Morningstar Introduction - big nuts and cold beer!
Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 7:23 pm
I too visited the Morningstar field yesterday where I met a whole bunch of really excellent people. Several beers warmed the friendship and at 16h00, I realised I had better get home to Flower of the North. Was great fun listening to stories of flight and ownership, touring and living the microlight lifestyle.
This morning, Morph kindly invited me to join him in the excellent little Bushbaby. We had about 45 minutes where he flew over and showed me the myriad of fields, landing strips and layout of the magnificent playground the pilots in this area enjoy. The landing was (as I was warned) going to be challenging, and I'm sure that had Morph not been concentrating so much, he would have been frightened by the wide-eyed monster seated next to him - thank heavens for RayBans!
While making a coffee, Clueless comes past in his trike and kindly invites me to join him for a short stint. The hairy cross-wind landings make him think twice, but admirably, the years of experience had us confidently taking off and climbing above, what I have come to totally dislike, being th massive Bluegums. Climbing to 1000, he showed me a few manuvours through weight shift and soon I was totally hooked on the feeling. He kindly (stupidly
) let me take the bar and I spent a few minutes doing turns, descending and ascending, all the while grinning like a schoolboy.
Some chap keen on microlight photography was parked a little close to the runway at one of the fields which prevented us doing the intended stop-and-go. Turning back towards Morningstar, we decide that, seeing as we're up, we'll go and see what it's like at the coast. Experiencing the effect of an easterly on Blouberg Hill, I was pleased once we cleared the effect and relaxed again to watch the enormous seals playing near the surfers off Big Bay. \
Fighting into the wind, we soon found a slot which has us flying into a 6mph hadwind and we were able to easily fly back towards Morningstar. Landing was a truly butt-clenching experience for a first-timer and despite my best efforts, the scream wouldn't make a sound past my lips!
Leaving after a coke, the sugar certainly helping restore balance to a petrified system, I left knowing that I'm gonna have to grow big nuts like these chaps. The skill and experience strongly contributed to convincing me that I should begin training and with whom.
Thanks to all I met and who made me feel so welcome. I feel that sometime soon, I too shall have a mug hanging above the bar.
Kind regards
Lawrence
This morning, Morph kindly invited me to join him in the excellent little Bushbaby. We had about 45 minutes where he flew over and showed me the myriad of fields, landing strips and layout of the magnificent playground the pilots in this area enjoy. The landing was (as I was warned) going to be challenging, and I'm sure that had Morph not been concentrating so much, he would have been frightened by the wide-eyed monster seated next to him - thank heavens for RayBans!
While making a coffee, Clueless comes past in his trike and kindly invites me to join him for a short stint. The hairy cross-wind landings make him think twice, but admirably, the years of experience had us confidently taking off and climbing above, what I have come to totally dislike, being th massive Bluegums. Climbing to 1000, he showed me a few manuvours through weight shift and soon I was totally hooked on the feeling. He kindly (stupidly
) let me take the bar and I spent a few minutes doing turns, descending and ascending, all the while grinning like a schoolboy. Some chap keen on microlight photography was parked a little close to the runway at one of the fields which prevented us doing the intended stop-and-go. Turning back towards Morningstar, we decide that, seeing as we're up, we'll go and see what it's like at the coast. Experiencing the effect of an easterly on Blouberg Hill, I was pleased once we cleared the effect and relaxed again to watch the enormous seals playing near the surfers off Big Bay. \
Fighting into the wind, we soon found a slot which has us flying into a 6mph hadwind and we were able to easily fly back towards Morningstar. Landing was a truly butt-clenching experience for a first-timer and despite my best efforts, the scream wouldn't make a sound past my lips!
Leaving after a coke, the sugar certainly helping restore balance to a petrified system, I left knowing that I'm gonna have to grow big nuts like these chaps. The skill and experience strongly contributed to convincing me that I should begin training and with whom.
Thanks to all I met and who made me feel so welcome. I feel that sometime soon, I too shall have a mug hanging above the bar.
Kind regards
Lawrence
However the nuts do still have that off tendency to suddenly retract along with a puckering sensation in the seat of the pants which gives you a wakker klap and heightens the senses. All neccessary to keep you around a bit longer. 