Is this statement true???

[Aussie_Paul]

This was posted in regards to our friend John leaving the gyro flying behind for the time being.

"This sport is dangerous! We all have to way that decision if it is worth the risk. Some people say just crossing the street you can get ran over but I say not if you look both ways you wont.

Gyros do have lots of dangers we can't always foresee. We all have to say to our selfs is it worth my life.

I am starting to think we all have a little dirty secret we don't want the world to know and that is gyros are dangerous and we must have a death wish when flying them but we like that feeling when flying them, its like a drug we want to keep doing it even if it kills us."

IMHO, flying a correctly set up stable, and well maintained gyroplane, is no more dangerous than flying a well maintained fixed wing, AND there is no reason that it should be any more dangerous.

I get very pi**ed at the responses I get when I say I fly gyroplanes. I have to go to great pains tp point out that a LARGE number of gyoplanes are not correctly set up, BUT we are improving the figures with the our education processes, and it is great to see the newbies building correctly set up gyroplanes.

The web has certainly saved more lives than any other push for safety.

Enough rambling, I had better get some Firebird work done. 'looks like I will be working with the lights on again. :):)

Aussie Paul. :)

[StanFoster]

Paul: I see where you are coming from. The general aviation crowd will tak a long time to accept our gyroplane sport. I dont know how many times I have heard from fixed wing pilots how unsafe gyros are. So far....every fixed wing pilot I have taken up has been converted. I do not do an around the patch flight...but show them what gyro flying is like....To break the ice...I first take off.....trim it out and show how it flies hands and feet free. The I do the first landing and show how slow they come in and how much control you have. The we do some low flying stuff into the wind...and demonstrate an engine out approach to almost touch down out in the middle of nowhere...and then just slowly add power and escape the cluthes of earth. They come away feeling that these machines arent near as dangerous as they thought.

Gyrocopters are the best kept secret in aviation....but not around Paxton.

Stan

[birdy]

I get very pi**ed at the responses I get when I say I fly gyroplanes.
I dont get pissed anymore PB, i just agree with them, then tell um that they aint smart enuff to fly. That usualy stops the ignorant remarks, and sum even start askn inteligent questions. ;)

BTW, yes, gyros are dangerous, in the hands of sumone who makes it so.
Same as any other machine.

[bones]

The best way to shut that type of comment up is to say;
Either one of 2 things is at work here today;
1. I'm an expectional pilot with previously unseen skills, to be able to keep this dangerous killing machine in the air, OR
2. they arent dangerous and actually are easy to fly,, YOUR CHOICE ????

Gets them scratching their heads for sure :)

Ps dont tell every one about them, damn next thing i'll have to go some where like Birdy's just to be able to fly without being crowded..

[Mark Sanders]

I am all ready living on borowed time looking back I should have been killed along time ago. Ive wanted a gyro for many years and have been blessed with one I would like to think that I reserched and found a very sound and reliable air craft and that my instructor has done his very best to train me as needed to handle the aircraft in normal flight conditions. not show boating or flying close to the deck for long periods of time unless its flat open ground. but freak things du happen or as they say sh*t happens. I my self can't let fear control every thing in my life or its not living. when its my time I will go out Haven fuuun. If I can. Ive been in lots of car crashes one was head on did'nt feel nothing till the next day same if i go down in my gyro but I will be trying to do all that I can to land safely thats all any one can do. Have some fun If IN your gyro. Than Pre flight Pre flight Pre flight check and duble check then if something happens thats out of your control then your only human. Im only human we lived our lives did what other thought was crazy and wild so are are machines. But if the fear is so great that it impeeds your proformance as pilot in comand than by all means don't Go Up! No shame.

[enewbold]

"This sport is dangerous! We all have to way that decision if it is worth the risk. Some people say just crossing the street you can get ran over but I say not if you look both ways you wont.

Gyros do have lots of dangers we can't always foresee. We all have to say to our selfs is it worth my life.

I am starting to think we all have a little dirty secret we don't want the world to know and that is gyros are dangerous and we must have a death wish when flying them but we like that feeling when flying them, its like a drug we want to keep doing it even if it kills us." I get really irritated too, Paul, but I just keep quiet and go about my business.

The closest brushes with severe injury or death that I've encountered have been while driving that damned auto of mine and trying to avoid all of the MORONS who are allowed to drive on the same streets as me.

I've been flying fixed-wing, helicopter and gyros since 1987 and have NEVER had a worry about crashing. Of course, I am vigilant to conditions which might lead me into trouble while flying, but no more so than when I'm driving!

I say that "the sky is falling; the sky is falling" type of person is the one doing the most harm to our sport. Them, and the ill-informed news media types.

Cheers,
Ed Newbold

[Mike Schallmann]

Paul--Gyros if set up properly are no more ( and probably less ) dangerous than FW aircraft --that is why I am so adamant about Horiz Stabs /CLT as being required for proper stability--