28th June 2009
Ullswater splash in!
Only last weekend I managed to start a week’s holiday in the Lake District to coincide nicely with Martin Black’s favourite clubs weekend flying from Ullswater. I arrived with my niece, jenny, on the second day which turned out to be the better of the two. The Saturday had been a bit overcast and breezy I believe.
After a lot of pre-flight checks and some good advice from some of the members who are fortunate enough to have better access to water than us I managed two fairly sensible flights though I managed to fly the tank dry both times. Two dead-stick landings and both made it back to the shore without the aid of a recovery boat that Alistair was itching to use. The first was collected for me by a gentleman suitably clad in waders but the last landing was the most impressive. The engine cut with the model heading away from me well out over the lake. The turning response of the high wing trainer with floats on is e-v-e-r so s-l-o-w so when it was finally pointing towards me I just let it keep coming. I made a lovely touch down about twenty feet from the shore and the model skimmed across the surface and about ten feet up the shore to stop within six inches of my foot. Of course I pretended that I had meant to do exactly that.
It was nice flying from a camp site especially at lunch time when steak sandwiches and pop were available to buy.
Thank you to the Windermere Club for letting me join in and for all the helpful advice. I hope that I will be able to do it again sometime.
Photographs are by myself and John Woodhouse.
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My Model taking off.
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The advice!
A pass from right to left - the way we had to go round .
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A more controlled taxi back than my landings!
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