Hello from the Highlands of Scotland

[Pilot Pete]

Hello one and all.

Only recently found this site but what i've seen so far has all been good.

A little bit about myself.

Ex military diver that got paid to blow things up. Took a fancy to flying
gyroplanes after first seen James Bond, alias Commander Ken Wallace flying one. (Sad I know but at least i'm honest.)

All my training was conducted at Carlisle and Kirkbride in North West England, a round trip of 600 miles from my home in Fort William. Consequently my training took a lot longer that I envisaged.

Training was mainly on the VPM M16T (40 flying hours) until I bought my own machine a Montgomery Benson B8MR (45 flying hours).

Since qualifying PPL (G) all my flying has been from Connel airfield near Oban in Scotland. Now I only have to traveling time of an hour.

A couple of links if you're interested show the North west Gyroplane club and my new club in Scotland.

http://www.nwgyro.co.uk/

http://www.connelflyingclub.org.uk/

Hope i've inserted the links correctly, but i'm sure you can all work it out.

Pete Clare

[Gypsy]

Hi welcome to the site, yes it is a good find I myself are still catching up on the forums. Also I am training at Kirkbride have got 19 hours training but having to wait till they get the ELA up and running as Chris won't train any more on single seat gyros and I dont particularly fancy them TBO so having to wait whenever that may be.

[Timchick]

Welcome, Pete. Excellent scenery on the nwgyro website. Does your gyro have a pod?

[Pilot Pete]

Hi Tim and Steven,

Thanks for the welcome.

Tim, No pod on my Gyro, luckily. The CAA grounded all single seat gyros that had a pod earlier this year for qualified pilots with less than 50 hours. The exeptions were aircraft that were open frame and aircraft that had, had a lowered thrust line. This involved installing a stepped keel and reversing the gearbox to lower the thrust line. All to prevent PPO I believe.

Steven, I think Chris stopped training single seat because he was getting to many grey hairs, LOL.

When I work out how to, I'll post some pictures of my gyro

[gab76]

Welcome Pete,

I looked at your sites you made reference to and enjoyed them. I noticed that some of you fly with Lynx helmets? I have been using them for training the last two years and really like them. I can actually talk to the students and they can hear me...

Question, I noticed the white colored plastic collar attached to the bottom of the helmet's windscreen. I was looking into buying one and was wondering how much quietor it made the area around the microphone to have it than to not have one. Have you seen a great difference in the quietness from the engine noise? With the engine behind you, I was wondering if it made a difference or not.

BTW, I may be over there visiting Ireland and perhaps Scotland April2007 with Kieran Padden. I hope to meet you, your club and fly some gyroplanes!

[C. Beaty]

My one and only visit to Scotland was a refueling stop at Prestwick aboard a USAF DC-4, longer ago than I care to admit.

It was a cold, dreary, drizzling Sunday morning shortly after daybreak.

The approach to the airport was over a golf course crawling with lunatics knocking golf balls about whereas sane people would have been home in bed.

I tried to buy something at one of the shops in the terminal building. The young lady behind the counter and I were both convinced the other was unable to speak English; I with a Southern drawl and she with her Highland dialect.

Welcome to the forum.

[Pilot Pete]

Hi Greg,

I also use the Lynx headset and helmet but don't use the neck dam, I think it's more of a personal choice

When training in the VPM intercom comms were very clear. I only ever had wind noise if I turned my head over to one side.

The neck dam can help to keep your neck warm but I just use a neck warmer.

Pete

[Pilot Pete]

Mr C,

Prestwick is one of the easier accents to understand. Some places in Scotland, even I need a phrase book. LOL.

Pete

[jlmitche]

Top of the morning to you Pete.
Welcome to the forum.

[Tina]

Welcome Pete to the forum. Do you know of any women gyro pilots in your country?

[Pilot Pete]

Welcome Pete to the forum. Do you know of any women gyro pilots in your country?

Hi Tina,

Yes there are a few women pilots although I have only met one

Pete