Learning to Fly The GyRonimo

[jcarleto]

I added another link today to my collection. And since I seem to be accumulating these, I'll continue to add them in this thread from now on. Later today I'll ad some of the really early videos that include WAY too much footage of crow-hops and high-speed taxi. I find these REALLY boring...including the Runway Circuits video I just added, but perhaps they provide practical examples of terms heard a lot on the forum for the new and/or the really-really bored.

There is a highlight in the Runway Circuits video at the end. The landing, though actually very soft, looks fairly dreadful. It is an excellent example of flaring too high, adding power to correct and getting a nice torque ride.

Videos to date:
http://miservice.net/gyro/firstflight.html
http://miservice.net/gyro/flythroughthesun.html
http://miservice.net/gyro/runwaycircuits.html

*JC*

[jcarleto]

I have added the initial practice video. WARNING...it is tedious and long and probably not well-suited for dial-up connections unless you are very patient. That said, it is fairly representative of reality. I spend hours and hours going up and down the runway doing the mundane things that would enable me to begin to enjoy finally flying the gyro. For that reason, I make no apology for the length and tedium of the initial practice video.

The current list of videos is:

http://miservice.net/gyro/initialpractice.html
http://miservice.net/gyro/firstflight.html
http://miservice.net/gyro/flythroughthesun.html
http://miservice.net/gyro/runwaycircuits.html

*JC*

[billygyro]

Jon Looks like you are haveing fun, and doing it right.... lots and lots of practice up and down the runway and then take to the air. most people get in to big a hury. so practice, practice ,practice............ and have fun.
nice vid's:first:

[Racer]

I agree, I have no idea how many miles I put on my gyro while taxiing and balancing on the mains but I am glad I did every one of them. Baby steps, lots of baby steps, next thing you know you will be walking then one day you will actually fly.

[jcarleto]

Thanks, Billy!

Racer --
I'm about to bring the gyro home from the airport and start flying from a 2500' grass strip near my home. At first I was concerned about the taxi (2.5 miles) to the strip from my house, but I was doing several times that in one practice session....and I can buy more tires. I live out in "the sticks" so traffic and "official permission from law enforcement" isn't a problem.

It is a 17 mile one-way drive to the "real" airport, so keeping the gyro in my barn would be a LOT more convenient. Eventually, I want to take off and land from my own pasture, but I am far from confident enough to do that kind of short field work any time soon. The little trip over to the grass strip won't be bad at all...beats tearing down the rotors and trailering.

*JC*

[jcarleto]

I've added another video depicting the "Joy of Hand-Starting Rotors in zero wind." It is listed in the links below as "handstartrotor.html."

The current list of videos is:

http://miservice.net/gyro/initialpractice.html
http://miservice.net/gyro/firstflight.html
http://miservice.net/gyro/flythroughthesun.html
http://miservice.net/gyro/runwaycircuits.html
http://miservice.net/gyro/handstartrotor.html

...as always, comments and critique are welcome and encouraged.

[billygyro]

hello jon
i cant get the vid to come up. it wont comunicate with the server. sorry jon. but i would love to see it...

[All_In]

Hi Billy!
It works for me. What browser are you using? Filefox IE7 or what? Maybe we can find out why if won't work for you.


PS:
Also you need Adobe Flash player install to play it!
You can download it here.
http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=shockwaveFlash

[GyroRon]

Not much else you can do with no wind, but what would help is to try to get in the seat and engine started and you moving as fast as possible once you have spun them up. And don't shoot out of the gate too fast, just get moving to get some air through the blades. Sometimes if your just willing to wait, if you slow taxi they will come up even when you think they won't.

[jcarleto]

Ron,

LOL...I cut out the part out of the video after the first spin where I taxied back and forth and back and forth 3 times before I gave up. Almost had it a couple of times. When there is no wind, it is a fine line. There have been so many times lately with no wind, that I'm getting really good at it. If there is a whisper of a breeze, it is a piece of cake. Those are really great blades.

...and for the record...that's as fast as I can get my BIG, OLD carcass in the seat!!

:humble:

*JC*

[jcarleto]

Billy,

Bummer..logs show lots of people have viewed it. Server hasn't been offline. Make sure your browser has javaScript enabled. Are you getting some error?

That said, another way to see them is to view the files directly. If you have a Flash Viewer, you should be able to just grab the files directly at:

http://miservice.net/gyro/InitialPractice.flv
http://miservice.net/gyro/FirstFlight.flv
http://miservice.net/gyro/FlyThroughTheSun.flv
http://miservice.net/gyro/RunwayCircuits.flv
http://miservice.net/gyro/HandStartRotor.flv

This does assume you aren't having a problem. I do have a fairly strict firewall/DMZ setup. If someone on your internet provider's subnet has EVER tried to hack or spam my domain, that entire subnet may be blacklisted. Cleaning up old blacklist entries hasn't ever been a real priority with me unless I find someone being blocked that I want to have access. If that is the problem, it is a simple matter to correct.

*JC*

[jcarleto]

John,

It should play from the html file without the need for a local flash player if javaScript is enabled.

*JC*

[billygyro]

OK GUY'S I GOT IT... looks great Jon... i am so jealous... man that makes me want to get a move on with mine...... thanks Jon.

also thanks John for the hint on flash player. worked realy well.

keep posting them Jon, i like to watch the vids- verry helpful.

[atkinson]

This video illustrates well how to practice rotor control through extensive taxiing and careful throttle work (and good reason not to spoil oneself by using a pre-rotator). I watched that far turn thinking "oh, no, it's slowing up way too much" and exhaled in relief at the just-in-time hand-restart. Finally, after much back and forth the prize arrives and the blades blur as the rotor lights up and the real flying can begin.

My decision to go with a pre-rotator came at a fly-in where I found myself between two FWs waiting on a downwind taxiway for way too long.

[Timchick]

It makes me want to try hand starting my blades to see if I can do it.

[Resasi]

That's a pretty good How To clip for newbies John.

I have just sent it to my son. We finally decided to go with the Hornet and may well be doing this.

[jcarleto]

Thank you all for your comments. It makes the effort worthwhile.

I'm still practicing a lot. Are there any elements of general gyro practice that I should include that I may have missed? I'm thinking the next one will be mostly landings. This is because I can make a good landing as long as I have a runway about 2000' long, and am pretty sure I should work on shortening that up a tad.

*JC*

[jcarleto]

I've been getting around some, away from the Cedartown airport (4A4). Last week I flew to Rome, Georgia (RMG), and this morning I flew to my hometown of Taylorsville. We have an "unofficial" airport in town where I landed. A take-off from there is featured in the "Taylorsville International" video. I also flew over my farm some. Not much more than a few GyRonimo fly-by shots, but I'm going with the premise that any video is better than no video.

I guess my next step is to mount the camera on a strut and get some of the famous "aerial footage of my foot." I really am starting to get the hang of this gyro flying thing. You know, it might just start to catch on.

*JC*

The current list of videos (new videos placed last) is:

http://miservice.net/gyro/initialpractice.html
http://miservice.net/gyro/firstflight.html
http://miservice.net/gyro/flythroughthesun.html
http://miservice.net/gyro/runwaycircuits.html
http://miservice.net/gyro/handstartrotor.html
http://miservice.net/gyro/taylorsvilleinternational.html
http://miservice.net/gyro/flyingoverthefarm.html

[jcarleto]

I've added what will probably be the last of the off-gyro video clips. This is a long and tedious version called "Landing Practice." Next video should be shot from the gyro. WARNING! Some of these videos are higher resolution than UTUBE and not suited for dial-up connections. This is especially true for this latest addition.

*JC*

The current list of videos (new videos placed last) is:

http://miservice.net/gyro/initialpractice.html
http://miservice.net/gyro/firstflight.html
http://miservice.net/gyro/flythroughthesun.html
http://miservice.net/gyro/runwaycircuits.html
http://miservice.net/gyro/handstartrotor.html
http://miservice.net/gyro/taylorsvilleinternational.html
http://miservice.net/gyro/flyingoverthefarm.html
http://miservice.net/gyro/landingpractice.html

[Timchick]

Looks like your doing good landing with power. You should also practice landing without power by bringing the engine back to idle and gliding all the way in. Those type landings will help you practice for an engine out landing.

[jcarleto]

Tim,

That's what I was doing down there waaaaaaay down at the end for the first landing. My "normal" landing now is a power-off to the numbers. Then, if I am at the far end of the runway, I take off again and land with power at the taxi-way.

Thanks for the comment! I'm glad someone is watching all this mess :)

*JC*

[jcarleto]

I just received my special clamp-o-matic-video-camera-attaching-thing in the mail. It alleges to screw onto the camera like a normal tripod mount, then clamp to "almost anything."

http://www.provideosound.com/pd-05020.html

There will be footage soon of my foot flying through the air, as long as I don't get so much vibration that the resulting foot footage is merely a blur.

I expect to head out to the airport tomorrow, weather permitting. There are many interesting things to look at in the general vicinity of my little airport.

*JC*

[ultracruiser41]

Jon,

Are you planning on coming to the Wrens Fly-in..Oct 10-11??

(formally known as "Rotors Over Carolina") ?


Barry K

[jcarleto]

Barry,

Yes. I'm not sure if I am bringing a gyro. One option is to buzz over in the Bonanza. Another is to drive over and drive back in a day. The last option is stay overnight for a couple of days. Some of the options include trailering over the GyRonimo. The two-place may be finished, but it would not have the unrestricted CofA by then. Flying the two-place to the event is a future goal of mine, but it won't happen this year.

It is all dependent on my office workload, my wife's workload, the current status at the time of the various flying and driving gizmos and weather. Tough to fortune tell this far out, but I am going to attend at least one day and may or may not have something to fly along.

*JC*