Wind in Utah

There is one problem with living in Utah during the spring, you never know what season it is going to be that day. In all reality Utah doesn't have a season called spring. We have winter, summer, and road construction. (Sorry to those who don't live in Utah and don't get that joke) Needless to say every time I go to fly the wind is blowing. Being a college student there isn't much time to do anything except socialize. There isn't even time to study. But when I go to fly the wind seems to always be blowing. I have two brand new airplanes that have not been given the ability to stretch their wings in the open blue sky (rather smog filled skies) of Utah County. I'm starting to get withdrawals from the hobby. I have been limited to building rather than flying. Don't get me wrong. I love building, but it would be nice to be able to try out what I build. Since I haven't been able to fly I thought I would fine tune my landing skills on Real Flight G4, but I have a macbook. What terrible graphics. My next post will be about my further frustrations pertaining to Real Flight and Macs. Back to subject. I'm not a big fan of the wind. I can hardly keep a plane in the air without some outside force trying to push it out of the sky. Anyway, there you have it. Utah weather and flying. They just don't combine. Maybe I will try and get out this week. Hopefully I will be able to keep my brushless Slow Stick and my Corsair in the air when I go.

Real Flight G4/G4.5 - Simulator Blues

I suffered a strong blow to my emotional stomach today. My Real Flight G4 simulator doesn't work. Before you get all worried reading this I must inform you I was trying to run it on a mac, macbook to be exact. My video card does not support 3D rendering. One of the many faults with mac hardware is that the graphics card is not removable or upgradable in their laptops. I was hoping that since I have a newer macbook it might have a good enough graphics card. Well I was wrong. After buying VMware Fusion (which works great for running windows) and also buying Window XP and more RAM I was hoping it would work. Well now I have a simulator I can't and a whole lot less money in my pocket. I guess one thing I can say I got out of this is windows on my macbook (I can finally upgrade my Zune) and a whole lot more memory. So just a warning to all those out there, if you are wanting to run G4 on your mac do it on either a power mac or an imac. They have better graphics cards that should be able to handle what you are asking of them. It would also be nice if there was a sim out there for macs anyway. Well, you have now received my spill and also my frustration on macs and their lack of support for 3D rendering. If there is anyone out there that has found a way to run G4 or any simulator for that matter on their macbook let me know.

My Obsession with RC Flight

I think I have finally figured out where my interest in RC flight came from. Time for some background info.
I remember that whenever there was an airplane flying above my house no matter the kind or how high I would sprint outside to find it and watch it travel across the sky. Drove my mom nuts, but it would always make me a little bit happier. My mom at times would wonder why I would sprint outside (I had a lot better ears than she did, still do) and no matter how much my mom didn't want me to do it I would go and find it floating someplace in the air. When I would get done watching (because I couldn't see it anymore) she would be in the doorway with the largest smile and would usually say "ok Nathan, it's gone. Come back in." And talk about paper airplanes. I would go through so much of my parents good printing paper to make my airplanes. I am so glad I had patient parents. What would I have done without them.
I remember my first RC car. It was red and made by Fisher-Price. I got it when I was about 4. Since then I have had several, close to 10. I really don't know how many. Of the ones I can think of I had three mini cars, a car call the Twister, one called the Revolver, a nascar one that was very very fast. I almost couldn't control it. (My grandma helped me buy that one since it was about $90 and as a kid that is a TON!) But when I was about 6 my brother-in-law's brother gave my dad a pre-built gas powered airplane. My dad never put the equipment in it. He didn't want to spend the money to buy the parts. So instead he stored it in the garage. For years I would go out there just to stare at it. One day it was hit by the freezer door and the vertical stabilizer (the fin) became broken. Like I said my dad never finished it, but he did fix it after it was broken.
One day he gave it to a family friend. I was absolutely devastated. I would always ask my dad if our friend had finished the plane. One day (several years later I'm guessing) I asked my dad if our friend had finished it. He hadn't. I was so upset. Nearly depressed. I wanted that airplane back so I could finish it and learn how to fly because I always wanted to fly. Not RC planes and not really real planes, I just liked the idea of freedom that the air gives you. Still do. I still don't think he has finished it. But one day our friend brought one of his parkflyers and he flew it around a bit for us. I wanted to learn so bad. Again several years later (and still guessing) I went to a scouting expo with my father. There they had several airplanes set up with a buddy box. I got to fly. Oh boy I was ecstatic. I was finally flying. I didn't do a very good job, but I thought I was. Looking back I know the guy helping me took over a lot and that I almost sent it to the ground many times. I now know why he was flying so much higher with me than the 'older' kids. BUT I GOT TO FLY!!! Since then I have always wanted an RC airplane. In my mind it was the ultimate toy and worldly joy. And it has become my ultimate 'worldly' joy.
Where am I know with my dream? Now I have three airplanes (only two fly) and a mini co-axial helicopter for indoor flight. One more airplane, an indoor/outdoor slowflyer, only one more will keep me content, but only for now. This is an addiction, a passion. I'm living a dream. I am finally flying. I feel so free when I fly. It makes me so happy. Too bad there isn't much you can do for a living in the field of RC flight unless you work for a large company creating these flying things. And there aren't any in Utah for sure.
There you are. You now have a little history of why I love flying so much. It's a passion I have had nearly from birth. Flight has always mystified me and kept me captivated. It is nearly as much of my life as running. It is for sure a much larger obsession. Flight. Joy. They are the same to me. Flight is a beautiful dance performed in the air. A dance that even I will do.

New to Blogging

I feel like I am starting a new frontier. This is so new to me. Blogging. Who would have ever thought that I, Nathan would be blogging. I still don't even know what blogging is. I guess I am going to find out. Now the question arises; what am I going to talk about. Will it be sports? dance? (scratch the last one lol) popular music? movies? how I can't sleep some nights? How this is going to completely take over my life? I like the last one. I might even talk about technology. Who knows. This is oh so new. Well, here I am sitting in front of my computer just chillin'. I guess I should get to my schooling. HEY! I might even talk about that. Actually, I will talk about that a lot right now. Anyway, for all those who by chance fall upon my blog, enjoy life. You only get one of them so make the most of it.