Wed Aug 14- instruction starting at 5 pm. regardless of the weather.

[Frank v B]

I hope to be there earlier to do some personal flying but instruction will start at 5 pm.
Someone please talk to a higher power of your choice...light winds down the runway..either way.. no cross winds, no rain, no snow.  Not asking for too much. 
Please bring a sense of humour.

Frank

[Andy Hoffer]

"...light winds down the runway..either way.. no cross winds, no rain, no snow. "

Professor @Frank v B :
That will take all the fun out of it. And after all your sagely instruction your students are ready to take it to the next flight level!!

We want cross-winds! We want eddies!  We want mongo gusts!
✈️😇🤣😎

Andy

[Frank v B]

One of the best flying days.  Not super hot* and dry!
A good mix of students, trainers and members.
Royalty arrived about an hour later.  Vadim showed up for the first time.  Good to see him back.

Andy maidened his Tracker....it did not (neither track nor maiden).

Photo report
- 26: Andy showing off his new hair cut...and hair
- 31: Andy's plane has many "rescue" devices
- 33: count the number of rubber bands.  Andy is an engineer and relies on them on all his planes.
- 38: Andy after his short walk of shame.  He still managed a smile.
- 39: close-up of the missing nose.
- 50- Andy before his flight with his Staggerwing.
- 52: Philip taking a breather.
- 53: Omar and Paul
- 54: Mark and Andy in a lighter moment.
- 55: Mark enjoying a video.
- 58: Colin's sons after receiving a partially built model from an estate.
- 60: Marcus said that Grandfather George is starting to get the hang of flying.
- 46: out of order but Paul flew his large Pitts Special for the first time this year.


* I may have to eat my words in February.

[Andy Hoffer]

The Grumman Tracker maiden flight (total flight time = 3 seconds) provided an elegant answer to @octagon 's rhetorical post script question ("What could possibly go wrong?")!!
The tip stall/violent left spin stall/cartwheel on liftoff was identical to that described by the original builder in his excellent 2013 build thread on RCCanada.

Professor @Frank v B and disciples @marks and @Paul Gray were absolutely amazing in their immediate and compassionate assistance in the recovery of the copious amounts of balsa and plywood splinters from the grass runway left by the detonated front end of the aircraft. It is amazing how therapeutic the camaraderie can be.  And Frank, in a tremendous feat of cinematography, captured the entire celebration of life of the Tracker on video to prolong the enjoyment of the Maiden Moment!  I'll try to post that later for your entertainment!

I went in with eyes wide open, but of course hindsight only manifests after the fact!!  The Tracker crash has provided much food for thought and much learning on many levels.  I will give it a rest as I concentrate on my Pitts Special rebuild, and then I hope to tackle the Tracker again, if only because it is so unusual and funky.  I'm sure the builder, the late Douglas
Bartley of Owen Sound, is saying ,"l told you so!"  and is having a good laugh. And it's all in good fun, but I definitely want the last laugh on this one.  I have several improvements I want to make, but no.1 is to have a maiden flight that last more than 3 seconds!!

Thanks again guys.  You're the best, and a real blessing, worth far more than any plane.

Sincerely,
Andy

😎