What machine did you learn to fly in?

[Screw]

Screw-In

If someone had a single place open frame gyro (Bensen) and wanted to learn to fly it, his instructor has an enclosed side by side two place. How difficult would the transition be?

Screw-Out

[Whirlydog]

I think you forgot to include gyro gliders. I think there have been a bunch that learned that way. Neat polls though and will be interested what we learn from them.

Shawn

[birdy]

I was lucky in that regard John,the machine I bought was the same as the instructers,only mine was a single.All I had to concerntrate on was the lighter feeling of mine.
But I could imagine if I'd trained in an enclosed machine it may have been different.Especialy as I'v a fear of hights.
The poll question is one I'v been concerned about too.

[Caribean_gyro]

Birdy
you are missing the guys that learn the bensen way in your poll.
ChuckP :D

[Aussie_Paul]

I have transitioned many pilots from my Raf and Hybrid as well as many from my open frame side by side Air Command.

I have not found the transitioning difficult at all. I do make sure that The machine has the same stick throttle set up etc as my trainers, and I fly every students sin gle seater to make sure that the stick is in the same position as they are used to in my trainers.

I have had a couple of students go and do an hour in an open tandem, but they came back and said that it was uneccessary to do that.

If their machine is set up to fly the same as the trainer then as Birdy said it is just a matter of getting the feel for the lighter machine. That is when I use radio and be driving along behind out of their view keeping an eye until we have them doing nice hops.

The same as any new flying endevour, preparation is the key.

I learnt in a VW Bensen towed for a start with the engine stopped, then taxi runs to balance, then to hops, and then to circuits.

That was in March 1982, I had flown a single seat gyro glider in 1961 when I was 12 y/o.

Aussie Paul

[Caribean_gyro]

Paul we are then contenporary. I also started on 1982 . In a bensen trainer then on my KB2 glider. My thinking is that if the student learn the basics,speed, attitude manuvers, he cna transition smoother to another machine concept is the same . Just a diferent takeoff spped and glide speed vs the trainer.

chuckP

[birdy]

ChuckP,not sure what you mean in your post#4.

[ben]

i'm learning in a raf and i have a clt air-command when taxing mine it zips along a hole lot faster and quicker then an raf i have been training in. i have an ea81 on the back of mine

[PW_Plack]

Birdy,

Chuck appears to be referring to the lack of a poll option for those who learned in a single-place without an instructor, as in the Bensen method. All the choices are either tandem or side-by-side two-place machines.

[Screw]

Screw-In

Your right. I should have included an option in the pole to include self trained, but I don't know how to edit the pole.

Screw-Out

[joeheli]

I got couple of hour on C.Peterson tandem gyro. Then I start my classes the Bensen way.
The difference was from earth to sky. When you in a training trailer and a glider "with out a engine" the gyro is very light so is very sensitive. When I transitions to my gyro (powered gyro), for me was easier. The good thing about the Bensen way is that that way you will dominated the hardest part (controlling the gyro in a very sensitive situation). I think you learn faster this way!

[StanFoster]

3 weeks of taxiing my 90 horse Bensen on dads runway...balancing on the mains....crow hops...down the runway flights...then pattern work....then engine out practice.....then real engine out practice... :eek:

It was very easy going from my Quicksilver ultralight to the Bensen.

[cgmg]

Paul,

Our instructor used your same method for transition training to our machine. He would chase us on his little gas-powered scooter, and talk to us on the radio. It's a good system, as you are behind the student, so not a distraction, but are right there to help us with that ever-critical landing attitude.

Once we got beyond low crowhops, he would wait at the landing end of the runway, where he had an even better view of our descent progress.

He spend quite a few hours chasing both my wife and I down the runway, not sure how many miles he put on that thing, but it had to be a lot.

I hadn't thought about that experience for a while. Thanks for reminding me of a pleasant memory!

[scottessex]

A big ol black one! affectionately known by some of the locals, as the flying hardware store!

By the one and only Steve McGowan and the big black Parsons with the mazda powerhouse!

[John_Read]

The choices would not do for us Brits, either.

We have to do ten hours dual, and a minimum of 40 hrs total to get the PPL. Part of my dual time was on a VPM, and the rest in an RAF 2000. After that I trundled up and down the runway in my Montgomerie-Bensen doing balancing and low hops, then moved into the circuit and finally away to "learn by myself" armed with the UK PPL(G).

Now I am getting hints and further instruction from members of this forum and my instructor is very generous with his time answering phone calls!

At 72 hrs, I am still very much a beginner, but getting better .... I hope!

[Rehan K.Janjua]

Hello,

Started dual on a 532 SxS Air Command in Stanton Calif by Mr & Mrs Roger Roracks.
Fly my 582 Single out here for demo flights.Transition after the ground roll practise etc.
Check Rides on Magni M16 in Jo-burg S.Africa by Mr Eric Torr.

Rehan
AP-ZAZ

[scott heger]

I originally trained/soloed/and did a emergency solo engine out in SportCopter's 582 tandum in 1998. Also did some time in Mike Stump's two place side by side at Hemet. Mike's was by far the nicest scratch build gyro I have yet seen anywhere. However the longer tandum SportCopter was far more stable and forgiving to fly for a student. Jim V. also let me fly the new SportCopter trainer with the Sub motor. It is quite a improvment in power over the 582 and can be tossed around like a single place. I had those big blades popping like a Huey in steep banked turns, and it lands with lots of float in the bottom end for a big machine.

Scott Heger, Laguna Niguel, Ca N86SH

[REDHORSE556CES]

Golden Butterfly.