I flew a new trick today

Kee88 and I were waiting for epoxy to set on our respective models, sitting under the maple tree and realized, dang, it's not raining. I said, "Ya wanna fly a plane?" He lit up and said yeah! So we grabbed a Baby Streak and a sack of fuel and gear and walked over to the church. I was a little nervous because it's been since early June since I had a handle in my hand. I'm always a bit edgy before I fly anyway. But no problem except for shin high weeds in the grass.

Fueled her up and launched into my usual routine of loops, 8s, and ugly pullouts from wingovers. I've been flying V8s in my head for some time now and decided it was time. I've read the big guys say the top loop should be straight overhead. When I came around to the leeward side of the circle I did an inside loop and kept going back to the top and pulled down elevator and she went right around. Still high enough for another inside loop so I ran through the whole thing again. Nice. I don't think I went straight overhead, but as tight as the Streak turns i had plenty of air, so I completed a double vertical 8. I continued with my usual routine, including clipping some oak leaves. Those trees are getting too big, these were 35' lines. I came in for a landing and when it hit the tall grass it was really ugly. I should have stalled it, but silly me, I was trying to grease it when I knew it was impossible.

After I landed I asked Kee if I had really done it, and he confirmed I actually had done vertical 8s. I had to be sure. Anyone who flies 1/2A knows it all happens so fast it can be hard to remember exactly what happened.

So it was his turn now. I put a 6" rubber ducky on backwards and a marble sized bubble of fuel in it. We've been sadly unsuccessful at hand launching, so I put it on the sidewalk. He gave the sign and I let go and off he went. Climbed for the first quarter and suddenly went slack, flew back over the top with no control and plowed in. The tail was broken, not off, but temporarily un-flyable, so we came home talking about it. Maybe when he got higher than the church, wind lifted the wing. Strangely, the leadout hardware was tangled. Maybe the grass caused the tangle and he didn't have a chance of controlling it. Or maybe the tail was cracked on my landing. Who knows.

But at least we got a long enough gap in the rain for some air time. So, that's my flight report. This weekend is me and Holley's 29th anniversary, so I doubt if there's any flying before next week. However the forecast is for the rain to clear by next Thursday, so things are looking up.
And that's all I have to say about that!
Rusty