Head South

[Wolfiesden]

Well, as some of yall know I headed south this Easter weekend. I had a chance to stop off at the wind farm in Indianna on the way down. Wind was a bit brisk but enough for a couple batteries of Phantom time from the Wolcot rest stop. I don't have photoshop on my laptop (stupid me forgot to install it or Lightroom). As such these are unprocessed jpegs off the bird. Will fix them up when I get home in a few weeks...unless I get LR unstalled while down here. No internet here. Funneling everything through my cellphone via FoxFi so uploads are slow and so are downloads. Also means I don't have Premiere to edit the video either

Here is the rest area from out aways...

Everything is still brown and winter dead looking.

Here is one of the windmils.



Those things almost look like toys eh?

Snuck upwind behind one. The wind was pretty brisk, likely 20-25mph out in the field thankfully it was an upwind hike from the rest stop to the closest windmills meaning downwind run back home. Here is one from the back. Wonder what that stuff up on top of the cowling is.


After a sleepover at a LaQuinta in Bowling Green KY, we headed out this morning. We ran into rain north of the Alabama border in southern Tennessee. I was not expecting to get airborn at the rest area on I65 just across the Alabama line. But maybe 5-10 min out we drove out of the weather and it was only a light mist which tapered off to near nothing by the time we got to the rest stop. So I had the chance to buzz a missle No, not a working one! This one has been here for a long time. You used to be able to walk under it to see the motors. I am guessing due to deterioration and valdalism, its not fenced off.


It took me a while to figure out what the markings on the side of the LES here are...

Then it hit me! Those are lighting strikes on the rocket which their lighting ground rods are not handling! Thats where the lighting has popped the paint off the LES.



It is sad they have let this piece of history deteriorate so.



I flew once tonight after I got to the house. But its darn dark right now. And I guess I got used to the lights of Milwaukee. Night flights around here are going to be, well, not as easy as they were in Milwaukee.

Well, thats about it to report right now. I am home. Relaxing under a liveoak tree in the back yard. Gentile breeze blowing lovely salt air off the Gulf of Mexico. Crickets chirping and frogs croaking. No traffic. No trains. Ahhh. Its good to be back in the south again.

 

[Wolfiesden]

Turned out a nice day for flying today. Earlier it was fairly overcast but later it cleared out and ws bright and warm.

 

[Wolfiesden]

There is a personal story around this water tower. For now, I will just leave yall with a photo..


And this morning began the reason for this trip..


They finally got the old shingles off..


Its now almost 4pm. Head hurts listening to the pounding since 7am. Sigh. Hopefully its almost over.

Took a break and went down to the dock with Maryann and the girls. Took the Phantom and faced down a stiff breeze. It was an on-shore breeze so I drove out across the bay first and worked my way back with a tailwind.


Ran across some guys out fishin on the way back..


Here is the beach I swam at as a kid...


Maryann laxin on the dock.


Couldn't keep the girls out of the water even as cool as the water still is, its warmer than Milwaukee!

 

[Air Ontario]

Boy, that makes me homesick for the Coast. Destin or Fort Walton?

 

[Wolfiesden]

Fort Walton But I can see Destin out the back door across choctaw bay. Grew up here. Will retire back here eventually.

 

[Air Ontario]

Fort Walton But I can see Destin out the back door across choctaw bay. Grew up here. Will retire back here eventually.

I figured I was close. Love the Area from Gulf Shores Eastward.
Spent a many hour off Santa Rosa Island, at the Cross surfing while in HS and College.

Seems there's always an "Island Atmosphere" along that Coast.

You just missed all the drone activity out of Eglin. "Combat Hammer" I believe. May be a good thing if you plan on flying yours there, lol.

 

[Wolfiesden]

I don't plan to fly anywhere near Eglin. I relish my freedom. There are too many other places to fly than near an AFB. I would have liked to do some flyovers at the air museum but its way too close to the air strips and gate to risk it just for some photos. Looking at heading out to crab island and the beaches, probably next week depending on weather. Expecting rain next couple days.

I am here with no wired internet. Everything it going through my cell (wifi hotspot). As such it takes forever to upload anything. Worse since I don't have any video/photo editing software with me (stupid move I know).

So, after almost 5 hours of uploading to youtube, here is the story on the water tower...


I let the girls scooter up to the Goofy Golf. I follwed up another way by truck and was going to shoot them playing. Well, we got there and it was closed. On the way I saw an accident so I figured I would buzz down and shoot some video. Did that while the girls laxed on the bed of the truck beside me.

Then I decided to go fly around the tower and get some shots of it for b-roll stuff. So I headed over, shot some stills around it and then decided to do an orbit around it. I started setting it up when GD10 screamed inches from my ear when GD12 poked her (why I still have not quite figured out). I turned to yell at her just as she accidentiallly kicked the controller out of my hand with her knee. By the time I picked it up off the truck bed, I saw nothing but green of the tower looming VERY large in the viewfinder. I tried to pull back on the stick to brake faster, but not in time. I saw it hit the railing. I quickly flipped to atti to try to recover it but I think one motor stalled (by looking in the video I saw one prop still). It tumbled and I just knew it was all over. But the motor started again and I quickly flipped the sticks and got it to roll over and stabilize a mere 24 feet from the ground. Whew! After reviewing the video, it looks like it just missed power lines too!

OMG! Its still flying. I thuoght I had busted the gimbal but suddenly I saw in the viewfinder that it reset and went back sorta level. According to the hud, it was level and maintaining flight. It seemed to have acquired GPS again so I flipped back to P and it did just fine on the way home and I brought it back and landed fine.


I did a thorough visual once over. I couldn't see anything wrong that indicated it hit anything too hard. Not even a chipped prop! There was some marks on one prop but on the top, not on the leading edges. I have no clue how they got there or from what.

I took a paper towel and wiped the frame and props it down. I inspected the props very carefully again but I couldn't find not one nick, dent or chip. I spun it up again. I did a hover at about 4' and tested every control including the gimbal I couldn't find anything wrong!

Boy did I get lucky.

And here is the video!

So, first crash but not quite and not really my doing. So I don't think I will count this one

 

[Wolfiesden]

Well, the kite fest was a near bust. In the morning, there wasn't enough wind. I had looked at the area through live beach cams and there were no kites in the air. We waited until ater in the afternoon as I remembered that an afternoon breeze usually kicked up. Sure enough, in the afternoon when we got out on the island, we found kites! While maryann and the girls headed onto the beach I got the phantom airborne.











The Maryann, the two girls and me ate dinner at Fudpuckers.


Then a nice sunset.



After shopping, we stopped and let the girls play while I took a quick night flight

 

[Wolfiesden]

Today's installment is going to be short. Had to get the windshield replaced on the truck. Seems I must have taken a stone strike down near the wipers and a crack formed. Wondered up the windshield about 11", curved and then worked another 6" over in just two days.

Split the day shopping for a swimsuit for GD12 and some shirts for me in the morning, some swimming in the afternoon until time to take the truck in for repairs.

Girls got some swim time in Choctaw bay.





Then to a climbing tower out on the island.

 

[Wolfiesden]

Took the girls up to Turkey Creek for some river drifting...




Then we headed across the Mid-Bay bridge to Destin.


We had read an article about a roof painting on a local marina. So I decided it was a perfect drone run opportunity! It didn't fail to impress.


That flag is over 500' long and over 400' tall! Look at the cars on the road to wrap your brain around the scale here! The white roof area is going to be another mural thats not completed as yet.

Here are some other angles..

 

[Wolfiesden]

Took the girls out to the foot of the Destin bridge to go swimming.

This is what we (locals) call crab island. Its not actually an island since it never rises above water. Its a shallow shoal in Choctaw bay side of Destin bridge. Its shallow enough to easily stand. During the main season here, lots of partying happening there.



These were taken from the Gulf of Mexico side of the Destin Bridge aka Destin East Pass...