Preferred Flying Configuration

[ToddP]

Everyone has a preference. What is yours?

[PW_Plack]

Call me a dreamer, but I live in Portland, where it's perfect summer for three months, and rain the other 9. I want a convertible...options 1 and 2!

[Caribean_gyro]

Paul
where in Oregon. I use to work for intel and was in hillsborou alsmost 4 time a year.

ChucP

[joeheli]

Where I live the best choise is open frame. There is "alote" to see on the island. :D . You coud ask Charles Peterson "caribean_gyro". he will second my opinion about That is "alote" to see here. :cool:

[PW_Plack]

Chuck,

Small world! I live in Hillsboro, about three miles from the Portland-Hillsboro Airport, and I work at KUIK radio, which is located in the airport terminal building!

[Screw]

Screw-In

I can't vote because "I don't know?" I've never flown in any kind of enclosed gyro.

Screw-Out

[Gary_in_Orygun]

Of course I'm voting for the machine I have (RAF2000). But I need another totally open machine for those 3 months of good weather Paul talked about and the occasional time I want to catch some bugs with my teeth.

So my preference is based on what kind of flying I feel like doing for the day. But with my fully-enclosed (doors optional), I have more choices. When I fork out big $$ I try to get the most utility I can for the money.

[barnstorm2]

Lawnchairs RULE !! :D

[mrford61]

I have a pod and windshield I can attach or remove in about 45 minutes.

I prefer the " lawnchair " but put the pod on from time to time or if I intend to go a long distance where the extra comfort and extra 10-15 mph is nice.

[joeheli]

Wow ! nice picture barnstorm. And you are wright "LAWNCHAIRS RULES"! :D :D

[mceagle]

Excellent Photo Tim, obviously a good camera. Enough to give me a nose bleed (Ay Birdy) - Out of couriosity, why so much left rudder? do you run a drift string?

[Friendly]

you guys are killing me with those great shots, I still have to go thru training and complete my Benson. Everybody at work wants me to take out life insurance and list them as benifactors. But I can't break the addiction when I see one of those pictures. God Bless Mr. Benson and others like him for making it possible to see this world from up there in one of those flying lawn chairs

[PW_Plack]

Hey Mark,

If they're so sure, let them buy the policy and name themselves the beneficiaries!

[barnstorm2]

Mark,

Funny the exact same thing was running around me at my work but insted it was when I took up skydiving. I guess they consider gyros a lesser gamble but I have not heard it come up again in awhile.

I am pleased to know that the flying photos are inspiring fellow students. I like to go through the photos after I get home or the next day to 'debrief' and relive the flight.

Tim,

Thanks!

My little gyro is 'left peddle dominant".

This particular day was quite windy so it is exaggerated in the photo but I always run a little extra left. Trim does not help it much. The situation is that I have a 'classic' air command ( 80's vintage ) and when it was made there were no horizontal stabs on them. The empennage is right butt up to the prop. When I bought her I added a new tail with HStab and the improved joystick. However, I did not lengthen the keel as all of the later generation air command's have. Thus my HStab and rudder 'corner' in the prop blast which requires a little rudder finesse'.

I will correct the situation eventually, but for now my construction efforts are focused on my 2-place.

[Caribean_gyro]

My best times were at hillsboro. here is a pic of my approach in the airport, ocean at the end.
Also when I am in stress I see the pic of my favorite mountain.



I will try to get more flying pics form the gyro.

ChuckP

[barnstorm2]

Chuck,

I would love to fly my lawnchair into that airport!

[barnstorm2]

Oh, Tim I forgot one of your answers:

Yes, I use redundant strings... ( my shoestrings :D )

[BenMullett]

Me, I love the idea of a lawnchair, but have a vertigo reaction that paralyses my legs, makes the eyes lose focus, & all the humorous side effects. :rolleyes: Must be old age. :eek:

I even start to get vertigo in the back of a Twinstarr, Chuck!
Could probably get used to it eventually - had to re-learn how to climb a mast on Pilgrim.

How you doing down there now? Looks good. We no longer have plans
for the Turks & Caicos, so we'll have to make a special trip to see you one day.

All the best, Ben

[Caribean_gyro]

Ben keep stright east of Caicos then a hard right and yoiu arrived. Dont stop at DOminican republic for direction. they will stir you to Cuba.

WE dont fly that much down here . It rains scattered thru the year so we fly 80% of the year and the other 20% we use a rain coat and fly around the rain.
ChuckP

Also have a wood replica panel for the twinstarr if you want one. selling it at cost.

[ymmv]

keep stright east of Caicos then a hard right and yoiu arrived. Dont stop at DOminican republic for direction. they will stir you to Cuba.

Sounds like the New England mariner's directions to Bermuda: "Sail due south until the butter melts, then make a left."

(This method is a little too David Lewis for my liking, though.)

[StanFoster]

I am obviously biased towards my RAf...otherwise..why would I have bought one? :D

Anyway...I loved flying my Air Command so much here in Illinois...that it prompted me to get an enclosed heated cabin such as my RAF and then be able to fly year round.

I love flying and in comfort. My wife noticed that I am not so antsy to go flying on "nice" days when the temperature is just perfect. Most of the days throughout the year are now "nice" days.

I get up there in my own little world and realize on every flight how nice it is not having to consider the wind and chill factor.

I used to fly my Bensen in the winter...and would keep warm on adrenaline for awhile...now I keep warm with hot water. :D

Stan

[mrford61]

45 minutes work from image 1 to image 2. :)

cheers

[birdy]

Spoton Mark,
I had one that I could remove in 10 minuits but it wasn't any way near as sexy as your's. I removed it in summer and put it on in winter ,trouble is we do most of the cattle work in winter and I couldn't see through it so it's down the dump now.

[BenMullett]

That's cool - neatly done too.

Chuck - I'd love to visit, but it won't happen this year! Your climate is a main attraction for us, but.... <sigh>


I like the modified directions, Bart - but wasn't there one given to Christopher Columbus (who rediscovered something-or-other ;) ) by the Portugese navigators :

"Go south until the butter melts and turn right"

Even he could manage that!

I'm a lot happier with Dr David Lewis than Columbus' famously shaky navigation. The ancient Pacific navigators had a real technology that worked, as did their boats.... see photo of our boat without pod!

(well I had to get back on topic somehow) :rolleyes:

All the best, Ben

[ymmv]

I'm a lot happier with Dr David Lewis than Columbus' famously shaky navigation.

Well, Ben, given where I live I don't guess I can complain too much about Columbus's results, can I? All said and done, I like this continent.

As for Lewis, he's a hero of mine even if I don't want to circumnavigate Antarctica in a cockleshell. He and Tilman, they both amaze me ... tough sonsab!tches. UK/NZ/Oz have made some amazing sailormen. Chichester, Knox-Johntson, Jones, McMullen ... Crowhurst (just kidding).

Nice looking boat, yours. I like monohulls, but then again you can probably set down your coffee mug without it getting launched galley west. There's something nice in the idea of a boat that sails on her bottom rather than her ear.

And to bring this back to something like on-topic: can anybody direct me to drawings of the tri-bladed autorotating vertical airfoil eggbeater "sails" on that crazy thing Jacques Cousteau built? I've always wondered about the details.

[Chopper Reid]

Even though I have a semi enclosed, my first machine, an open frame, was so much better for working stock, getting in and back from the refuelling truck and taking off from places people shouldnt !!
Trouble was I become a bit sick of being an iceberg in winter and cooking in summer !! Plus I now have room for more gauges

[Chopper Reid]

Cant you lean over the edge Birdy ?

[Chopper Reid]

You guys are making me envious with all these photos of "green" grass !!! We havent seen green grass for 10 years now......actually, havent seen any rain either !!

[Bob]

Welp Chopper Reid .... You ought to go out with a pail of green paint and a paint brush and paint some of them there stones .... you know kind'a make each rock look like a clump of grass ! ... in about a year or so you might even get enough of them to look like a grassy feild ! ...but don't try landing on it ! <grin>

.... hay now.... wait just a minute ! them cattle don't eat rocks ! there has to be grass out there somewhere ... unless them chew-moos eat the trees ! ..... I think someone is haveing a go at us here ! ...
I tell ya them Aussies sure are an onery bunch ! hehehehehe

Bob......

[WHY]

What no place for tractors?

Tony