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Springsoareleven!!! printer friendly version
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Jorgen
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Location: Lund, Sweden
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Posted Saturday, March 26, 2011 @ 07:16 PM  

Fournieteers,
you might recall the Icelandic volcano "Eyjafjatlajökull" kind of put my springreport off last year but here is a more detailed report regarding the whereabouts of spring this year (we already concluded the whereabouts of Santa Claus, ask Markku about that); Spring is- in the Air! After an unusually harsh winter (we’ve had snow since middle November) we had a lovely sunny day with the first ordered cumulus formations of the year. I took the family to the local “Bjärred Pier Restaurant” were we basked in the sunshine on the pier a couple of hundred meters off shore with a hot chocolate and coffee, quite warm if you kept out of the chilly northwesterly wind. The seaside view was spectacular, but soon I spotted something even more spectacular- this springs first huge V-formation of cranes flapping towards us and passing just a couple of hundred feet over our heads after the crossing of the “Öresund” strait. Normally you hear their loud, characteristic calls but this time they passed in silence, obviously out of breath after a long sea crossing.


They were in luck- just as the pack crossed the shoreline they entered a booming thermal and immediately started curving it, climbing until they were specks against the clouds. We finished our coffee, but after we got home my beloved wife just looked at me and, smiling, said: “-Off you go then, go greet them!” I didn’t argue and went to the airstrip which had just about become a little less soft after this years substantial snow melting. I removed the airdryer, went through the 4 on a thorough pre-flight, it looked perfectly OK.


As I was filling up with gas I heard the crane calls and managed to snap a shot of the 100+ pack of cranes that passed overhead- see the specks against the cloud? I primed the engine- it started on the first pull, just as if the 4 was eager to go and greet the bringers of spring! The strip was a bit soft but the wind was steady with no gusts. The take off, the first since the first snowfall in mid-november felt just as always great, just slipping away from the surely bonds of Earth. I weathercocked slightly to the right as I accelerated to 70 mph and climbed away as I tucked the gear in, banking for a right turn towards the cumulus clouds inland that looked spectacular and were developing nicely. After climbing for 10 minutes I did a loop and a couple of rolls as custom and tradition dictate to celebrate the arrival of spring, after which I encountered the cranes. They were quite a bit higher than me so I climbed on with the engine but after climbing over them shut off as the lift was 6-700 fpm with the 4’s uncompensated vario.


The cranes expertly used the lakes as triggerpoints and found the best lift around as usual.


Engine off they paid even less attention to me and as usual had a remarkable formation discipline as they exploited the lift.

May the 4's be with you/ Jörgen

[Edit by Jorgen on Sunday, March 27, 2011 @ 03:27 AM]

Jorgen
Captain

Gender: Male
Location: Lund, Sweden
Registered: Apr 2007
Status: Offline
Posts: 833

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Posted Saturday, March 26, 2011 @ 07:45 PM  


Mr and Mrs Crane dropped by to extend their best wishes for this years Fournication. I made several passes and discovered that their “comfort zone” was some 100-150 feet, after which they started flapping and turned inside of me (I certainly would have too if I would have had to share a thermal with a lumbering DC-3; roughly the same size difference).


I was a bit excited by the encounter and turned after them to get the best photos and became guilty of disturbing them a bit, but as soon as I had passed they just formed up and continued curving the same thermal.


Cranes are Big Beautiful Birds and I felt privileged to join them on their epic journey, seeing as they did the path they had arrived, over the sea and the path ahead of them onwards north over the vast forrests. Cumulus clouds lay spread out at regular intervals along their migratory route and it must have been a fantastic day for migration with cold, unstable air and an unobstructed radiation from the sun creating strong, regular lift and miles and miles of migration without having to beat the wings at all (unless to avoid that strange petrol smelling pterodactyl). Some clouds looked like rain, but turned out to be ice chrystals that never thawed into a rainfall. I loitered along meeting a couple of more packs, as the clouds started to deteriorate I glided home, doing a couple of engine-off loops and rolls (which started the prop windmilling off course). When I got home I decided to re-start in case I needed a go-around, the engine was a little reluctant, more than usual probably due to the one hour soaring in below-freezing temperatures. Landing felt perfect and I didn’t need to exit and prop to taxi. I still haven’t quite re-attached myself to planet Earth, but then- I guess we Fournieteers never quite will?

May the 4's be with you/ Jörgen

Bob Grimstead
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Location: Perth, Western Australia or West Sussex, England
Registered: Dec 2006
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Posted Wednesday, March 30, 2011 @ 06:53 AM  

Hi Jorgen,

That is an absolutely wonderful tale.

I reckon it is deserving if a wider audience.

Why not try sending it to Christina at Flygrevyn?

Especially if you have high-res files of those photos.

You really have captured the spirit of re-birth that comes with European Spring.

I hope to be back there (Britain) myself in a fortnight.

May we all have a glorious, clear, blue (with puffy white bits) summer of Fournication.

Yours, Bob

--------------------
Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV

jb92563
Second Lieutenant

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Location: Lake Elsinore, CA, USA
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Posted Wednesday, March 30, 2011 @ 11:30 AM  

I'll second that sentiment.

Awesome story and pictures Jorgen, I enjoyed the read and pictures.

Flying with birds is always a special experience.

--------------------
Ray
RF4D #4057 N-1771 Rectimo 1400cc
http://picasaweb.google.com/jb92563/FournierRF4D
http://www.touringmotorgliders.org

Jorgen
Captain

Gender: Male
Location: Lund, Sweden
Registered: Apr 2007
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Posts: 833

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Posted Wednesday, April 6, 2011 @ 04:07 PM  

Thanks Guys,
Fournieteers do get special treats, don't we? This spring is special, not only after such a spectacular start, but also because winter has been unusually long and harsh, which makes the rebirth of spring even more exhilarating. This picture is from one of the lakes barely discernible in the background on picture nr 3, less than a week before. As you can see I had a nice overlap in playful activities this year!


Open water in the background but good, hard solid ice on a large enough area for nice skatesailing. Ice is nice + Love for Sail!

Or should I say "Love 4 sail"?

May the 4's be with you/ Jörgen

[Edit by Jorgen on Wednesday, April 6, 2011 @ 04:10 PM]

Bob Grimstead
Captain

Gender: Male
Location: Perth, Western Australia or West Sussex, England
Registered: Dec 2006
Status: Offline
Posts: 2027

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Posted Thursday, March 1, 2012 @ 10:41 AM  

Only one more month to go now Jorgen, and Mr & Mrs Crane will be back again, so we can all go flying again in the Northern Hemisphere.

I was reminded of this thread because we have just watched episode Two (Europe) of a magic new BBC/Discovery Channel TV series called 'Earthflight'.
I expect many of you have already seen it, because we generally get these things last in far-off Aussie.
The photography is just breathtaking, with scenes taken right in the middle of flocks of migrating cranes, gannets, swallows, starlings, geese and other bird types. Ultra-close-ups, super-slow-mos, extra-high resolution shots. It was all just brilliant, breathtaking, truly awesome aerial footage.

I could not recommend this series more highly. Look out for it.
(but better use caution with Sofie and the younger Gyeneses during the first episode, which is set in Africa, with typically African levels of birds and animals greedily and gorily devouring one another!)

Yours, Bob

--------------------
Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV

Jorgen
Captain

Gender: Male
Location: Lund, Sweden
Registered: Apr 2007
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Posts: 833

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Posted Thursday, March 1, 2012 @ 02:46 PM  

Thanks Bob,
I know! And I've seen some of that show- there really are some wonderful spin-off effects of the electronics evolving into ever smaller, lighter and more powerful cameras and other gizmos. Radiocontrolled model Aeroplanes with remote-control videocameras flown in packs of birds- I certainly didn't think of that application before.

My craneformation-flying has really been a fantastic experience and I have actually thought of contacting the Lund University Ecology faculty were they do research on birds, also their migratory behavior. Migrating birds is a fascinating topic, the physiological aspects are truly amazing. For example, try to google the "Bar-tailed Godwit". This little wading bird migrate from Alaska to New Zeeland non-stop!

I'm very satisfied with the GoPro Hero2, but for encounters with Mr and Mrs Crane it's probably not ideally suited- every object around seems very remote. I've met several Grey Sea Eagles when ice sailing, getting real close (I thought), but on the video they show as tiny specks. There is still some ice left, but it's melting fast. Maybe one last icesailing session this weekend, then it's (X-ray Sierra) Tango 4 me! I hope to meet Mr and Mrs Crane this year too and if I do I'll be sure to extend greetings from all Fournieteers.

May the 4's be with you/ Jörgen

P.S. Link to "Cranes over Venice"-clip from "Earthflight":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHuH7KaPbLc

[Edit by Jorgen on Friday, March 2, 2012 @ 01:51 AM]

Bob Grimstead
Captain

Gender: Male
Location: Perth, Western Australia or West Sussex, England
Registered: Dec 2006
Status: Offline
Posts: 2027

Click here to see the profile for Bob Grimstead Visit http://www.redhawksduo.co.uk Send email to Bob Grimstead Send private message to Bob Grimstead Find more posts by Bob Grimstead Edit or delete this message Reply w/Quote
Posted Thursday, March 1, 2012 @ 08:49 PM  

Hi Jorgen,

Aren't migrating birds magnificent? We have swallows and martins nesting in the eaves of both our homes. Not as big as cranes, nor as far-travelled as godwits, but still plucky long-distance voyagers.

We're getting off-topic again here, but that disadvantage with the GoPro's ultra wide-angle lens was the reason why I had been asking on another thread whether there was a less wide-angle lens available. I've since discovered that you can set the GoPro to a slightly less wide angle via one of its resolution settings, although I haven't actually tried it yet.

I'll let you know when I do, but meanwhile and instead, I've been finding places on the Fournier where I can mount it to take full advantage of its 170-degree (they say) view.

Yours, Bob

[Edit by Bob Grimstead on Thursday, March 1, 2012 @ 09:01 PM]

--------------------
Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV

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