight Problems - The Trial and Error of the Early Days...
There are has been much debate about the safety of modern ultralight trikes. Many of the newest safety features such as four-stroke engines, BRS Chutes, etc., all come from the "trial and error" of the early pioneers. These men and women had to learn by their mistakes (and crashes) about what could...and did... go horribly wrong. Watch...
Just gotta laugh at the music on this one!
More fun from the Flight Sim crowd! This one is in FS2004, but it is the creator's choice of music that had me grinning from ear to ear ;)
Video of the Day - Ultralight Trikes Fly into Greenland
Ah, finally we're starting to cover the planet with trikes! (ahahahh.... just kidding. I mean "Greenland, New Hampshire!) ;)
Saturday, September 08, 2007
"Topless" Trikes from GibboGear!
A unique player in the Trike market is GibboGear (Mark Gibson), who for many years has created a specialized niche by offering "topless" wings. In other words, wings that have no kingpost and wires to support the wing while on the ground or during negative loads. These wings are also known as "strutted" designs, because the two lower struts serve to carry both the load of the wing as well as to handle the positive and negative "G" forces while in the air.
GibboGear seems to be moving in the direction of many in the lower-price market, by specializing now on some new Part 103 legal machines and wings. This may be a good move for them as it would be otherwise hard to sell a lower priced SLSA or ELSA two-seater when one considers the high-cost of certification, and the individual ownership costs of obtaining a Sport Pilot certificate. It seems logical that many Ultralight Trike pilots may simply shift into one-place Part 103 legal machines and avoid Sport Pilot altogether.
LINK
Mark is also marketing a slick line of LSA aircraft that also utilize the "topless" wing design, called the "Manta Ray". To be quite honest, I have to check with Abid Farooqui and Mark to understand whether there is any cross-marketing going on as these machines are incredibly similar to the Apollo line being sold by TampaBay Aerosport. More info on the Manta Ray HERE
