Alltrikes

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Hey Tussock, this is actually my FAVORITE topic !!  ;)   What is Pando?  Here in the US a "torch" is something we weld with--  a flashlight to us ;)    Yes, I learned the hard way once (fortunately no wreckage / flip over, my buddies rushed over to help out), but Ropes with knots are a crappy way to tie down quickly/securely in heavy weather.  Strong straps are key--  I wouldn't have known that without experience, so wanted to share it.

So what did all you MegaFauna people bring.  What would you leave home, what would you add next time?

Howdy XCT - great to have the prompt about the tie-downs. I've done a number of multi-day flying/camping trips that involve landing in paddocks or agricultural strips that may be several days walk to the nearest road or house, and preparation is something I think about a lot but never feel I've got sorted! A tyre pando is one of those pressurised canisters of sealing foam that stop holes and inflate tyres. I figure that a flat tyre and a damaged prop are the two things most likely to prevent me from flying home, though the comments above make me think I should add a few castle nuts and safety pins to the kit....

I have an inflatable mattress, petrol stove and a tiny, coffin-like tent that I take on these trips.  The trike has a seventy litre tank  - not sure how that equates to gallons, sorry - and if I throw a 20 litre jerrycan in the back seat I've got around 8 hours of flying, which gets you a fair way here in NZ. 

My navigation has been solely by knowing my way around, but I've reluctantly (I'm the world's only electrical engineer who dislikes electronics on yachts and trikes) got an android with an aviation nav app.  If you've got any hints on what I can do to make it visible in sunlight I'd love to know!

Never go for water you will almost always flip or twist on impact and the sail usually wraps around you with the wing tubes and cable bending around you and trapping you and you will drown.  Forget about the cost of your aircraft and think about your well being.  Always go for the trees and ALWAYS go in a bit hard to stay stuck there.  A few have tried to land soft on top of trees and then they have rolled over and dropped dozens of feet and some suffered severe injuries, to death.  Get your self wedged in and it is best to wait for help to arrive before unstrapping yourself.  I have witnessed two tree landings.  One I assisted by climbing the tree to help extract the pilot safely.

The other time the pilot did not want to wait until help and ropes arrived and let himself out of the seat belt and tried to get to the trunk but fell and broke many bones on impact.  He could have snapped his neck on the way down on a branch or when he hit the ground and would have been dead.  If over water and you can land on the beach or shore, do that otherwise do not go into the water, go into a tree and do it firmly so you wedge in there.  I have written extensively on this subject on the Trike Social list on another web site.  Go and research the articles you will learn a lot but do not go into the water.  You will not float down like a parachute by pushing out the bar, if you think that then you clearly do not understand trike flying and need to go back to lesson school if you are already flying.

Two died in Seoul Korea when I was there when they dunked it going fast in a Quik-R. Mangled it. One was a kid...and the authorities shut down the flying.

Well as a glide head I would always have chosen a group of trees.as a trikehead in a slow big wing I would opt I think for the trees.but in a fast heavy trike I might opt for the shallows and try to hold flare at min vne.a hangie friend of mine hung up on a poderosa on a Hugh pinicale he was fine untill rescue team dropped him fifty feet.broke almost every bone in his body but lived to fly again.Jimmy pica if your out their somewhere you were awesome dude.

This should be a joke of a day, isnt it?

Yeah, the question was worded weird-  but basically it's supposed to get you to think about personal minimums for example although your trike is rated up to 15Kt cross wind component, you may say that anytime the X-wind component is greater than 10Kt, I will not fly.  Also, asking you to think about the global picture.  If everything is moderately crappy- near your minimums, then it's probably not a good day to fly.  If you set these limits before hand when you're at home thinking about it, not in the heat of the moment itching to take-off with your friends, then you're less likely to get caught outside your limits.  I think that's the point.

The question is funny though!  "What's the absolute worst conditions I can fly in?  A tornado?  Hm, let me think about that ...

Hey @Peter D.

With tethering from your cell phone available, that makes sense not to get the cellular equipped iPad-  avoid one more monthly cell charge.

On another note, let's get some scales--  truthfully, all we need is one and two equal sized blocks of wood.  Or we can get three, your choice

I say get three, weigh all our trikes then sell on ebay if no one wants them.

Three is fine, but we should keep them because we have to re-weigh the trikes occasionally-  ie after adding new dash instruments, etc.    I've weighed most of the individual components with a postal scale as I installed/removed them or put them in the trike (ie XC equipment), but I'd like a global measurement