Snow Flying...

Ededge2002 · February 19, 2014, 03:17:30 PM

Great photos. Here its the subject not the quality.Glad someone got out and enjoyed the sunshine today! You take a damn fine selfie Bill with that smile

Andy Hoffer · February 19, 2014, 06:10:46 PM

Hey Bill. Way to show 'em how it's done! Thanks for re-opening the trail from the highway. I'll bet it packed down nicely!!

Looking forward to getting out there on the weekend!!

Andy

Andy Hoffer · February 19, 2014, 06:13:07 PM

Quote from: piker on February 19, 2014, 12:00:33 PM
O.K., O.K. Here ya go Andy!

First picture showing the required equipment for snow flying... a float equipped plane and a bottle of the bubbly

Next, proof that I actually flew.

Next, Snowballs in all his glory

Finally, some guy in disguise.

Thanks for the great pix Rob. You sure hang out with some strange people though. You should be more cautious!!

Snowballs

sihinch · February 19, 2014, 09:34:19 PM

Bill

Wonderful pics. I'm very envious here in Richmond where the temp is only 20 degrees C!!

One question - why are the snow tracks in from the road not in a straight line?!

Ededge2002 · February 19, 2014, 09:50:01 PM

Quote from: sihinch on February 19, 2014, 09:34:19 PM
Bill

One question - why are the snow tracks in from the road not in a straight line?!

That's why it took him so long to walk in there!

Andy Hoffer · February 19, 2014, 10:57:57 PM

Quote from: sihinch on February 19, 2014, 09:34:19 PM
Bill

Wonderful pics. I'm very envious here in Richmond where the temp is only 20 degrees C!!

One question - why are the snow tracks in from the road not in a straight line?!

The fluid dynamics of the Piaggio can take a toll on the vestibular system.

http://temac.ca/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4443.0;attach=8849;image

Wingnutz · February 20, 2014, 09:15:19 AM

I am very hurt by the insinuation that my consumption of Canadian content (thanks Simon, Ed, Andy!) might have compromised my navigation...and to blame it all on the poor innocent Piaggio? It's all a result of my unstable landing gear(leg) not the gyro system!
Andy, just for your info, once again the floats performed flawlessly. Not once did they dig in to the snow, flip around backwards, hang vertically, tips up or tips down, get caught in someone's footprint ( okay, so this time there were no footprints!)...

Andy Hoffer · February 20, 2014, 12:57:23 PM

It will be interesting to see the relative performance when the snow gets totaly saturated and freezes rock hard this weekend. What is the survival rate of foam floats against ice?

I must say it was a lot of fun in the heavy crosswinds on Monday. The skis behaved beautifully!

Andy

Ededge2002 · February 20, 2014, 04:55:05 PM

Oh so now the battle has changed to "floats or skis what's best". I think as usual I will pick C belly landing works great and is a performance gain in every category besides taxiing and touch and goes!

flying IT · February 20, 2014, 11:52:10 PM

nice pics bill

yes it was a gorgeous day for flying to bad i just got there just as you were leaving and I had to get back to work, I made it back just on time, I had booked off until 1 PM.

Andy Hoffer · February 21, 2014, 01:01:30 PM

Quote from: Ededge2002 on February 20, 2014, 04:55:05 PM
Oh so now the battle has changed to "floats or skis what's best". I think as usual I will pick C belly landing works great and is a performance gain in every category besides taxiing and touch and goes!

Hey, if you prefer to fly on your belly that's fine with me. (Penguins do that all the time!) As long as you come out to the field and enjoy the fun!

Andy

Wingnutz · February 21, 2014, 03:42:29 PM

Quote from: Ededge2002 on February 20, 2014, 04:55:05 PM
Oh so now the battle has changed to "floats or skis what's best". I think as usual I will pick C belly landing works great and is a performance gain in every category besides taxiing and touch and goes!

Sheesh Ed! Isn't a belly landing on snow pretty cold on the tummy? I nearly did several belly landings on my trek in last time!
Slightly more seriously, the two models I flew last time Andy and I were there (Polari) were both belly landers which can taxi, take-off, land on their bellies ...until the models were turned crosswind and those NWers (Snowballs' ' delight

) flipped the models upside down...one (only) for skis...

Andy Hoffer · February 22, 2014, 09:25:28 PM

OK Ed. Now's your chance!
Sun. Afternoon Feb 23
Cloudy periods
-3°C (wind chill -9)
P.O.P: 20%
Wind W 20 km/h
Wind gust 33 km/h

Positively balmy!

Hope to see you there!!

Snowballs Hoffer

Ededge2002 · February 22, 2014, 10:06:10 PM

I flew today Andy. Forwards and even at times backwards in the gusting high winds with a sub 10oz plane. I said to myself "what am I doing" right before I launched the plane but had some laughs at the performance of 80W in those conditions. I figure I was at about 1/2 throttle on one of my landings with 1" wheels on the ice!

Andy Hoffer · February 22, 2014, 11:58:45 PM

Fantastic! I spent the afternoon in Buttonville Tower getting a master class in air traffic control. I knew it would be a really slow day because of the winds, so the controllers had lots of time to chat. Winds were west at 15 gusting 25 knots all afternoon, so you did really well to fly in that. How were your crosswind landings on the ice?!! What were the surface conditions like?

Andy