Radian

 

My buddy George Morris told me to get a Radian to reorient myself to soaring.

I don’t want to do it that way, I bought a HLG I used to fly. I’ll do it that way. I bought one but I still have to build it.

My friend John Armstrong told me to get a Radian and even gave me one to use! I took it home, it was rough, beat up but I didn’t fly it.

I gave it back.

I don’t want to fly a Radian.

I’m building a Yellow Jacket, a nice F3L competition glider, I’m not flying a Radian.

John asked me, “You want to fly this Saturday at the Fun Fly?”

“Hell yeah!”

Saturday comes, I’m watching, studying the field weather in the West wind. I study when I can’t fly. John calls me over. He has a nice woody V tail, a TigRES by Jonathan Garber which he is flying today. 

Anyway.

I walked out and grabbed the Hi Start, John launched, set the angle and up and off. Trim, hands the radio to me. I lose the trim quick and dive, hand the radio over, fly, land.

He adjusts the servo speed, slows things down.

Hi start again.

A few seconds of flight.

Hand back the radio.

I’m not making excuses. It’s been 25 years for me. His gentle flying sailplane is twitchy to me. I’m doing ok but not really surviving.

I can see him thinking…

John goes, “Hey Ken, where is that Radian?”

“It’s in the shed, better get it I’m throwing it out.”

John grabs the fuse and wings, starts digging in his truck for batteries, a receiver, puts the wing together and adjusts the servo throw and centering. Pushes it into the wind and climbs out, hands me the radio…

“Got it?”

Yep, 

I flew twice for a total of about 15 mins vs less than a minute in a handful of flights with the Tigres.

Classic.

That’s the story, I’m sticking to it.

I actually climbed out a few times under power, made S turns upwind and circling, climbing in lift, climb out under power again.

Repeat.

Looks like that effed up Radian is getting me back.

I WILL fly the Radian.

I pulled the wings apart and stuck it in the back of the Forester. I’ll fly the Radian then transition to the YJ and at that time, give it back to Ken.

Ok ok, I get it.