How could people dislike this? Yes it is considered dumb to try and learn how to fly by trial and error, but he is out there chasing his dreams, he built it and now he is flying it all without a piece of training or instruction. No one who did anything great every had an instruction manual, they just got out and figured it out and that is why I commend you sir, for having the balls to go out and chase your dreams. Happy trails!
Only a few of us have the experience of 1st flight with no lessons. Nobody can take that away from you ever! That is priceless. Most naysayers don’t have the guts to risk death based on what they perceive as unknown. I see equipment around which develops skills. You probably knew you were not the panicking type. I couldn’t get lessons either. I taught myself remote control airplane skills without lessons. The guys swear that’s crazy also. I’m not saying it wasn’t a huge or the ultimate risk you took, but nobody hardly knows what getting back on the ground felt like. First I hopped off runway suddenly at about 30 ft. Reduced power and realized that was not right. Added some power slowly reducing power until sink rate was good, smooth landing. After my heart beat got back to normal I throttled up and took off. I looked down after climb out and saw all the cows in field below me. ( I’m in Texas too) I’m flying now. After three circles of grass field. I decided to land. 1st landing was great, next 2 weren’t as good. My nerves were shot. I called it a success. Finally found some lessons. My instructor didn’t want to let my solo or stall his plane. I used my own for that. He signed me off in 7hrs. I did go on to lessons after about 60hrs in ultralight. I did this to learn regulations, weather, and all the technical stuff the guys we’re talking about. You lived you won!
Good job getting it back on the ground in one piece! As a one time CFI with over 6,000 hrs flight time.......please get a few hours training in conventional geared aircraft.
Ed Blevins yes. If not just for the actual flight training but some background in airspace and how things work. Certified pilots worst nightmare are pilots with no clue in the air.
Kenneth some people just do not understand our dreams and passions.... god this is beautiful. Makes me realize it is possible. THANK YOU. Cannot wait for my own
I am 65 years old and I have diabetes. I doubt if I could get a pilot's license. Having said that, all my life I have wanted to fly. So I probably would buy an ultralight. Guess what? I am going to get lessons anyway. Why? Because I want to fly safely and I want to die of natural causes. Vaughn
And some people do not understand the safety requirements for Regulations and Licensing. You need a license to fly an ultralight in Canada and I'm glad you do.
Some people don't realize that their family needs them and that with a minimal investment of time, money, and a little respect for the future of ultralight flying he could be far safer in the air. He (and she) made so many needless mistakes here that I lost count. By all means pursue your dreams but maybe help yourself a little so you can live to continue flying. The odds have a way of catching up. Like the wise man said: " There are old pilots. There are bold pilots. But there are very few old, bold pilots."
His dog knew his master was up there. My doberman does the same thing, altho tied up in front of the hangar. Good flight, Buddy. practice makes perfect
7000 hour commercial pilot and former cfi here! Nice work! I know many self trained pilots where im from. It used to be common. Do get some training when you can and learn spins and stalls. But nice work!
If that truly was the first time you ever flew an airplane, my hats off to ya. You sir, have balls of steel. I don't care how much you think you know about control of an aircraft. Until you feel how to control it you are kind herding it through the air. Precise control takes practice. Without precise control it can be fatal. THAT takes some serious stones. Good job!
Good job, Ken.. I know you learned a lot on this and successive flights. The takeoff and landing were a little shaky, but you walked away AND you can use the airplane again. I know the naysaying rank and file pilots are screaming at this point, so I'll be blunt. It's your life, you were not in a populated area so the only one to be hurt or killed was you. You owe no one anything except yourself, so enjoy flying!
@J W As I reread my comment, I see that I never mentioned anywhere that it was good flying, so I don't see that I need to defend anything. If he kills himself, his kids will know that he died doing what he loved and he had balls the size of Texas.
I just don't know how you know where he was unless you live there, or whether there were people around or other things that would cost a lot to replace if he ran into them like a windmill. I got no trouble with the spirit of this , cuz I think that's great period I just think it would have been better if he found some place a little safer to do it. As an attorney, I see those windmills and I don't know how much they cost but if he smashes into one, I'm pretty sure that it would cost his estate everything that it has. That's why ignorance really is bliss...
@@WendelltheSongwriter As an attorney, how about his estate sues the power company for not doing anything to deal with Ultralight collisions that are clearly a legal form of aviation. Maybe if he whacks one taking off or landing, it should be on him. But while he was just moving around, he is like anyone else operating a legal means of aviation. Do those things actually make any net power, and if not, what are they doing there endangering lives. Maintenance of those blades is a typical problem as they get scoured by rain and dust. If the visibility of the blades was compromised...
I fly this same plane after flying with my buddy in his 4 seater 2 times. I bought this same plane. Took it up and landed perfect. Never had any formal training. Easy. Y’all make it look hard if u have common sense and are half ass smart this is a piece of cake
Good example of why flight training is such a good idea. Problem is you don't know what you don't know till it reaches out and bites you. Then it's to late. Himax is a nice little airplane though, I flew one for about 150 hrs. Had the fiberglass gear and a strobe lite like your's. sold it about 13 years ago. If you search my name on here, you can find vides of it. Hope you got some lesions and didn't wreck it or hurt yourself. Jim
You fall off a surfboard you get wet, you correct an asymmetric stall with aileron instead of rudder, you get a funeral. If I was in the insurance business I would not offer this man a policy.
No instruction and in a taildragger! I learned in an ultralight two seater that l bought to get trained in. I could not afford to crack it up so paying an instructor friend of mine just $75.00 for 5 1/5 hours was cheap insurance. Ultralight taildraggers are not the most docile plane to keep from ground looping and I would NOT suggest trying teach yourself in one of them at all!!!! 5 1/2 hours is not enough training but makes quite a difference. I'm glad to see this flight worked out.
Since there are so many negative comments I feel like I must add one positive one. Good job for flying and landing safely. I’m glad that you had the courage to follow your dreams. Be careful, stay safe, have fun.
They say: "If you not fall down from a bike you will never learn how to ride one" In this case it is a bit risky to learn from your own mistakes, lessons would be a great idea although You have balls to try it yourself and every landing after which you can walk away in one piece is a successful one!. Good luck but as an instructor I am still advising you to take few lessons!
well said Michael agreed he may have studied for months online and got better and better with taxiing and very low flight I doubt he jus got in and hit full power also he is in the middle of nowhere getting an instructor may be a challenge just glad he made it hope he is still flying around safely
So much hate in the comments. Sure, the takeoff was a bit rough. The landing was a bit long, but there were trees he wanted to be clear of. He flew his plane, landed his plane, and lived to see another flight. Many people have done just this. Pilots with thousands of hours can die in a plane crash just as easy as those with 0 hours. And unless he was flying one of your family members, or flying right over your house, what does it matter? I do love seeing how many people think that he was even relatively close to the windmills. They clearly don't realize that this plane could fit INSIDE the generator area, or just the massive size of the things. At least a mile separated any windmills and this plane. Oh well, to each their own. Great job bringing it down safely, glad to see you put this out there for us, even the uneducated among us!
The Wright brothers were experienced glider pilots before they flew their aircraft under power and they had also studied the techniques of the great glider pilot, Otto Lillienthal, so they brought a lot of skills to the act of flying the powered aircraft. They were way ahead of their time as far as aircraft were concerned. This guy is so far behind his aircraft, the only surprise is that he isn't dead or injured. For the sake of a few hours tuition, he is being pointlessly reckless.
Great job man! I tried the same thing in my spitfire UL I had, had a hard landing, repaired the landing gear, sold it, and bought a microlight trike..taking training in April..lol.. I didn’t get hurt, but it coulda been a lot worse, thankfully I only made it 20 ft off the ground and my rudders were tangled up in a hanging wire above the pedals, as I was taking off, I had a bit of rotor to the left, went for right rudder input and they were frozen! As I headed for a direct hit into the hangar, I pulled right aileron and slammed into the ground in a slip while spinning ...wow! That was scary enough to make me want training..lol.. good luck , fly high and fly safe!
@@SR-gs8zo yes, but had I took training, I would’ve known to check rudders before flight…the time of da6 was wrong… I had never flown at that t8me… made it out alive, but if I would’ve been educated,I would never had tried to fly considering the weather, and time of day..👊🏻
I'm certain that once a person decides to land, without any experience, it's simply amazing how fast that runway runs towards you and how it can confuse you by moving around on you dodging your attempts to land on it. 🥴
From someone with about three hundred hours in ultralights... If you decide to try to fly without training, make sure your affairs are in order, and that you apologize to those who love you, before you do.
Good for him! Outstanding work, build the aircraft and pilot the thing. The only way to learn is by doing. He's staying with it. Thanks for sharing. J.
this man showed a lot of courage, thanks mr. smith. after reading these comments I must say I agree with both sides, it is evident that the forgotten man named igor sikorsky who developed the rotor wing aircraft. he had no one to train him. I taught myself in a rotor wing. I admit it was trial and error. if no one takes a chance, then where would that leave the rest of us. trust me. it is nothing like having a dream to fly. so we take that first step. even if it is a risk to life and limb. it is evident that all here are interested in the skies and for sure interested in Kenneth`s health. but some of you will never feel what he felt when he escaped the bonds of earth on his own. Kenneth what part of west texas do you live. may visit sometime. I live in east texas myself. we went to the moon for G. sakes.
Lessons would definitely be an advantage. BUT! So many fliers started somewhere, from scratch, on their own- no one was born a natural flier and the skills were obviously acquired from just having a go. Doggy was quite keen, too. Hope you get away with it, and can keep going, best regards mate!
Even the dog knows that takoff was wrong....I am taking lessons and if I took off like that I would have been beaten in the airplane with good reason too. landing at the 3/4 end is also dangerous. Kudos for not getting killed. WoW!
Hi, I remember when I got my pilots license one thing I had to learn was recovery of a stalled aircraft, this was done at around 3000 ft, this was to get used to recovering the aircraft within 200 ft in the event of a stall, engine failure on take off ect, I think in seeing a comment, altitude is certainly your friend lol, all the best mate
What engine do you have? Seems to fly well. I also first flew without instruction. Did perfectly fine. Is it riskier? Yes ofc. But its a free mans right to do as he wishes. All the rest of you can shutup. Leave the guy alone and give him some kudos for having more balls than 90% of the population. He knew the risks. His choice. Well done sir. Where you located?
Breath taking and not in the exciting sense. I'm no pilot but watching all the things that I thought were wrong gave me goose bumps. Weaving all over the very rough strip, near giant wind turbines and overhead power lines. I was waiting to see if he collected any of them and to have the dog running around loose on the 'strip' was not a good ides in my opinion.
Look at all these comments what right do you have to tell this guy haw to live his life it’s his life he can do what he wants this was obviously a dream of his and he did it successfully why not be happy for him what does it have to do with you is it any of your business did he put you in danger or anybody elses? I cannot believe it over and over bitching about this guy Even his dog and the wind farming and his wife what someone said about her A bunch of codependent idiots just shut up and let that guy live his life every person has the right to do what they want why don’t you just respect his decision and stop being such a bunch of armchair policemen you’ve seen the Isle of Man motorcycle race ask one of the racers there they would be all for this guy doing it there’s a race people know Some will die they want to challenge death A concept nobody understands here except for the pilot and his wife and dog they know the risk and it’s their right to do it that’s the difference between men and boys this guys obviously a man and I salute him for going for it whether I would’ve done it that way noprobably not but it’s not my decision to make this is one of the problems in the world live and let live to each his own even if he would’ve crashed his plane and died and I can only imagine the comments but that again is his right to live and die the way he wants he had the support of his wife and his dog lol OK leave them alone it’s says a lot about all you people criticizing what’s wrong with you to do that don’t you believe in freedom oh never thought of that did you?he’s going for it this was a great day for him and And one he’ll remember for the rest of his life I think he did great congrats on your first solo!
This is the same exact way I learned how to fly just got in one and figured it out after your off the ground and make a couple circles u catch on very quick to what does what kudos to you sir learning is the only way to do it and that’s how head first book can’t teach ya crap if yours hands on like me
Yikes - nice job surviving, Ken. I don't mind saying, looked sketchy as hell. I would try to get more air under my wings. 500' AGL, anyway. Low is (contrary to instincts) dangerous.
A Darwin award for sure. Glad you got down in one piece. You're no less a person if you have a few lessons. His family and friends would have been sad if he was injured or worse.
I thought she did pretty well for as much as she was freaking out about it considering I was only planning on taxing she did a good job keeping her freakout contained lol
Congratulations on your first solo. Not going to ride you like others but a few hours with a LSA instructor that specializes in conventional landing gear(AKA tail draggers) would be a real help and not too expensive as many charge about 150 an hour.
I grew up in a small town with an airstrip. Dogs chase planes a time or two. Then theres a piece here, a piece there .... Prop does quite a job on a dog.
Takes balls to do that. Even more to land. Hats off. It's your life. Better than dying at a stop sign after being hit from behind. But take a lesson or 2
So, on takeoff, there was a quartering wind from the front, right to left. That pushed him to the left until he lifted off. At that point he immediately weathervaned into the wind - to the right. Right?
Kinda looks like that but not quiet actually I was not planning on taking off I just practicing taxi getting a little faster and faster just trying to get a grip on the tail wheel my runway was to narrow for my skill at this time and I git a little out of control and was shooting to the left side and was going to hit the little wind row of dirt on the edge of the runway so I made a split decision to just gas on it and attempt to get a little off the ground before I tore up my plane the dirt row would have done damage when Before I knew it I was in the air and shooting off to the right this aircraft the prop spins to the left so it requires alot of left rudder instead of right rudder
@@commentatron just been flying with some friends I've got a couple ultralight I've been working on but not ready just need a little more fabric work to be ready
Derek Downs 🤣🤣 This video reminds me of an old Harold Loyd , three stooges or Jethro Clampet flick 🤣 just find an airplane get in and take the heck off!
West tx I'll try to get some more bit there has not been much good flying weather if there is any wind I'm not going up o try my best to stay within my limits As for the pup he is a mutt lol his mom was a full bloud jerman shepherd with papers his daddy was a fence jumper there was a wolf that lived in the neighborhood that was known for getting out but not sure they gave all the puppy's away I got lucky and got a new best friend I had no idea he was going to chase me but should have known he gets mad if I leave on or in anything he even rides motorcycles with me
@@kennethsmith1233 You're doing something that I imagine mankind/hominids have dreamed of for several hundred thousand years - maybe millions. I can't salute you enough, my man. With luck I will soon join your ranks, and I ask permission from you in advance to fly the K. Smith Air Force colors.
@@jimfree0 that's awsome I wish you the best of luck some tips is there is somone on RUclips that post all the old military flight training videos watch the heck out of those there verry informative and contributed to my success in flight also any time I would be driving down the road I would move my feet in the direction i would be turning the wheel just a bit sorta getting ready for rudder pedals
Like I stated in other comments I watched a ton of videos on RUclips and such like old military training videos and just every other video I could watch on the matter it wasnt like I had never seen anything about a plane before
He dosnt like me doing anything without him and is normally very well mannered and has never gone after a plane before but is no longer allowed to just hang out when I fly for this reson
I appreciate anyone who loves to fly, it's all fun and games untill that 2 stroke quits on you in one of those low high bank turns. For those who are getting their flight training from youtube, start with searching a low altitude stall and spin. Might make you rethink a couple hours with a CFI. Not judging just want the sport to stay safe.
simrey33 Agreed, classic mistake of adding rudder, if landing and off of extended centre line due to overshoot or crosswind, and a stall, or worse low altitude spin is induced. Makes my palms sweaty watching this video.
All take-offs are optional but landings are compulsary. A little training goes a long way. Better to be wise, than sorry. Low level mistakes are rarely forgiving. Good luck!
Y’all should go to Kill Devil Hills in the Outer Banks of NC!! The first flight was flown there by brothers Orville & Wilbur Wright. And there’s all kinds of exciting things to do there.
I agree with the dog, he is saying what in hell do you think you are doing, get back here. Seriously I was concerned about the location with wind turbines in your path. good luck, take some lessons soon.
Theres just too many comments to read. So I`ll just ask. When you say "no training". Did you mean no training in that particular aircraft? Or no flight training?
No training in an aircraft at this point I had only ridden in a small plane once and the pilot did let me fly it a bit he just turned the controls over we where in the air for about 15 minutes I spent the next year searching for instructors and talking to flight academy that gave me the run around I spent the next several months on you tube watching old army flight training videos and every other type of flight video I could find when driving down the road in my truck I would also set the cruise and push my feet in the direction I would be turning the wheel to simulate rudder pedals the day I flew this airplane I had zero intention of flying my plan was only to taxi I had taxid it several times and was just wanting to fly the tail you can see as I get close the the end of the runway when I'm making a hard left I knew o was going to hit the line of dirt I left with motor grader and I knew I was about to mess up the plane so I just gassed on it and spent the next several minutes trying to land
Just wriight brothers style still looking for an instructor plane has been apart for about a year the cables on vertical stabilizer where pulling down and causing rudder to rub on horizontal stabilizer if they where lose enough not to the tail vertical stabilizer and rudder would flop left and right I did away with cables replaced them with aluminum tube and replaced fuel lines added fuel primer replaced tail wheel
I really do hope you have respect enough for families on the road with you to wait till you are NOT driving to watch videos of any kind. I am hoping I just read that wrong.
@@ericblankenship6564 no sir the driving down the road part is when I would go left or right I would move my feet kinda to simulate getting used to steering with my feet the watching videos was done normally before falling asleep or any other time I had that I wasnt working on something
You sir are one of the luckiest people alive! Taildragger...good breeze at 8 o'clock...rough uneven strip... clearly barely enough power... very low altitude depending on said low power to get you out of trouble... your plane your life i know... snickering camera lady.... all funny till its the day of your funeral
@@kennethsmith1233- For goodness sake. Beside all that, instruct your "ground crew" to keep that dog under control... Friend lost is dog, properly "sliced" by the propeller. Let alone the fact they lost the favorite family pet. And had a bloody mess to take care afterwards. Thankfully, if we can say that, no damage to the plane and most important, the pilot! Best of luck.
Get a bit of altitude so if the engine loses power you have a bit of time to plan for the landing. At low level if the engine hiccups at all there will be little time to choose a path clear of trees or power lines. That plane will not glide well and will loose airspeed quickly because of the high drag design. It will not be a very good glider. Also land and take off into the wind. Get the nose down quickly if you pull back the throttle or loose power. It will reach stall speed quickly. I used to fly a 2 seat ultra light on floats with a 65hp rotax 2 stroke.
You are right about that on my 4th flight I was trying to see how far I could glide with no engine I did not shut it off just let it idle I glided a good wais and should not have let the engine just set and idle as long as I did I should have been gassing on it from time to time to keep from fouling plugs being a 2 stroke but I did find out that day the hi-max glides great with engine out that is if your comparing it to how a rock glides lol
I'm pretty sure the Wright brothers had no one to train them. There are adventurers out there and GOD bless them. The rest of you need to quit crying about someone else who has the courage to be his own man. Hats off to you Kenneth!! Great job!!
I'm thanking abour 3 to 7 days maybe I can't remember west Texas winds don't allow people like me to fly everyday we have free time the second or 3rd time i flew was around the 20mph winds a good pilot could handle it no problem but for me any wind is to much it took me a while to get it on the ground the i made several passes my last one the wind had just stoped for a bit lined it up perfectly made it look like I knew what I was doing lol
Windmills, power lines, and drilling equipment oh my. Did you ever get those flight lessons? .... Are you still alive? ... Do you still have the airplane? If yes to all, good show!
Tittle is a bit miss leading I spend alot of my spare time on you tube watching the old military flight training videos and just every other flight video I can still have the plane have been up 4 times so far wish I had time for lessons and could find a good instructor I had talked to a few I could find close to me but just got the run around
@@kennethsmith1233 in this day and age it is very difficult to get someone to just take you up for a flight lesson. I recommend finding a small airfield near you and just spend time with the pilots. I rarely get to fly either, but I still have good friends who I can go up with. A friend is far less likely to give you the run-around than a business that wants to get you a full fledged license for 10 grand.
this was dumb. you can't learn from watching videos. especially on a taildragger. it's been a year since this video was made. how many times have you crashed it? are you even still alive?@@kennethsmith1233
Nice. Even pilots with training have zero experience with any new aircraft they have never flown. You can learn the basics but the only way to learn an ultralight is to get in and fly it. An ultralight is going to fly different from a Cessna 150. No one should jump in without at least learning the basics. I have watched lots of video instruction and especially crash videos to find out why it happened so that I don't make a similar mistake.
"Oh say, can you SEE, the RAMPARTS in front of ME! I MISSED the strip, oh what a trip! I hope the only stripes that must be CLEEEEAAANED. . . -ARE the ones left in my UNDIES!
@@ericblankenship6564 after all the grass and such died in the dirt down the side I smoothed it out also made runway wider I figure I need double what a real pilot needs for take off and landing
Damn the negativity. Damn fine effort. Do us all a favor, though, and go to ground school. Looks like you could have kept that tail higher for longer when you landed, but hey, you aren't dead.
How could people dislike this? Yes it is considered dumb to try and learn how to fly by trial and error, but he is out there chasing his dreams, he built it and now he is flying it all without a piece of training or instruction. No one who did anything great every had an instruction manual, they just got out and figured it out and that is why I commend you sir, for having the balls to go out and chase your dreams. Happy trails!
True, however most of them wound up dead.
1 tire fire how could you not
@@AlexZaboroski ?
@@bEEBO178 We all end up dead at some point, at least he's doing something where if he were to die he'd have a smile on his face
@Airstrip Kid Agreed!
Only a few of us have the experience of 1st flight with no lessons. Nobody can take that away from you ever! That is priceless. Most naysayers don’t have the guts to risk death based on what they perceive as unknown. I see equipment around which develops skills. You probably knew you were not the panicking type. I couldn’t get lessons either. I taught myself remote control airplane skills without lessons. The guys swear that’s crazy also. I’m not saying it wasn’t a huge or the ultimate risk you took, but nobody hardly knows what getting back on the ground felt like. First I hopped off runway suddenly at about 30 ft. Reduced power and realized that was not right. Added some power slowly reducing power until sink rate was good, smooth landing. After my heart beat got back to normal I throttled up and took off. I looked down after climb out and saw all the cows in field below me. ( I’m in Texas too) I’m flying now. After three circles of grass field. I decided to land. 1st landing was great, next 2 weren’t as good. My nerves were shot. I called it a success.
Finally found some lessons. My instructor didn’t want to let my solo or stall his plane. I used my own for that. He signed me off in 7hrs.
I did go on to lessons after about 60hrs in ultralight. I did this to learn regulations, weather, and all the technical stuff the guys we’re talking about. You lived you won!
Wow thats the most bullshit one person can say on the youtube
Good job getting it back on the ground in one piece! As a one time CFI with over 6,000 hrs flight time.......please get a few hours training in conventional geared aircraft.
Or be a darwin award winner
No stick and rudder skills. I hope he at least learns these.
Wondering if it wasn't faked. Reminds me of a clown act in a Cub.
Ed Blevins yes. If not just for the actual flight training but some background in airspace and how things work. Certified pilots worst nightmare are pilots with no clue in the air.
@@AlexZaboroski I did tons of research and hours and hours of watching old military training videos
Kenneth some people just do not understand our dreams and passions.... god this is beautiful. Makes me realize it is possible. THANK YOU. Cannot wait for my own
I am 65 years old and I have diabetes. I doubt if I could get a pilot's license. Having said that, all my life I have wanted to fly. So I probably would buy an ultralight. Guess what? I am going to get lessons anyway. Why? Because I want to fly safely and I want to die of natural causes. Vaughn
And some people do not understand the safety requirements for Regulations and Licensing. You need a license to fly an ultralight in Canada and I'm glad you do.
Some people don't realize that their family needs them and that with a minimal investment of time, money, and a little respect for the future of ultralight flying he could be far safer in the air. He (and she) made so many needless mistakes here that I lost count. By all means pursue your dreams but maybe help yourself a little so you can live to continue flying. The odds have a way of catching up. Like the wise man said: " There are old pilots. There are bold pilots. But there are very few old, bold pilots."
@@lloydsumpter7735I am from Markham Ontario and I am going to the states to fly an ultralight. But I do have 35 hours of training.
His dog knew his master was up there. My doberman does the same thing, altho tied up in front of the hangar. Good flight, Buddy. practice makes perfect
7000 hour commercial pilot and former cfi here! Nice work! I know many self trained pilots where im from. It used to be common. Do get some training when you can and learn spins and stalls. But nice work!
If that truly was the first time you ever flew an airplane, my hats off to ya. You sir, have balls of steel. I don't care how much you think you know about control of an aircraft. Until you feel how to control it you are kind herding it through the air. Precise control takes practice. Without precise control it can be fatal. THAT takes some serious stones. Good job!
It really showes how well that aircraft was built I owe my good flight to it
If I could teach you one thing, just ONE, altitude is your friend.
A stall at that altitude would be fatal.
@@thesailjunkie Yip.
Lol ... I was eyeing those wind turbines!
@J G Even if there was an altitude restriction, I very much doubt someone with no training would be able to read a sectional chart.
@@HiddenWindshield What's a sectional chart?
Good job, Ken.. I know you learned a lot on this and successive flights. The takeoff and landing were a little shaky, but you walked away AND you can use the airplane again. I know the naysaying rank and file pilots are screaming at this point, so I'll be blunt. It's your life, you were not in a populated area so the only one to be hurt or killed was you. You owe no one anything except yourself, so enjoy flying!
@J W As I reread my comment, I see that I never mentioned anywhere that it was good flying, so I don't see that I need to defend anything. If he kills himself, his kids will know that he died doing what he loved and he had balls the size of Texas.
Or dying..
I just don't know how you know where he was unless you live there, or whether there were people around or other things that would cost a lot to replace if he ran into them like a windmill. I got no trouble with the spirit of this , cuz I think that's great period I just think it would have been better if he found some place a little safer to do it. As an attorney, I see those windmills and I don't know how much they cost but if he smashes into one, I'm pretty sure that it would cost his estate everything that it has. That's why ignorance really is bliss...
@@WendelltheSongwriter As an attorney, how about his estate sues the power company for not doing anything to deal with Ultralight collisions that are clearly a legal form of aviation. Maybe if he whacks one taking off or landing, it should be on him. But while he was just moving around, he is like anyone else operating a legal means of aviation. Do those things actually make any net power, and if not, what are they doing there endangering lives. Maintenance of those blades is a typical problem as they get scoured by rain and dust. If the visibility of the blades was compromised...
@@clflyguy ... and a brain the size of a pea...
I fly this same plane after flying with my buddy in his 4 seater 2 times. I bought this same plane. Took it up and landed perfect. Never had any formal training. Easy. Y’all make it look hard if u have common sense and are half ass smart this is a piece of cake
Printed on a tombstone.
Good example of why flight training is such a good idea. Problem is you don't know what you don't know till it reaches out and bites you. Then it's to late. Himax is a nice little airplane though, I flew one for about 150 hrs. Had the fiberglass gear and a strobe lite like your's. sold it about 13 years ago. If you search my name on here, you can find vides of it. Hope you got some lesions and didn't wreck it or hurt yourself. Jim
A brave soul, Orville, and Wilber would be proud.
You fall off a surfboard you get wet, you correct an asymmetric stall with aileron instead of rudder, you get a funeral. If I was in the insurance business I would not offer this man a policy.
🤣🤣
No instruction and in a taildragger! I learned in an ultralight two seater that l bought to get trained in. I could not afford to crack it up so paying an instructor friend of mine just $75.00 for 5 1/5 hours was cheap insurance. Ultralight taildraggers are not the most docile plane to keep from ground looping and I would NOT suggest trying teach yourself in one of them at all!!!! 5 1/2 hours is not enough training but makes quite a difference. I'm glad to see this flight worked out.
Seen more graceful takeoffs, but none more liberating ! Love it. !
Since there are so many negative comments I feel like I must add one positive one. Good job for flying and landing safely. I’m glad that you had the courage to follow your dreams. Be careful, stay safe, have fun.
Did I hear someone say, "Okay, just hold my beer."
They say: "If you not fall down from a bike you will never learn how to ride one" In this case it is a bit risky to learn from your own mistakes, lessons would be a great idea although You have balls to try it yourself and every landing after which you can walk away in one piece is a successful one!. Good luck but as an instructor I am still advising you to take few lessons!
well said Michael agreed he may have studied for months online and got better and better with taxiing and very low flight I doubt he jus got in and hit full power also he is in the middle of nowhere getting an instructor may be a challenge just glad he made it hope he is still flying around safely
I wonder if his huge balls put him over the weight limit lol
Wilbur & Orville did it. He’s experiencing their experience. They had a dream & didn’t let anyone destroy it. Kudos my friend!
The fact that it sounds like a weed whacker and it flys, it's awesome... Great job .
So much hate in the comments. Sure, the takeoff was a bit rough. The landing was a bit long, but there were trees he wanted to be clear of. He flew his plane, landed his plane, and lived to see another flight. Many people have done just this. Pilots with thousands of hours can die in a plane crash just as easy as those with 0 hours. And unless he was flying one of your family members, or flying right over your house, what does it matter?
I do love seeing how many people think that he was even relatively close to the windmills. They clearly don't realize that this plane could fit INSIDE the generator area, or just the massive size of the things. At least a mile separated any windmills and this plane. Oh well, to each their own. Great job bringing it down safely, glad to see you put this out there for us, even the uneducated among us!
Wow! You flew good and you handled it like you were relaxed 👍
Agreed. Lessons are a must. I bought a completed V Max but I will not fly it until i take lessons and get a license.
Well in America you don’t get a license for a single seat ultralights, but I understand where you’re coming from.
Lessons? We don't need no stinkin' lessons!
Well Ken, you had a few moments in amongst all that! Hat's off to you for doing it & showing it!!
and who the hell do ya think instructed the Wright brothers? The man's got the right to get it right the first time.
Right on!
The Wright brothers were experienced glider pilots before they flew their aircraft under power and they had also studied the techniques of the great glider pilot, Otto Lillienthal, so they brought a lot of skills to the act of flying the powered aircraft. They were way ahead of their time as far as aircraft were concerned. This guy is so far behind his aircraft, the only surprise is that he isn't dead or injured. For the sake of a few hours tuition, he is being pointlessly reckless.
Yes he does have the right to get it right but he might not get the chance.
Two things I can't believe. 1. At LEAST he didn't stall it. 2. There wasn't a damaging ground loop.
That airplane is a kitten to fly.
Great job man! I tried the same thing in my spitfire UL I had, had a hard landing, repaired the landing gear, sold it, and bought a microlight trike..taking training in April..lol.. I didn’t get hurt, but it coulda been a lot worse, thankfully I only made it 20 ft off the ground and my rudders were tangled up in a hanging wire above the pedals, as I was taking off, I had a bit of rotor to the left, went for right rudder input and they were frozen! As I headed for a direct hit into the hangar, I pulled right aileron and slammed into the ground in a slip while spinning ...wow! That was scary enough to make me want training..lol.. good luck , fly high and fly safe!
Wow what a story glad you came out without any major injuries and glad it did not scare you away aviation be safe out there
@@SR-gs8zo yes, but had I took training, I would’ve known to check rudders before flight…the time of da6 was wrong… I had never flown at that t8me… made it out alive, but if I would’ve been educated,I would never had tried to fly considering the weather, and time of day..👊🏻
I'm certain that once a person decides to land, without any experience, it's simply amazing how fast that runway runs towards you and how it can confuse you by moving around on you dodging your attempts to land on it. 🥴
From someone with about three hundred hours in ultralights... If you decide to try to fly without training, make sure your affairs are in order, and that you apologize to those who love you, before you do.
Good for him! Outstanding work, build the aircraft and pilot the thing. The only way to learn is by doing. He's staying with it. Thanks for sharing. J.
this man showed a lot of courage, thanks mr. smith. after reading these comments I must say I agree with both sides, it is evident that the forgotten man named igor sikorsky who developed the rotor wing aircraft. he had no one to train him. I taught myself in a rotor wing. I admit it was trial and error. if no one takes a chance, then where would that leave the rest of us. trust me. it is nothing like having a dream to fly. so we take that first step. even if it is a risk to life and limb. it is evident that all here are interested in the skies and for sure interested in Kenneth`s health. but some of you will never feel what he felt when he escaped the bonds of earth on his own. Kenneth what part of west texas do you live. may visit sometime. I live in east texas myself. we went to the moon for G. sakes.
Lessons would definitely be an advantage. BUT! So many fliers started somewhere, from scratch, on their own- no one was born a natural flier and the skills were obviously acquired from just having a go.
Doggy was quite keen, too. Hope you get away with it, and can keep going, best regards mate!
First video camera ever used: no training.
Ya that was pretty bad.
Taking off thru the wind generators (you dont see many videos of that)
Hey he looked pretty experienced at the end ....
Great entertainment. Love how there’s no worries about anything, like wind turbines, birds, dogs, choppy airstrip, training. Just go- awesome!
Even the dog knows that takoff was wrong....I am taking lessons and if I took off like that I would have been beaten in the airplane with good reason too. landing at the 3/4 end is also dangerous. Kudos for not getting killed. WoW!
He was mad I did not take him with me he allways goes everywhere with me
I was wondering why he landed so far down the dirt strip ?
Whhhhew glad he learned how to fly in a place with no aeronautical obstacles.
Great video sir. This is awesome 👍
Well, he got it down without ground-looping it, that's more than you can say for a lot of pilots!
I was thinking that very thing since he came in pretty hot.
Ground loop happens when your too slow
Hi, I remember when I got my pilots license one thing I had to learn was recovery of a stalled aircraft, this was done at around 3000 ft, this was to get used to recovering the aircraft within 200 ft in the event of a stall, engine failure on take off ect, I think in seeing a comment, altitude is certainly your friend lol, all the best mate
Not sure what country you did your training or how many hours you have but if the wing stalls at 200ft you aint going to recover!
You’re a badass. Happy landings brother!
Ģreat job...all the wind generators towers made it a real challenge!
There about a mile off
What engine do you have? Seems to fly well. I also first flew without instruction. Did perfectly fine. Is it riskier? Yes ofc. But its a free mans right to do as he wishes. All the rest of you can shutup. Leave the guy alone and give him some kudos for having more balls than 90% of the population. He knew the risks. His choice. Well done sir. Where you located?
447 rotax double the hp the hi-max needs however without thoes extra horses to pull me out of a bind I dont thank I would have gotten off the ground
Close to around Midland tx
Breath taking and not in the exciting sense. I'm no pilot but watching all the things that I thought were wrong gave me goose bumps. Weaving all over the very rough strip, near giant wind turbines and overhead power lines. I was waiting to see if he collected any of them and to have the dog running around loose on the 'strip' was not a good ides in my opinion.
Look at all these comments what right do you have to tell this guy haw to live his life it’s his life he can do what he wants this was obviously a dream of his and he did it successfully why not be happy for him what does it have to do with you is it any of your business did he put you in danger or anybody elses? I cannot believe it over and over bitching about this guy Even his dog and the wind farming and his wife what someone said about her A bunch of codependent idiots just shut up and let that guy live his life every person has the right to do what they want why don’t you just respect his decision and stop being such a bunch of armchair policemen you’ve seen the Isle of Man motorcycle race ask one of the racers there they would be all for this guy doing it there’s a race people know Some will die they want to challenge death A concept nobody understands here except for the pilot and his wife and dog they know the risk and it’s their right to do it that’s the difference between men and boys this guys obviously a man and I salute him for going for it whether I would’ve done it that way noprobably not but it’s not my decision to make this is one of the problems in the world live and let live to each his own even if he would’ve crashed his plane and died and I can only imagine the comments but that again is his right to live and die the way he wants he had the support of his wife and his dog lol OK leave them alone it’s says a lot about all you people criticizing what’s wrong with you to do that don’t you believe in freedom oh never thought of that did you?he’s going for it this was a great day for him and And one he’ll remember for the rest of his life I think he did great congrats on your first solo!
Did we get a little carried away here, or just a little too high?
Was there a ground loop in the end? Either way, nice work w/ no training, especially w/ no tail wheel time.
No ground loop but i was pretty dang close to one
This is the same exact way I learned how to fly just got in one and figured it out after your off the ground and make a couple circles u catch on very quick to what does what kudos to you sir learning is the only way to do it and that’s how head first book can’t teach ya crap if yours hands on like me
Tap on the shoulder for the pilot and he got her down well just a little more traing and one on the groud wit a radio to talk hi in
Yikes - nice job surviving, Ken. I don't mind saying, looked sketchy as hell. I would try to get more air under my wings. 500' AGL, anyway. Low is (contrary to instincts) dangerous.
A Darwin award for sure. Glad you got down in one piece. You're no less a person if you have a few lessons. His family and friends would have been sad if he was injured or worse.
I tried to get lessons there are little to no instructors in our area
@@kennethsmith1233 Well, you're not a bad person if you love flying. Good luck. Be safe.
Well... At least he didn't fly the airplane with the same level of skill the camera operator showed. He would have crashed for sure.
I thought she did pretty well for as much as she was freaking out about it considering I was only planning on taxing she did a good job keeping her freakout contained lol
😂
imagine how nervous she was, they both did great although I would recommend a little training
Great Job!!
@@kennethsmith1233 Yeah, the few noises she did make on tape definitely betrayed her apparent terror. You owe her big for this stunt. :-)
Congratulations on your first solo. Not going to ride you like others but a few hours with a LSA instructor that specializes in conventional landing gear(AKA tail draggers) would be a real help and not too expensive as many charge about 150 an hour.
You know it’s sketchy when even the dog doesn’t like the takeoff
I've seen a lot of dogs chase cars but dogs chasing airplanes that's a new one and I've been around awhile
I grew up in a small town with an airstrip. Dogs chase planes a time or two. Then theres a piece here, a piece there .... Prop does quite a job on a dog.
Gr8 ride. Maybe next flight have more obstacles to make it more interesting!
This guy definitely has big ones. Young and bold but never old and bold.
Takes balls to do that. Even more to land. Hats off. It's your life. Better than dying at a stop sign after being hit from behind. But take a lesson or 2
It doesn't take balls to land. It takes balls to land when you still have fuel.
Wow, it's awesome. Nice plane sir, how much weight of this, in Kilogram?
Great job Thank you for sharing !
So, on takeoff, there was a quartering wind from the front, right to left. That pushed him to the left until he lifted off. At that point he immediately weathervaned into the wind - to the right. Right?
Kinda looks like that but not quiet
actually I was not planning on taking off I just practicing taxi getting a little faster and faster just trying to get a grip on the tail wheel my runway was to narrow for my skill at this time and I git a little out of control and was shooting to the left side and was going to hit the little wind row of dirt on the edge of the runway so I made a split decision to just gas on it and attempt to get a little off the ground before I tore up my plane the dirt row would have done damage when Before I knew it I was in the air and shooting off to the right this aircraft the prop spins to the left so it requires alot of left rudder instead of right rudder
@@kennethsmith1233 Cool, thanks for the reply. Are you still flying?
@@commentatron yes but not in this plane sold it a while back and wish I'd never got rid of it
@@kennethsmith1233 Ultralight sized, or something bigger?
@@commentatron just been flying with some friends I've got a couple ultralight I've been working on but not ready just need a little more fabric work to be ready
Never seen anyone take off ACROSS a runway before. Prayers for his family...
Derek Downs 🤣🤣 This video reminds me of an old Harold Loyd , three stooges or Jethro Clampet flick 🤣 just find an airplane get in and take the heck off!
He got lessons from u tube.
Love your content; only downside is there's not enough! Where's your home airstrip? Is that a Husky mix always trying to poleaxe your landings?
West tx I'll try to get some more bit there has not been much good flying weather if there is any wind I'm not going up o try my best to stay within my limits
As for the pup he is a mutt lol his mom was a full bloud jerman shepherd with papers his daddy was a fence jumper there was a wolf that lived in the neighborhood that was known for getting out but not sure they gave all the puppy's away I got lucky and got a new best friend I had no idea he was going to chase me but should have known he gets mad if I leave on or in anything he even rides motorcycles with me
@@kennethsmith1233 You're doing something that I imagine mankind/hominids have dreamed of for several hundred thousand years - maybe millions. I can't salute you enough, my man. With luck I will soon join your ranks, and I ask permission from you in advance to fly the K. Smith Air Force colors.
@@jimfree0 that's awsome I wish you the best of luck some tips is there is somone on RUclips that post all the old military flight training videos watch the heck out of those there verry informative and contributed to my success in flight also any time I would be driving down the road I would move my feet in the direction i would be turning the wheel just a bit sorta getting ready for rudder pedals
Loved the way they let that dog in all over the runway. Nothing like a little interference in landing to deal with on your first flight.
I'm impressed that someone with no training checked 'full, free and correct' movement of control surfaces before moving.
Like I stated in other comments I watched a ton of videos on RUclips and such like old military training videos and just every other video I could watch on the matter it wasnt like I had never seen anything about a plane before
I don't think google searches qualify as "training" lol
Seems to be the, dare I use it in this context, logical thing to do.
Well, It's not like he was a newcomer to airplanes - - - after all, he BUILT the thing.
You can't bring a spoiled, won't-mind pooch to an event like that, unless you are going to give him a ride. ;}
He dosnt like me doing anything without him and is normally very well mannered and has never gone after a plane before but is no longer allowed to just hang out when I fly for this reson
@6:00.... Going around is always an option.... And in that case a good option.
Nice flight, I was thinking ground loop for sure. I bet you had to clean your shorts especially on that landing!
I appreciate anyone who loves to fly, it's all fun and games untill that 2 stroke quits on you in one of those low high bank turns. For those who are getting their flight training from youtube, start with searching a low altitude stall and spin. Might make you rethink a couple hours with a CFI. Not judging just want the sport to stay safe.
simrey33 Agreed, classic mistake of adding rudder, if landing and off of extended centre line due to overshoot or crosswind, and a stall, or worse low altitude spin is induced. Makes my palms sweaty watching this video.
Safe??? After my seventh forced landing I see nothing safe about it.
All take-offs are optional but landings are compulsary. A little training goes a long way. Better to be wise, than sorry. Low level mistakes are rarely forgiving. Good luck!
Very true
Permission to buzz the tower. “Negative, Ghostrider, the pattern is full.”
Y’all should go to Kill Devil Hills in the Outer Banks of NC!! The first flight was flown there by brothers Orville & Wilbur Wright. And there’s all kinds of exciting things to do there.
Very brave, especially with all those windmills 😳
I agree with the dog, he is saying what in hell do you think you are doing, get back here. Seriously I was concerned about the location with wind turbines in your path. good luck, take some lessons soon.
Some say that after this he flew a C130, cos it was the only aircraft with enough tie downs for his own under carriage..👍
Big thumbs up from me fella.
Theres just too many comments to read. So I`ll just ask. When you say "no training". Did you mean no training in that particular aircraft? Or no flight training?
No training in an aircraft at this point I had only ridden in a small plane once and the pilot did let me fly it a bit he just turned the controls over we where in the air for about 15 minutes I spent the next year searching for instructors and talking to flight academy that gave me the run around I spent the next several months on you tube watching old army flight training videos and every other type of flight video I could find when driving down the road in my truck I would also set the cruise and push my feet in the direction I would be turning the wheel to simulate rudder pedals the day I flew this airplane I had zero intention of flying my plan was only to taxi I had taxid it several times and was just wanting to fly the tail you can see as I get close the the end of the runway when I'm making a hard left I knew o was going to hit the line of dirt I left with motor grader and I knew I was about to mess up the plane so I just gassed on it and spent the next several minutes trying to land
@@kennethsmith1233 WOW. Gutsy stuff. Your still alive so well done. Have you since taken lessons? Or just going it Wriight Bros. style?
Just wriight brothers style still looking for an instructor plane has been apart for about a year the cables on vertical stabilizer where pulling down and causing rudder to rub on horizontal stabilizer if they where lose enough not to the tail vertical stabilizer and rudder would flop left and right I did away with cables replaced them with aluminum tube and replaced fuel lines added fuel primer replaced tail wheel
I really do hope you have respect enough for families on the road with you to wait till you are NOT driving to watch videos of any kind. I am hoping I just read that wrong.
@@ericblankenship6564 no sir the driving down the road part is when I would go left or right I would move my feet kinda to simulate getting used to steering with my feet the watching videos was done normally before falling asleep or any other time I had that I wasnt working on something
awesome man.........I'd be fool enough.
You sir are one of the luckiest people alive! Taildragger...good breeze at 8 o'clock...rough uneven strip... clearly barely enough power... very low altitude depending on said low power to get you out of trouble... your plane your life i know... snickering camera lady.... all funny till its the day of your funeral
Oh Man ! You shouldn´t be talking that kind of risk. Next time may be worst, just take a few lessons, much cheaper that a doctor !
I looked for instructors called several went and talked to some allways got the runaround
@@kennethsmith1233- For goodness sake. Beside all that, instruct your "ground crew" to keep that dog under control... Friend lost is dog, properly "sliced" by the propeller. Let alone the fact they lost the favorite family pet. And had a bloody mess to take care afterwards. Thankfully, if we can say that, no damage to the plane and most important, the pilot!
Best of luck.
AMERICA!
oooof that take off was ruuuuuff
Bro ur crazy bit I like it, looks like a dream
Really hot no wind and very under powered?!
The dog is saying, "Come back!" If it's true he really didn't know how to fly, he's a very lucky man.
Yeah the dog was pretty upset I think he was just as surprised as I was when I left the ground
Get a bit of altitude so if the engine loses power you have a bit of time to plan for the landing. At low level if the engine hiccups at all there will be little time to choose a path clear of trees or power lines. That plane will not glide well and will loose airspeed quickly because of the high drag design. It will not be a very good glider. Also land and take off into the wind. Get the nose down quickly if you pull back the throttle or loose power. It will reach stall speed quickly. I used to fly a 2 seat ultra light on floats with a 65hp rotax 2 stroke.
You are right about that on my 4th flight I was trying to see how far I could glide with no engine I did not shut it off just let it idle I glided a good wais and should not have let the engine just set and idle as long as I did I should have been gassing on it from time to time to keep from fouling plugs being a 2 stroke but I did find out that day the hi-max glides great with engine out that is if your comparing it to how a rock glides lol
So freaking close to ground loop on landing lol well done getting her down.
I'm pretty sure the Wright brothers had no one to train them. There are adventurers out there and GOD bless them. The rest of you need to quit crying about someone else who has the courage to be his own man. Hats off to you Kenneth!! Great job!!
I hope he learns to use the approach end of the runway and moves the grader!
How long did it take for you to do your next flight?
I'm thanking abour 3 to 7 days maybe I can't remember west Texas winds don't allow people like me to fly everyday we have free time the second or 3rd time i flew was around the 20mph winds a good pilot could handle it no problem but for me any wind is to much it took me a while to get it on the ground the i made several passes my last one the wind had just stoped for a bit lined it up perfectly made it look like I knew what I was doing lol
You can see how the plane naturally turns to the right, he forgot to set the wings for a linear take off! good job in not crashing tho!
That's some bloody dangerous air to be flying in mate hahaha ,,,no night ops I would hope !
Damn near ground looped!
Windmills, power lines, and drilling equipment oh my. Did you ever get those flight lessons? .... Are you still alive? ... Do you still have the airplane? If yes to all, good show!
Tittle is a bit miss leading I spend alot of my spare time on you tube watching the old military flight training videos and just every other flight video I can still have the plane have been up 4 times so far wish I had time for lessons and could find a good instructor I had talked to a few I could find close to me but just got the run around
@@kennethsmith1233 in this day and age it is very difficult to get someone to just take you up for a flight lesson. I recommend finding a small airfield near you and just spend time with the pilots. I rarely get to fly either, but I still have good friends who I can go up with. A friend is far less likely to give you the run-around than a business that wants to get you a full fledged license for 10 grand.
this was dumb. you can't learn from watching videos. especially on a taildragger. it's been a year since this video was made. how many times have you crashed it? are you even still alive?@@kennethsmith1233
@@nathanielcohen9890
You stick to watching, get fat and live long... you deserve it :)
xxx
Nice. Even pilots with training have zero experience with any new aircraft they have never flown. You can learn the basics but the only way to learn an ultralight is to get in and fly it. An ultralight is going to fly different from a Cessna 150. No one should jump in without at least learning the basics. I have watched lots of video instruction and especially crash videos to find out why it happened so that I don't make a similar mistake.
I am planning to do the same .. build my own ultralight and fly it without training
Just do alot of taxing and simulate using a rudder while you drive down the road also watch all the old military training videos on you tube
That was crazy take off without rudder input like a drunken sailor or aviator
"Oh say, can you SEE, the RAMPARTS in front of ME! I MISSED the strip, oh what a trip! I hope the only stripes that must be
CLEEEEAAANED. . .
-ARE the ones left in my UNDIES!
Maybe paint markers might be a little better than dirt speed bumps... Just to be on the safe side
@@ericblankenship6564 after all the grass and such died in the dirt down the side I smoothed it out also made runway wider I figure I need double what a real pilot needs for take off and landing
Hey, I just want you to keep on enjoying the skies and doing it as safely as possible.
Where was this flight?
LOL Balls. You throw those short's out after?
Damn the negativity. Damn fine effort. Do us all a favor, though, and go to ground school. Looks like you could have kept that tail higher for longer when you landed, but hey, you aren't dead.