This was the moment for me. For three years I have been working to get a decent flight out of one of these stick and tissue wonders. As you all know it’s not easy at first. I say at first because after flying Rc successfully for years I found something really challenging in flight. Free Flight. I thought to myself, “how hard could this be after scratch building and flying things that should fly well in RC?” I have flown everything from the X-1 to the SR-71. You may also know it as the Sled. 😉
I thought again, “I already know how to build and fly well. Winding up and getting a free flight plane to fly should be the easy part”. I laugh at myself now thinking back on that. Just getting the CG right and the declege is clearly not enough. It takes a lot of knowledge, but moreover and sense, a finesse , a feel for these planes that verge on a magic touch.
I’ve seen some struggle and never achieved much more than a brief hop through the sky. And I have seen others launch a plane that stops the field in silence as everyone there watches in awe a magical moment. And when this moment one day happens to you? You are forever captured in that moment as you pursue undaunted more such moments.
It happens with RC too. But with a plane you can control and all the electronic aids to assist you it just does have that same magic. And one can never know this until they try free flight themselves.
This picture I took myself with my phone. I had just launched George Bredehofts Square Eagle P-30. As I watched mesmerized I suddenly realized for the first time I could grab my camera and take pictures! For the first time it was really flying long enough as it circled the Grassy Knoll to do so.
And as I watched it land perfectly on it’s belly I thought to myself, “I’m starting to get this”.
I get asked often, “Why Free Flight when you have radio control?” I think I just answered that question. Build, dream, and fly. There’s nothing like it.
The Art of Steve Neill 