FLYING AROUND, and testing cross country capabilities....

First BIG cross country -flight was trip to Jämijärvi. There we have annual Jämi experimental fly in. All new flyable experimentals fly here every year to hear attendees comments... This year there were Cozy IV, MiniSytky, Tiira and my Koala. Cozy and Koala are maybe known by all, but other two are Finnish designs and not so well know in the aviation word. The main prize went to Tiira and all other got also prizes from their (our) efforts to get experimentals to fly. It was nice meeting, altought we got some rain during days.

Other nice fly in were in Savikko (Nurmijärvi). This is private airstrip and owner of this place (J.Hakala) invited us to take part in pancake fly in that he aranged one evening. Good grass strip and company.

This picture is taken in Hyvinkää on my way to Mäntsälä private strip. I stopped here in Hyvinkää and called if its OK to go to Mäntsälä and keep plane ovenight there...

Here we are in Räyskälä. This is bigest gliding airfield in Finland, and now famous from its very good gliding competition weathers. Other plane in picture is one of their towing planes.

These two pictures are from Mäntsälä international... well not quite, but really good shape private airstrip. Its nice that someone has spare space to keep this kind of strips to explore around. I stayed overnight in Mäntsälä "city" and departed next day back home.

What have I learned from these and other cross country flights in Super-Koala? Well, first of all, you can not be in hurry because it will not make any sense in this rather slow plane. Other thing is that it is much more comfortable to travel during calm weathers in the evenings and mornings altought it is possible to fly during strong thermals also. Light weight and big slow wing is not optimal in rought air (What a surprise...) Of course I can fly "on top" if those thermals are shaking pants off... One learning is that this plane handles and performs really good also in grass fields. Winter is here in Finland now (30.12.05) so I am considering skis to explore that part of flying also...