Flight To New Lake Building Project
Hemet, California
The day started out partly cloudy with bright blue skies and rain clouds in the distance. The local flying conditions were ideal with light and variable breezes. It looked like it might start raining later in the day so I decided to stay near the airport and just fly around the immediate area.
After a good preflight, I departed and headed due south towards Temecula. Just a few miles south of Hemet-Ryan airport are a row of low hills that run east to west. You can just make them out in this first photo just above center on the right side of the photograph. The southern edge of Hemet, California is also visible along with mountains south of Palm Springs and just north of Borrego Springs.
As I approached the 400 ft. high hills I continued gaining altitude to make sure that I had plenty of room to clear them. As soon as I crossed the ridge, the lake building project came into view. When it is finished, the dam will create a huge lake just south of Hemet that will be used for recreation and many new homes with a lake view. This view is looking west towards the north edge of the dam being built. You can make out the construction crane just slightly up and to the left of center. The diagonal line at lower right is one of the 'flying' wires that attaches the wing to my ultralight. Each wing has five flying wiring on the underside and four landing wires on top. In flight, the flying wires become taut and keep the wings from folding upward. I check the attachment points VERY carefully before each flight.
For those that have never had the experience of flying in an ultralight here is a Point-Of-View shot that is pretty typical of open cockpit style ultralights and their instrument pods. If you look closely you can make out some of the instruments. The vertical tube above the pod is the air speed indicator showing an indicated airspeed of 47 mile per hour. The round object on top of the pod is the magnetic compass. The large round gauge in the center of the pod is the altimeter showing a height of 2300 feet above sea level (about 700 feet above the ground at this point). The second large round gauge (to right of center) is the Vertical Speed Indicator. It is indicating a slow climb (I am slowly gaining altitude). The two smaller gauges on the left side of the pod are dual function gauges. The upper gauge is showing engine r.p.m. and exhaust gas temperature and the lower gauge provides me with the cylinder head temperatures on the two cylinders of my engine. The black object sticking up from the bottom of the photo is the control stick that serves a dual function. Left to right movement raises 'spoilers' on each wing which causes the ultralight to 'bank' in the direction the stick is pointed. Moving the stick forward and back pitches the 'elevator' up and down which causes the ultralight to pitch up or down and changes the airspeed of the ultralight. The pedals (where my shoes are resting) are connected by wires that are attached to the rudder (hence the term 'rudder pedals'). The rudder causes the ultralight to yaw left or right depending on which pedal is pushed. I use the rudder pedals and stick to make a turn left or right. Normally when flying, one of my hands is always on the control stick but to take the photo required me to use both hands.
Obviously, the ultralight flys along just fine without the pilot doing anything. It can even do a landing by itself. It just can't do a great landing without a pilot. *grin*
Here are a couple more photos of this incredible construction project.
After spending some time exploring the area where the new lake will be, I headed back to Hemet-Ryan Airport and took this shot as I passed over the same hills. You can see the community of Hemet on the other side.
This particular hill looked like some huge animal had taken a bite out of it. For just a moment I was tempted to fly through the gap . . . . .
But then I remembered that old saying about pilots . . .
"There are 'old' pilots . . .
and there are 'bold' pilots . . .
but there are no . . . 'old' . . . 'bold' . . . pilots."
Good advice. I put aside the suicidal thought and flew back to Hemet Ryan without flying through the gap.
