My Fly Weekend

[Mark Sanders]

Whooohooo! What a trip left for coolidge airport (P08) last wednesday morning from phoenix got out their about noon. I had the gyro off the trailer and the blades on and pre flight done by 3:30 pm and the winds were out of the north at 6 mph so I went for a few traffic paterns everything went great. Came back in and made camp just south of the field in the desert. The next day I made a flight around the town of coolidge and took some pictures. One of a mountain with a C on it for coolidge. Then I went back to the airport and stayed around the area the rest of the day. Then around 1pm the USAF started showing up in all these government vehicles they told me they were going to be conducting parachute jumping out of a C-130 and that I had to move all my stuff because they were going to use the open area were I was camped. Well How do you argue the the Air Force so I moved only for thre hours. But that I was welcome to stay and watch and take pictures because of the inconvinience. So that turned out to be a real treat. The next day my wife showed up and we made a flight to Eloy (E60) did some touch and go's then back to (P08) . Then she stayed with the dogs in camp and I kept on flying the rest of the day. Then Mike Schallmann showed up with his gyro and started unloading it. For the chapter 15 fly n. The next day Mike spent most of the day trying to adjust his blade pitch and me and jan plotted a course to Casa Grande muni (CGZ) before we left more people had showed up for the flyin including a man in a cesna 172 he said it was a 1958. Anyway after saying hello to everyone we said we were flying over to (CGZ) for some site seeing and a couple of touch n go's. The guy in the cesna told us he lived just north of the air field about 6 miles and that we would see a big antena just east of his place were he lands on the dirt road in frount of his house we said we would look for it and left. When we got to the air field it was very busy and not ever flying their before was a bit intimidating and we circled at the approach in of (05) for 15 minutes near a big hole in the ground then when it was clear enough we made the radio call and turn final when we touched down a call came in over the radio ( Gyro plane land I want to take you for a ride). And my wife and I looked at each other and she said are you going to stop and I said no way I don't know what their talking about who wants to take me for a ride. So power in and waiting for reversal and again ( Gyro plane land I want to take you for a ride thats when we looked to are right and saw the Guy that was at the flyin in the fixed wing and I choped power stick forward and made the call for full stop exiting the runway. We pulled up right next to him and waited for the blades to stop shut down the gyro and got out to talk to him his name is Ron Dowdy. I said what are you doing here he said that after we left he said good bye to everybody because he was going home and thought he would beat us here and see if we wanted a ride and that he had been their waiting for 15 minutes so I am glad we stoped. We said we would be glad to go for a ride and so we did what a ride he is very proud of his plane and was explaining how to use the flaps and the alarons and that the engine had a 6 cylinder 140 hp and that my gyro has more powerful engine (EJ 25) I don't think so this thing shot off the ground like a bird we were at 500 feet in just a second or two. He showed us his house from 10' off the deck and then all most straight up in the air due to the mountain right behind the house then back to the airport were I told him that we had to continue 360's for 15 minutes near the big whole in the ground over their. And he said did you get a good look I said no we did'nt fly over the opening so he said here Ill give you a good look and turned the plane sideways once to the right and then to the left and we were on final and landed. Said thank you and he went home and we flew over his house and he took pictures of us flying over about 30 mins later then back to coolidge were we were missed for over staying are intended flight all is well. One last flight on sunday over the desert where I saw 6 javelina and a coyote then came home what a trip wow. I could go on Here are some pictures.

[Mark Sanders]

Whooohooo! What a trip left for coolide airport (P08) last wednesday morning from phoenix got out their about noon. I had the gyro off the trailer and the blades on and pre flight done by 3:30 pm and the winds were out of the north at 6 mph so I went for a few traffic paterns everything went great. Came back in and made camp just south of the field in the desert. The next day I made a flight around the town of coolidge and took some pictures. One of a mountain with a C on it for coolidge. Then I went back to the airport and stayed around the area the rest of the day. Then around 1pm the USAF started showing up in all these government vehicles they told me they were going to be conducting parachute jumping out of a C-130 and that I had to move all my stuff because they were going to use the open area were I was camped. Well How do you argue the the Air Force so I moved only for thre hours. But that I was welcome to stay and watch and take pictures because of the inconvinience. So that turned out to be a real treat. The next day my wife showed up and we made a flight to Eloy (E60) did some touch and go's then back to (P08) . Then she stayed with the dogs in camp and I kept on flying the rest of the day. Then Mike Schallmann showed up with his gyro and started unloading it. For the chapter 15 fly n. The next day Mike spent most of the day trying to adjust his blade pitch and me and jan plotted a course to Casa Grande muni (CGZ) before we left more people had showed up for the flyin including a man in a cesna 172 he said it was a 1958. Anyway after saying hello to everyone we said we were flying over to (CGZ) for some site seeing and a couple of touch n go's. The guy in the cesna told us he lived just north of the air field about 6 miles and that we would see a big antena just east of his place were he lands on the dirt road in frount of his house we said we would look for it and left. When we got to the air field it was very busy and not ever flying their before was a bit intimidating and we circled at the approach in of (05) for 15 minutes near a big hole in the ground then when it was clear enough we made the radio call and turn final when we touched down a call came in over the radio ( Gyro plane land I want to take you for a ride). And my wife and I looked at each other and she said are you going to stop and I said no way I don't know what their talking about who wants to take me for a ride. So power in and waiting for reversal and again ( Gyro plane land I want to take you for a ride thats when we looked to are right and saw the Guy that was at the flyin in the fixed wing and I choped power stick forward and made the call for full stop exiting the runway. We pulled up right next to him and waited for the blades to stop shut down the gyro and got out to talk to him his name is Ron Dowdy. I said what are you doing here he said that after we left he said good bye to everybody because he was going home and thought he would beat us here and see if we wanted a ride and that he had been their waiting for 15 minutes so I am glad we stoped. We said we would be glad to go for a ride and so we did what a ride he is very proud of his plane and was explaining how to use the flaps and the alarons and that the engine had a 6 cylinder 140 hp and that my gyro has more powerful engine (EJ 25) I don't think so this thing shot off the ground like a bird we we at 500 feet in just a second or two. He showed us his house from 10' off the deck and then all most straight up in the air due to the mountain right behind the house then back to the airport were I told him that we had to continue 360's for 15 minutes near the big whole in the ground over their. And he said did you get a good look I said no we did'nt fly over the opening so he said here Ill give you a good look and turned the plane sideways once to the right and then to the left and we were on final and landed. Said thank you and he went home and we flew over his house and he took pictures of us flying over about 30 mins later then back to coolidge were we were missed for over staying are intended flight all is well. One last flight on sunday over the desert where I saw 6 javelina and a coyote the came home what a trip wow. I could go on Here are some pictures.
Here are more.

[Mark Sanders]

Here are more.

Here are more.

[Mark Sanders]

Here are more.

Here are more.

[Mark Sanders]

Here are more.

Here are more.

[Mark Sanders]

Here are more.
Here are the last.

[Exterminator]

I am thrilled to see you back in the air and enjoying yourself . Are we going to see you at Bensen Days? Hope so let me know soon and I’ll save a spot for you.. Take care

Scott Lewis

[Timchick]

Mark,
Awesome to see you flying again! Way to go!

[greg spicola]

Nice pictures Mark I have to get out there to do some flying some time
what great senery .
Greg

[Mark Sanders]

I am thrilled to see you back in the air and enjoying yourself . Are we going to see you at Bensen Days? Hope so let me know soon and I’ll save a spot for you.. Take care

Scott Lewis

Hi Scott thank you I am shooting for mentone I will see you their this year Lord Willing.

[Mark Sanders]

Mark,
Awesome to see you flying again! Way to go!

Tim thank you for all your support during my toughest trials your ok in my book.

[Mark Sanders]

Nice pictures Mark I have to get out there to do some flying some time
what great senery .
Greg

Hey Greg theirs alot to see out in the desert and the small to medium size mountains are really fun to fly over and around maybe if you go to el mirage you can swing through AZ and we can fly out at the coolidge muni with mike schallmann.

[barnstorm2]

Wow, fantastic shots.

I hope I get to do some flying out there some day.

Thanks!

[Mark Sanders]

Wow, fantastic shots.

I hope I get to do some flying out there some day.

Thanks!

Hi Tim their is alot of good places to go fly out in the desert maybe if your out this way we can go theirs just to much to see and not enough time of gas.

[Gyro_Kai]

Great pics. Where is the video? or maybe wrong section? :)

Kai.

[animal]

mark, glad to see ya got your baby back in the air, it looks great and the pics are great also. keep flying and posting the pics. that big hole looks like some kind of old mine. really cool, looking forward to seeing more pics from your area.

[Mark Sanders]

Great pics. Where is the video? or maybe wrong section? :)

Kai.
Yes I knew as soon as I posted I had made the mistake sorry just pictures for now maybe video later.

[Mark Sanders]

mark, glad to see ya got your baby back in the air, it looks great and the pics are great also. keep flying and posting the pics. that big hole looks like some kind of old mine. really cool, looking forward to seeing more pics from your area.
Thanks Tim I will. And yes It is a mine anyone with a power out and go in there get 2 points.LOL

[StanFoster]

Mark: Glad to see you up there where you belong. I felt so sorry for you at Bensen Days...but you are back better than ever......:D


Stan

[scottessex]

You should name it "phoenix" (a person or thing that has become renewed or restored after suffering calamity or apparent annihilation.)

[Mark Sanders]

Mark: Glad to see you up there where you belong. I felt so sorry for you at Bensen Days...but you are back better than ever......:D


StanThanks Stan It feels great to be flying again the gyro is running great and I am feeling better about flying I got shookup perty good on that one. I can't do a take over no one can just lick my wounds and move on Life Is Good very Good. I am a better pilot now that I have been through that.

[Mark Sanders]

You should name it "phoenix" (a person or thing that has become renewed or restored after suffering calamity or apparent annihilation.)
It was named S.O.B. after it done me that way.

[Mark Sanders]

anybody using one of these turbo meters the jumpers had this and I am going to git one they were holding a compass also to line up wind direction. But they said theres one that has the compass built in.

[Gyropilot007]

Great pictures Mark. You're an inspiration to me with what happened to you at Bensen days and now you're up and flying again. I will be getting my gyro up and flying again as soon as possible. I have a lot of work but I know it will be worth it.

Best regards,

Bob

[scottessex]

It was named S.O.B. after it done me that way.
I have had a couple with that same name myself! :)

[Mark Sanders]

Great pictures Mark. You're an inspiration to me with what happened to you at Bensen days and now you're up and flying again. I will be getting my gyro up and flying again as soon as possible. I have a lot of work but I know it will be worth it.

Best regards,

Bob Hi Bob I am very exited about moving on and puting Bensen days behind me. I am looking forward to a year of real flying adventures. I have started the year off with a good start and plan to fly at least 2 days every month. I don't live at a air field so I trailer to a remote location and set up and camp out wich is ok with me no problem I just have to stay on top of whats going on with my flying using my check list for pre flight and maintanance and inspections. Vigilant about the winds and altitude and terrain. I need to stay Humble and remember whre Ive been and how close I was. You can do it Bob just start with the basics the frame then start ading to it little by little and it will happen that one day your sitting at the hold short line making the call lining up for take off. keep in touch. mark.

[Mark Sanders]

I have had a couple with that same name myself! :)

Scott they should not have done us that way hence the name remains.

[wayne331]

that look real good,glad too see you in the air,looking good,wayne

[Mark Sanders]

that look real good,glad too see you in the air,looking good,wayne
Hey Wayne feast your eyes Its Alive Its Alive! Thanks Wayne for your Fiber Glass Repair advice.