So far, each day at Minden has brought something new. Today’s novelty:
Well, those clouds weren’t quite so big when we got started. Continue reading
So far, each day at Minden has brought something new. Today’s novelty:
Well, those clouds weren’t quite so big when we got started. Continue reading
Today’s contest gave me what was probably the most amazing flight I have ever experienced in any airplane. We flew right over the Sierras. Continue reading
Here is an 8x sped-up YouTube video of us flying over the White Mountains near Bishop, CA. If you freeze frames, you might be able to see YO flying alongside us…
While we were flying, Mike remarked about what a privilege it was to have the experience of flying over such amazing scenery. No doubt—I don’t think I’ll ever forget it!
Today was the first contest day of the 2012 US Open Class Nationals!
Today was the last practice day before official racing begins. The weather was good enough to go places:
(That’s Mono Lake. And my finger.) Continue reading
Yesterday’s strong winds have been replaced with middling conditions—perhaps more reminiscent of Pennsylvania than the west coast. Still, it’s an official practice day, the first of two, and much of the field takes to the air. Before that, Mike spends most of the morning putting an oxygen system in JOY and finishing the installation of new LiFePO4 batteries in the nose. These batteries have slightly higher capacity than the lead acid batteries they replaced, but nearly half the weight.
With these chores mostly done, Mike completes some exciting registration paperwork. The envelope at his left hand contains two complimentary passes to a local hot springs spa, a perquisite of contest participation.
It gets more interesting than batteries and paperwork… Continue reading