Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Big 50

Saturday August 18, 2012....I hit the Big Fifty (flights not years). Thanks Mike Five 0 for the launch assist. I'm sure that was the best launch I've made yet. It felt good to be back home and in the air after such a dismal vacation, 3 typhoons in a 2 week period!!!

I guess it was fitting that my 50th flight was at Makapuu since my first flight was from there as well. The air seemed a little funkier that day and while I was getting rocked above Sea Life Park, I remembered the words "It is better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air, than in the air wishing you were on the ground". Soon after that some one mentioned the air at the LZ was getting a little brisk, and at that point I decided it was time to land, so after about a one hour flight I set up my approach and made my first un-assisted landing. I made the traditional approach from the pier side in. It wasn't my best landing, but I landed on my feet and it was all mine. Since I was down early it gave me the opportunity watch the other pilots, most of whom took a different line in. I like when you guys start flapping the wing to try and get it to go parachutal without out a full stall (thats what it looks like to me). I believe I wait until I have more experience before I try anything like that.

Thanks for the massive amounts of kokua all of you have given. No way I could have made The Big Fifty without you!!! Aloha...BigMike

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Good stuff. 50 down 500 to go.

Dave