Bird of Time

Today it is only a sports glider, but what a machine to go sports flying with! The wing area is just over 1,000 sq inches, which gives the BOT a wing-loading of about 5 1/2 oz per sq foot, and so it really shows class in minimal lift conditions.

At the time of writing this I have taken the BOT out on three flying sessions. On the first outing, when the pictures were taken, after an aerotow to about 500 feet behind Jeff (The Combat King) Coombes's 46 powered Ugly Stick, I managed to fly for 45 minutes.

On the second I went to an informal competition for thermal gliders and after four rounds came second. On the third occassion I was again aerotowed by Jeff, but at about 350 feet he started to loose control of his Stick's elevator. I was able to release the tow-line, and continued flying for about thirty minutes. Jeff, however, was not so lucky. He managed to nurse his Ugly Stick down to about thirty feet, but at this point he completely lost the elevator, and crashed into the side of a large oak tree, falling out and into some long grass. The damage consisted of the usual tree inflicted breaks to the leading edge of the wing, and the undercarriage was ripped off and fell into the stream. We fished that out from about 50 meters downstream a little later. I feel sure that Jeff will repair the wing.

So after all that success and excitment I am rather warming to the BOT, and am looking forward to many more flights from bungee and aerotow.

The BOT viewed through a 600mm lense	Flying with the buzzards

January, 2008, at Butser Hill soaring the west facing ridge

The late afternoon light	Sailing past serenely