We were way out in the country for the last 4 days and when we did get back to our motel, I was too tired to even start the computer to post anything. We left the house really early Friday morning for Arkansas. Arrived in Fort Smith after 12 hours from leaving home and put 700 miles on the truck. Checked into our motel and headed towards the flying field. There were a lot more people this year and it was great to see old friends and make new ones. It was really windy when we arrived so all we did was watch some people do ground handling of their wings. Flew the next morning at 6.50 am and got 1 hr 5 mins of flying time. Winds were at 5mph but steady. After landing, was planning to refuel when it was discovered that the teeth to the motor start was broken. No tension or catch so can’t start the motor. So I did not fly that day. Hubby spent most of the day repairing it and we realized that it was not broken but stuck – but then the string that was coiled in the spool was not tight after the initial fix so we temporarily fixed this so that I can fly when the weather cooperate and will have to do a thorough job when we get back. He also discovered 1 of the engine mounts deteriorated really bad and needs fixing before I can fly again so he got that taken care of as well. We met a really nice couple and he actually sold us a similar engine mount. They also invited us to visit and stay with them if we go to Colorado in July. We did not get to fly anymore today and in the evening, there were 2 ultralights that were not supposed to be there and when told that, they took off from a different launch site and came back to our area to make a big nuisance of themselves by making sure they messed up the air and even flew a few feet above spectators on the ground. They did this with impunity and that is not allowed in FAA rules! Talking about mean people! I hope someone took a video of their trespass as proof of their mean-ness and that they get a taste of their own medicine sometime down the road!
Sunday morning’s flying was great and we got as much air time as we can. Came down to refuel and flew till almost 10am. I marked my 100th flight by flying over the Arkansas River. I flew really high to make sure I can get over and back! However, on my way back, I was caught in really strong winds and I wasn’t moving very far and the sun was already up for some time and thermals were starting to develop and the air got bumpier by the minute. I crawled back over the river finally (thank goodness) as I was also worried about being low on gas. Got some free training and very good pointers on bringing the wing up on reverse. Also got a free starbucks coffee from a friend. There was no Starbucks store anywhere near where we were so I was totally gleeful when she got me one. We decided to drive back on Sunday instead of Monday to break the driving time up and cover some ground home. Good call as we got back Monday night at around 7 to prepare for Tuesday workweek.
