Illinois is soggy

[StanFoster]

I took my dad up who is 83 to look over his farms after about 5 inches of rain. What a soggy mess. :(

This is him riding co-pilot.

[StanFoster]

soggy fields

[StanFoster]

more wet fields

[StanFoster]

river jumping out

[StanFoster]

cant hardly tell this lake from the flooded fields

[StanFoster]

my woods with a creek along side it

[StanFoster]

full fuel....440 pounds of pilot/passenger....87 degrees and humid equals 4700-4800 plus rpm to get any climb. The EJ22 carburated isnt doing too bad..but this is where the FI would be felt.

[StanFoster]

more views

[StanFoster]

still more water...and it started to rain while flying today.

[StanFoster]

more water

[StanFoster]

last picture....This is I-57 high and dry

[barnstorm2]

Great Pictures! What it your dad's first ride? I wish I had my own woods.

[StanFoster]

Tim: Dad has been up several times. I have never known a household without an airplane in it. I teethed on a Cessna 140..then dad got a Cessna 175 Skylark...then a Cherokee 180.

Dad is 83 and one of my goals was to take dad,,,,my son and daughter...and my wife Barb up in a gyrocopter. That was one of my reasons for getting my RAF. It is a rush sharing with them my "other" world that I love so much.

I find the more I fly this thing...the better I like it..and the more I regret not buying one earlier. It is such a sense of freedom to have something to take me up and look around the country...and now do it year round in comfort. :D I cant ever see getting bored ...even in this flat country. :)

Stan

[Chuck Irby]

Nice shots of your beautiful country, Stan. The first pic must have been taken from your left hand holding the camera out the window.

Wow, you guys have been hammered with rain lately, haven't you? Do you thing the crops will endure it okay, providing you don't keep getting more?

[StanFoster]

Chuck: Yea...I wrap the camera strap tight and then take an outside looking in shot.

The ground drains quickly around here...so this beats a drought.

Cant do any dry and dusty cattle mustering shots like Birdy can. :D

Stan

[Aussie_Paul]

Stan, what height is the ground above sea level? That is good performance.

Aussie Paul.

[StanFoster]

Paul: We are at 750 feet here in central Illinois.

[LARRYEBOYER]

Stan, My dad was a daredevel of sorts. He loved motorcycles and snowmobilies. He also loved flying up at the old Mifflin County airport with a local farmer. He was killed in a snowmobile accident in 1977 at age 51. He would have loved a gyro!!. Dad missed the best years of his sons as far as the flying went. My brother Rod became a pilot in the early 80's and had a Piper Tripacer. I flew ultralights till 1987 when I bought a Piper 140. I would have loved taking him up in my RAF. You are blessed to have your DAD and blessed to have the oportunity to take him up in one of the best gyros ever made.

[StanFoster]

Larry: Thanks for the comments. Yea..I am very lucky to have the opportunity to take my dad up in a gyro. I was putting heat on myself to move up from my Air Command to the RAF. I just had my Air Command running so nice with that new 582..and I loved that thing. But.....I wanted to share it with my dad while he was still around.

Stan