Dragonphotographic

Classic BC on this subject. Once you've watched this, look for part 1

Is it the same film crew as the UK Tip to Tip?

I am sure that between us we could come up with an independant 'Test Centre' One of the tasks could be agreeing on a method of measuring outright thrust for any and all motors so we can start to dispel some of the BS from the manufacturers. The same goes for wings It doesn't have to be hi-tech, just consistent and trustworthy

a) is actually quite simple. HABs are quite unpredictable. They are at the mercy of the wind/weather Gods. Almost more than we are. Get too close at your peril! (They cause their own wake because of sheer size and therefore need to be treated as a mobile hazard) I have planned a few things with HAB pilots for a couple of specific projects in the past. Also, if they need to ascend or descend in a hurry, they can effectively create their own thermal/sink by venting/burning. You DO NOT want to be directly over or under when that happens! Stay a respectable distance and the pilot will love you because it gives his/her passengers something out of the ordinary to photograph and show their friends later. (My opinion only. Check with your local HAB pilot) As for b) As I understand it, the ANO says you must not fly in formation unless all relevant pilots agree. Meaning you should all have confidence in the ability of the other pilots to not ferk it up. As I said, that is as I understand it. Anyone with greater knowledge/experience please feel free to expand

They're even planning a crop dusting version just for Dave

Looks like they're way ahead on planning this http://www.fanwing.com/sim.htm

Nice find Pete. I wonder how big the wing would have to be to support an AUW of say 195KG including trike, motor pilot etc? Would also be nice if it had some sort of auto rotate ability in case of power failure

He he, just remember to switch it off when visiting the Bookies/Pub/Girlfriend

I think these guys are on to something.

I suppose my answer is a little bit of all the above. Adventure? certainly. Challenge? yes that too I have always wanted to take aerial photos, but it has always been cost prohibitive. Someone I know had to hire a helicopter for some shots during the making of a commercial. By the time the ad went out, the two seconds of aerial that were shown cost £8000 per second! Even a 1/5 share of something like a 25 year old Cessna could run in excess of £10K per year with oncosts etc. Then there would be the 'negotiating' with the rest of the syndicate when I wanted to fly the damn thing! That aside, once I am flying the planning and adventure side will kick in. I've already mentioned my dreams of photographing Polar Bears and Icebergs, and exploring the Namib Desert huh? Anyone else up for that?

15bn is nowhere near enough for the Olympics, that's not even enough for the executives of the companies who are lining their own pockets at our expense, just like they did with the Millenium Dome. Interestingly enough, a look in the register of members interests at the House of Commons shows how many MP's are these very executives. As for the particle accelerator, what better way of throwing a curved ball and diverting attention away from the above? Corrupt scumbags in Africa? That'll be Shell, DeBeers and BP then. Without them, the politicians in those countries who are content with the lot of their starving peoples would have no power base Cynical? Moi?

You thinking of going for trikes Francis?

Pete, are you talking about the REAL westcountry? I.E Devon & Cornwall, Parts of Somerset. Or the Midlands? (Bristol/BBC/Government version)?

The Genie (L) ground handles very nicely. I've also done a few 'bunny hops' with it. With and without motor. Farmer Dave has done about 40 flying hours on the same wing. £900 seems a bit much, especially if you look at what else is around now that used MCJ 'true reflex' wings are now hitting the market

I've got permission from a local farmer for members to use some of his fields. The site is off the A382 (Near Trago Mills) and from here either the coast or the south of Dartmoor is easily reachable. Anyone wishing to use these fields, please ring me first so I can let the farmer know

Pete, I've spoken to Chris a couple of times and will arrange something for him if it's flyable. He's planning his visit on the weekend of the T2T reunion fly-in, so anyone who is not going to that and fancies a trip to Devon, let me know.

Current Ebay rules state you have to say you accept Paypal, wether you do or not. Most legit sellers add about 20% to their postage charge to cover the outragious Paypal fees.

He he yeah. When I saw them on the trailer they were a bit soggy and looking sorry for themselves. They have now dried out nicely

No problem. I only grabbed them because they had been left on the trailer. They are now in a jiffy bag and on the way to you 1st class recorded

Yes, I can confirm the mascots are temporarily in the care of my daughters until the fly-in or whatever is decided for them. Also, has anyone seen my waterproof leggings? They are blue in colour. I thought they were in the back of the surf, but apparently not. Thanks for looking Pete

When we were at Mere, Gilo was flying a machine with what looked like a cheap fibreglas/plastic prop? Was that the case? and if so, if those props are good enough, why the necessity for expensive carbon fibre ones? It was quite funny when I mentioned to Norman that Gilo wasn't wearing a helmet, and Norman replied, "That's OK, last time he wasn't wearing any shoes either!"

If it's fully funded by the tourist office and if I'm not flying by then I'd be up for GST

I claim the mast bag, especially if it has a bodged repair at one end

I've just got home and am in the process of sorting the still images I took during the event. If you REALLY can't wait for the DVD, images will be on my website in the next day or two which will clearly show the conditions the pilots were flying in. to a man, each of the pilots expressed differences about the way the wings performed compared to their own wings, but equally, ALL were impressed when the going got heavy. Find an instructor who uses the wing you are interested in, go and play with it. Even if it costs you 50 quid for half a day, that's better than paying 2 grand and wondering if it was the right wing for you

He he. Tip to Tip is all about the pilots and the charities. Ground crew don't have time to post blogs!