Yesterday's weather was a remnant of summer; a hot day extending into a hot evening. Things, however, were to change, with the northerly bringing the annoying desert flies to be replaced by a cooling breeze off the southern ocean. Such events are portended by wild and unstable weather, as confirmed by forecasts of winds followed by rain. As such the plan was simple - get into the air as early as possible, wind permitting.
The morning turned out quite promising; a steady northerly was still blowing although now cooler. Unsure about flying the Phoenix 1600 in these unsettled conditions while still in its underpowered state, I opted for unpacking the Radjet. Having blasted the little jet around the field until the battery faded I glided in into the breeze for landing. It's flying a neutrally and stably as ever, exemplified by it's steady approach evening in the breezy conditions.
Determined not to risk damaging the Phoenix, I was nevertheless deeply tempted to try it out in these conditions; the breeze was still there, but steady and not too fast... Throwing caution to the wind I hauled out the big glider and lobbed it up on full power and left the throttle there for the duration, just to be on the safe side.
The flight was most entertaining, the Phoenix showing off it's exemplary flight characteristics and agility. It's also surprisingly fast - I am so anticipating the new motor, expected tomorrow or the next day at the latest!
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