Ultralight Dreamcathcers - Trike flight around Lake Havasu, Az

[hippybackpacker]

I noticed you are flying a single surface wing in the middle of the day, How good are they at handling turbulence? how do they handle slow flight? how slow can you go? Would you say it is a good short field take off and landing wing? I fly a Streak wing and was thinking of getting a Single Surface wing.

[APrintezis]

@hippybackpacker .. "single surface wing mid-day": yes to that, but to be more accurate that is about 35% double surface with an exposed cross-bar. "handling turbulence": these trikes and winds are pretty good at that, of course it depends on how comfortable you feel being bounced around, i don't mind, other people only fly early in the morning when the air is still (you can fly basically hands free like that).

[APrintezis]

@hippybackpacker .. "how slow": this is a 15m NorthWing that stalls at around 30-35 mph. The slowest you can try to go is 36 mph. It normally wants to fly at around 45 to 50 mph.

"good short field take off and landing wing": that depends, if you want to take off really fast and land really slow you need a bigger wing, a 19m for example. This is a 15m that needs more speed, and thus more space to take off but it can fly faster than a 19m. That's the trade off. I personally like the 15m more.

[APrintezis]

@hippybackpacker .. "getting a Single Surface wing" what most people like about strutted (i.e. topless) single surface winds is their simplicity to set up, lower weight, and ease of control and flight. they handle the thermals fairly well and fly fairly slow and fairly fast. If you want to go faster you need a double surface wing but that may be harder to land and easier to stall (for some). it is a matter of experience and personal preference. : )

[Berkner80]

Was this flight to certify you for your Sports License? Are you already soloing? I wish I was, there are so many places I would love to fly at. One thing I like about my Sabre, I can just put in the back of my truck and haul it anywhere. Was thinking of selling it but after my flying lesson in Florida I got the flying bug again. I think this is something I would have fun doing for a long time.

[APrintezis]

@Berkner80 this video was not recorded -during- my check ride, as there are too many maneuvers to do, at the right altitude, speed, ground reference, s-turns, stalls, etc. etc. to be messing around with a camera at the same time. but it was the last 2-hour before my check-ride.

[Berkner80]

Nice flight video. Is that song by the guy from American Idol? It sounds like him.

I took lesson from Reb last year. I really like that airstrip out in the California desert for practicing landings .I love flying out there but is a little far from Dallas. Not quite ready to do my solo but maybe soon. I have a Sabre Trike with Kawasaki 340. I have only seen Reb with the one Trike. Are all those in the hanger his too? Have fun flying.

[APrintezis]

@Berkner80 I don't know about American Idol, but the song is "live like we're dying" by Kris Allen. I like that strip too :) I went there to finish my training, i had 5 hours of flying in two days - it was excellent. Lake Havasu city is kinda far from Dallas. I am only 3.5 hours away. The Sabre trike is good, you must have a bigger wing to fly it with a 340 though. Reb's trike is the reb Navajo NorthWing, the rest were friends' trikes. We has a two hour flight with two of them during sunset :)

[Berkner80]

@APrintezis Yeah, I thought that was Kris. He won American Idol last year. I really like his style of playing.

I bought my Trike from a friend of Reb's, Dave Doidge and I think Reb has actually flown my Sabre. I hope to get mine flying solo real soon.

[APrintezis]

@Berkner80 how much did you get it for? how many hours on the trike and motor and what wing are you using? : )

[Berkner80]

@APrintezisI paid $6800, It may be a little much for the type of engine I have but it was the knid of trike I wanted and I knew they didn't make this type anymore and I also thought it look really nice. Compare to what I have seen for sale out there, I think I did pretty good. Who know maybe someday I will get a bigger engine. As far as how many hours, he told me but I can't remember but I don't think is was many. I have a 16 meter single surface wing.

[APrintezis]

@Berkner80 i think the price is right, or maybe a deal .. even the single seat trikes are around $9k on barnstormers, especially the clean ones, and that motor you have has a TBO of 900 hours i think .. so basically, it will last you for ever : )