Delta 650 took off from runway 8R at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport due East at 5:15pm local time. Our pilot seemed to have made a point of banking the aircraft to trace the southern coast in the first 4 minutes of the flight to afford those seating on the left side a great aerial view of Sand Island, Honolulu downtown, Ala Moana, Waikiki, Kaimana, Diamond Head, Kahala, Hawaii Kai, Hanauma Bay, and Koko Head. Then the plane turned East again and flew towards the mainland.
Unlike the JFK arrival video I recorded, I was able to recognize all landmarks as I looked out of my window seat. This is largely due to my month-long research into Oahu before our trip to the island. But still, I figured I would write a post showing these famous Hawaiian landmarks. Here is the recorded video.
Actual landing flight path of Delta 650 at JFK runway 22L
I've always chosen window seats on flights whenever I could. And I never grew tired of watching my plane take off and land. Possibly I am just fascinated with flying, whether it involves model airplanes, computer simulations, or actual planes. But with only a few exceptional landmarks, I could almost never identify in realtime what the plane was flying over. It amazes me that I can't recognize locations that should be familiar to me where I've driven by countless number of times.
The truth is that aerial views often looks quite different from ground views. Even though I kept thinking that I could mentally reconstruct a god's eye view of my neighborhood, every landing proved me wrong. And my last trip was no exception. As I the plane readied itself for landing, I looked out of the window and couldn't tell where the plane was. I put my phone against the window pane for the first time, and recorded the entire landing path.
I played the clip backward at home, and fired up Google Maps with Globe View to rotate its map to match the window view of the terrain. Painstakingly I retraced the flight path backward from runway 22L. This turned out to be the quickest way to reconstruct the landing path. In doing so, I've joined a bunch of nerds like Joseph Gunn who document, among other thing, flight paths. In fact, I consulted one of his blog posts on flight patterns to confirm landing paths at runway 22L.
Geometric distortion in a triple-monitor setup for MSFS 2020, compared to XPlane 11
Microsoft released its new flight sim 2 days ago, on August 18th. This long-awaited launch got simmer really excited. I moved my flight sim equipment last month to a dedicated room in the basement, now with a triple-monitor setup, in anticipation of this launch. I set up XPlane 11 with these triple monitors, to make sure I got the hang of triple monitors. But all I wanted was the new Microsoft flight sim. I even took this week off from work, so I would not need to choose between work and enjoying the new simulator.
There is, however, one fatal issue, for someone who has gone through the trouble of setting up three 43″ monitors, for the express purpose of re-creating a 180° surround view around the pilot.
At this time, it is not worth sacrificing visual effects and frame rates for two extra side monitors that show greatly distorted views of world objects. Triple-monitor setups are no common. And it’s not clear to me when Asobo will care to fix this problem for a niche market. Until then, the public remains confused as to whether MSFS can be said to “work as is” for triple-monitor setups. There isn’t a source online that compares distorted views in MSFS 2020 against expected, clean views in, say, XP11. Thus this article.
HHAMS in June – HarborFest, Paintball and Field Meeting
This article exists to house pictures that I've turned into a YouTube slideshow. June is usually the busiest month for HHAMS. The first week of June is usually the Port Washington HarborFest where we set up a tent to advance awareness of the aerodrome among natives of this town, and to advertise our upcoming paintball event. The paintball event takes place on the second week of June. Then we have our monthly meeting at the field.
HHAMS Flight Tests
This is a short article on flight tests that all new members must pass, before they can fly their model planes without a spotter, at the HHAMS Aerodrome.
It is spring again. Inquisitive visitors are starting to show up at the field. They want to know what it takes to be able to fly solo. Others have gone through the motion of paying the AMA, the county, and the club itself. They have a badge with a "novice" sticker on it. But they can't fly on their own, and must wait for someone else to stand with them to fly. On the other hand, friendly members are willing to help newcomers learn to fly, and to pass their flight tests. However, not everyone remembers exactly what was involved when they took their flight tests in their days. Thus this article.
What on earth is SAFE® or: How I hacked AR636 from V900 to fly the Freewing Mirage 2000, with SAFE and AS3X
Last week I was faced with a new AR636 challenge. I removed a locked-down AR636 receiver with SAFE® from V900, an E-flite speed plane. I wanted to make it fly my new EDF jet, the Freewing Mirage 2000 Tiger Meet. It would be a breeze to reprogram the AR636 today, presumably, with the advent of AS3X® firmware 2.27 made available in April 2018.
I honestly thought it would take me an hour to reprogram the receiver to fly a delta wing, given the new receiver firmware and upgraded programming apps, since I last looked into the AR636. I thought I would fire up the programming app, and change the aircraft type from normal to elevon. I thought I could then set AS3X rate gains, while keeping SAFE panic and self-leveling. Surely Spektrum documentation had caught up in the last three year, right?
No.
You cannot easily take an AR636 that is pre-programmed with SAFE for aircraft wing type X (say dual aileron), and reconfigure it for another wing type Y (say a delta wing with elevons), without losing SAFE in the process.
No one has done this before. Or at least no one had clearly documented how to do this online before. It took me some time to figure out how to do this. Thus this sequel to the 2016 article.
How to master short-field landings with EDF jets such as the Avanti S
There is a real lack of information online about making successful short-field landings with EDF jets such as the Avanti S. I don't know whether I should attribute this to search engines being saturated with merchant pages, or blame Facebook for hiding useful content from search engines. Looking for videos on YouTube for the same yields basically nothing. Last time I failed to find useful info, I wrote Learn to Skate the Two-foot Grapevine Analytically, despite being relatively new at ice skating. This time I'll do the same without reservations on EDF jets and short-field landings, based on my personal experiences.
HHAMS Reflections 2018
The end of the year is upon us again. As usual, it is time I try to make use of pictures I couldn't stop taking on my phone whenever I was at the aerodrome. In 2015, I compiled them into HHAMS 2015 Field Pictures. In 2016, I compiled pictures into HHAMS Pictures of the Year - 2016 and Pictures of Planes Sighted at the Aerodrome in 2016. I was busy in 2017. Thus nothing was done, despite plenty of pictures having been collected.
This year, the club decided to show slideshows at the holiday party. Bobby Alessi and I collected pictures and videos from folks. As a result, we now have 3 photo slideshows and 1 video compilation. Pictures from 2017 and 2018 feature heavily in these, but good materials from 2015 and 2016 were also used.
HHAMS: My Girl (reflections 3/4)
This article exists to house pictures used in the slideshow HHAMS: My Girl. It is part three of a series of slideshows and compilations from photos and videos taken by HHAMS members from 2015 to 2018. Part three showcases pilots with their beloved planes.
A few pictures here were actually used not in the My Girl slideshow, but instead in HHAMS: What a Wonderful World and HHAMS: Learning to Fly.
Photo and video sources came from Andrea Watson, Tyler A Chase, Mario Goldberg, Bobby Alessi, Paul Yovino, Fred Hsu and Elisha Huang.
Music in the slideshow features: My Girl by The Temptations, My Girl by Otis Redding, and last but foremost, Seabird by Alessi Brothers - that's our own Bobby Alessi.
HHAMS: What a Wonderful World (reflections 2/4)
This article exists to house pictures used in the slideshow HHAMS: What a Wonderful World. It is part two of a series of slideshows and compilations from photos and videos taken by HHAMS members from 2015 to 2018. Part two examines what HHAMS is about. It is about flying model planes. Sure. But there is so much more than that, as part two highlights.
Photo and video sources came from Andrea Watson, Tyler A Chase, Mario Goldberg, Bobby Alessi, Paul Yovino, Fred Hsu and Elisha Huang.
HHAMS: Learning to Fly (reflections 1/4)
This article exists to house pictures used in the slideshow HHAMS: Learning to Fly. It is part one of a series of slideshows and compilations from photos and videos taken by HHAMS members from 2015 to 2018. Part one highlights a key principle that RC pilots follow. That is, learn to fly responsibly, and try not to make spare parts.
Photo and video sources came from Andrea Watson, Tyler A Chase, Mario Goldberg, Bobby Alessi, Paul Yovino, Fred Hsu and Elisha Huang.
2018 XiSheng RC Extravaganza 西盛遙控飛行嘉年華
New Taipei RC Flying Extravaganza (西盛遙控飛行嘉年華會慶) organized by NTAMA (新北市航空模型協會) took place on Sunday, Nov 4th, 2018. It was joined by flying enthusiasts from all over Taiwan. I went with friends from the RC club from Kaohsiung 高雄市遙控運動協會, courtesy of 陳振國.
This article hosts pictures I took and edited of this event. Perhaps I'll come back and finish it with additional descriptions. Perhaps I won't. It exists for now as a place for enthusiasts to browse and download pictures I took of them, or their planes. I compiled two YouTube videos: a shorter one comprising video clips I took that day, as well as a longer slideshow highlighting some of the many exciting moments I captured in still pictures. As usual, some of the best pictures will eventually end up on Wikimedia.
NorCal for the model aeronautically-inclined
This is a guide and a preview to upcoming articles I'll be publishing, on Northern California through the eyes of a New Yorker, with an inclination to see things from a model aeronautic perspective. It is similar to my model-aeronautic take on Ogunquit and its bipolar beach. Here I'll examine various Napa Valley and Sonoma vineyards on their applicability to flying, while accompanied by my brother's family. I'll show you where to find legitimate flying fields manned by AMA chartered clubs, as well as secret flying places that fanatics frequent. We toured San Francisco, Golden Gate Park, Half Moon Bay, Point Lobos, Fort Ord Dunes State Park and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Droning at and around Ogunquit Beach
This article is a part of the Ogunquit in September Guide I am writing, for the model aeronautically-inclined. It is the main and the last installment in the series. Together with the modern beach equipment installment, it details everything you will ever need, before you head out to fly a drone or two in this beautiful beach town.
Modern beach equipment for the model aeronautically-inclined
This article is a part of the Ogunquit in September Guide I am writing, for the model aeronautically-inclined. Obviously, those who enjoy flying radio-controlled planes at a beach will find this article useful. But I am also certain that any modern man or woman planning a trip to the beach will not want to miss this one.
I know it, because I've spent countless nights before the trip googling for the best beach equipment to bring, to no avail. If you are looking for novel contraptions that solve known problems with ancient beach equipment technology, you will not be happy with what you find online today. Even Google isn't smart enough to weed out hastily-assembled, so called "top ten beach equipment" websites that simply scout Amazon for highest-ranking sales. YouTube is full of computer-generated videos with screenshots stole from above-mentioned "top ten beach equipment" websites. And most search engines nowadays only want to show you online shops, because... that's how they make money. This leaves old fashioned research work as the only option. I read and combed through tons of user reviews, and wrote notes. The trip proved that I did find the right beach equipment to buy.
Ogunquit in September – for the model aeronautically-inclined
This is a guide to upcoming articles I will be publishing, on Ogunquit, a small town at the southern tip of Maine. The guide serves as a preview to these articles, before they are written and published, showing this beautiful river, the town and the beach named after it, in September. This was when kids had to leave the beach, to go back to school, and just before the autumn arrived in full force. Some articles will explore the Marginal Way, Perkins Cove, Cape Neddick, York, Wells, Kennebunkport and plenty of public beaches in the area. Some will focus on hotels we've stayed at - the Tidal Suites at the Norsemen and the Cliff House at Bald Head Cliff.
I've also brought the current obsession of my life together with travel and videography. Most of these articles will be of interest to those who are model aeronautically-inclined. While I did not have room to bring big model airplanes, I did pack two micro airplanes and a variety of kites. While flying a sailplane on the peaceful and expansive Ogunquit Beach proved to be a relaxing pastime, fighting the precarious Bald Head Cliff in inclement weather against a stormy sea turned out to be quite challenging.
Did I mention that I adopted a pet seagull during this trip?
Pictures I've taken on a meager iPhone will be culled in time, and the remaining usable and useful ones uploaded to Wikipedia for illustrations on various relevant articles, continuing my series of Wiki Vacations (from here and there).
A Resurrected Ornithopter – the Flytech Dragonfly
The Flytech Dragonfly was one of the most innovative flying toys when it came out in 2007. It was the first radio-controlled ornithopter mass-produced for the general public. Sadly it is no longer available for purchase. To add insult to injury, there has been nothing in the market for ten years that delivers remotely the same level of giddy fun for the money. Some event reminded me of the Dragonfly recently, so I went through boxes in my basement to find the two units I bought in 2007.
Unfortunately their tiny lipo batteries have since gone bust. With help from ancient posts on rcgroups.com, I managed to resurrect one of my dragonflies with a new setup. It allows me to reuse abandoned lipos from my Blade Nano QX which I have aplenty. Suddenly I no longer need to wait for 20 minutes between flying sessions, for the built-in battery to be charged. I can now fly it effectively non-stop.
HHAMS Paintball Event by DMS Films
One of our newest members turned out to be a professional filmmaker and FPV guy. He made a short video of our annual paintball event where kids turn up in droves to try to shoot at model planes. In a decade we had not had a film made of this event. Everyone at the club are duly impressed.
Ode to FlightLineRC 1300mm Focke-Wulf Ta 152 H-1
This is not a real "ode". And I don't know how to write one. Nevertheless I find myself compelled to publicize the greatness of this model warbird, after flying it time after time in the last month. I am talking about the FlightLineRC 1300mm Focke-Wulf Ta 152 H-1.
Unlike a few occasions in the past where I felt the need to praise some planes (e.g. Extreme Flight Laser) but sat on the idea, this time I actually decide to comment on rcgroups.com. It was then only natural that I turned that into a quick article here.
If I must use one sentence to describe this 3S-capable plane, I would say that, when run on a 4-cell 2,600mAh lipo, it transforms into a graceful speed demon in the sky.
HHAMS 2015 Field Pictures
This article shows pictures taken in 2015 at HHAMS field events. These pictures were processed after I posted 2016 field and plane pictures. Maybe I'll get to 2014 pictures after this one.
The picture of the year 2015 was not taken by me. I don't recall who sent me this picture. It is not of high-resolution, unfortunately. If you are the photographer, please send me your original. The picture shows Eugene and Paul working on a plane in front of the shed.
Hot Air Balloons in Search of a Landing Site
Flipping through pictures on my iPhone, I found a few interesting ones taken in August 2015. They were from an unexpected encounter with hot air balloons while I was visiting Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It turned out that they were from a balloon ride tour agency with a misleadingly official name, The United States Hot Air Balloon Team. Nonetheless, I found the ground crew to be professional, and the pilot to be knowledgeable and helpful. I uploaded some of these pictures to Wikimedia, as I often do with useful pictures taken in my free time.
Pictures of Planes Sighted at the Aerodrome in 2016
I have highlighted some pictures of main HHAMS events in HHAMS Pictures of the Year - 2016. But I have plenty additional pictures of planes, mostly taken at the field. Here is a complete list of all of them. You can click on each one to see the image at the resolution I uploaded them which is enough for most online viewing. But the majority of these were taken at 4 times the uploaded resolution. Ask me if you want a particular picture in its full resolution for other purposes.
HHAMS Pictures of the Year – 2016
I sorted through, in the comfort of my home, pictures I've taken related to model aviation in 2016 on my iPhone. All of them were about HHAMS (Hempstead Harbor Aero Modelers Association). As "the" picture of the year, I nominate Ben's Ironman plane.
HHAMS Field Calendar for Smartphones
In my time between two jobs, I wrote a calendar app for HHAMS. Or, at least, members see it as an "app", since the calendar runs on smartphones, and can be set up as an icon on the home screen. It is really just a webpage served up by a Flask server.
Custom RealFlight Airfields – Bethpage RC Model Airplane Field
This is another follow-up to the HHAMS airfields I made for RealFlight 7.5. This time I modeled the Bethpage state park on Long Island. The polo field at the state park serves as RC model airfield for various AMA clubs including Whitman Flyers and Cobra.
Salvage and Reprogram the AR636A Receiver from Eflite Planes with SAFE®
It turns out that most of these planes actually come with an extremely capable $80 Spektrum AR636A Sport receiver, and it can be reprogrammed using just a smartphone and a special programming cable. You can change gyro rate gains, as well as heading gains. You can completely turn off AS3X stabilization in any of the three receiver-side flight modes, if you want to fly your plane without gyro stabilization.
(Summary) Flying at Virtual HHAMS Aerodrome in RealFlight and Phoenix RC
Those of you who train using RC flight simulators may have asked yourselves whether it was possible to create, modeled on the HHAMS Aerodrome, an airfield for RealFlight or a flying site for Phoenix RC. I'd been thinking about this same thing for over two years. At last, I gave it a try a few …
Continue reading "(Summary) Flying at Virtual HHAMS Aerodrome in RealFlight and Phoenix RC"
(Summary) Corner of the Lost Planes
There is a “Corner of the Lost Planes” at the HHAMS Aerodrome. This section of the flying field is just a bunch of tall trees, seemingly indistinguishable from other thousand tall trees that surround the aerodrome. But almost every member recalls running into difficulties flying in this corner, if not losing a plane or two …
Corner of the Lost Planes at the HHAMS Aerodrome
There is a "Corner of the Lost Planes" at the HHAMS Aerodrome. This section of the flying field is just a bunch of tall trees, seemingly indistinguishable from other thousand tall trees that surround the aerodrome. It is probably safe to say that almost every member had lost a plane or two to this particular Corner of the Lost Planes, before they learned, from the sages of the HHAMS, secret incantations that free them from the curse of this corner.
Custom Phoenix RC Flying Sites based on the HHAMS Aerodrome
This is a follow-up to the custom airfields I made for RealFlight. This time I modeled the HHAMS Aerodrome on Long Island for Phoenix RC. One of the flying sites has been accepted by Phoenix RC as an official flying site.
Custom RealFlight Airfields based on the HHAMS Aerodrome
I had been thinking about modeling real RC flight fields in RealFlight for a year or two. It seemed like an impossible task. But it turned out that with modern cameras capable of taking panoramic pictures, plus a simple photo stitching app, this can be done in a few hours. I am using this page going forward, to post updates as I model the HHAMS Aerodrome on Long Island in different seasons under different weather conditions and times of the day.
Night Flying with LED Lights on the E-flite Apprentice S 15e
I decided to resurrect my half-destroyed E-flite Apprentice S 15e, and endow it with abundant LED lights. But to my dismay I found no blog talking about such conversions. So I took pictures as I worked on the plane, whenever I remembered, with the goal of writing a great blog article when I was done.