My SparrowHawk ride.

[gyromike]

Here is a post that I had made on Norm's forum. Thought I'd copy it here too, for anyone interested:

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Okay, I made it home. I've had enough of the road for a while!

Terry Eiland was kind enough to take me up in his gyro Saturday, not long after Chuck and Kosaka left. I wanted to make sure that all the others who may be interested in purchasing a kit got to ride first, but I think there was one more who flew after I did.

Like Chuck said, it was cold, and blowing. Gusty winds and mechanical turbulence. We took off in a quartering crosswind from the right, but it was no real problem. Terry was on the controls until we had gained a little altitude, then handed the aircraft to me. I climbed up to approx. 700 feet, and leveled us off around 65-70 mph as we had no doors on...which made it a little chilly too.

The gusts would cause the aircraft to yaw around a little, but it would return to coordinated flight without overshooting, and with no rudder inputs from me. In fact I didn't need to even keep my feet on the pedals. The rudder stayed centered on its own, and the aircraft remained in trim.

While I was adjusting the pitch and roll trim, the turbulence would cause the aircraft to rise and fall, but the airframe showed no tendency to pitch. While fiddling with the trim wheels I glanced over to see that we had gained 400 feet altitude, and I hadn't even noticed! And I didn't let the stick float in my hand. This is not to say that I had the stick locked, but I had a firm grip on it with my forearm on my leg. I never felt the need to keep my hand on the throttle, and Terry's hands were in his lap.

When I added or reduced power, I never felt any yaw or roll tendencies. Neither did I have to make any control inputs. It either climbed or descended maintaining trimmed airspeed.

Terry was flying with the improved RAF blades, and there was a little stick shake. He told me that he had flown with SportRotors on it, and they were very smooth.

As I brought us back to the field, I handed the controls back to Terry, and he made a smooth landing with about a 10 foot rollout, if that much.

I don't particularly care to fly in blustery conditions like that, but at no time did I feel uncomfortable. It would have been nice to have better weather, but it convinced me that the conversion does what it's supposed to do. Just my opinion.

As far as for Terry, he and his wife Linda were very nice and I thouroughly enjoyed meeting with them. Terry was a real gent, and went out of his way to make sure everyone had a good ride, although he occasionally had to hide behind the motorhome for a few minutes to warm up! Linda also braved the cold to make sure everyone was buckled in tight. I am sure that he would make an excellent instructor, and he has a fine aircraft to do it in. Everyone who went up with him, got out with a smile.

[Aussie_Paul]

Isn't it great to hear first hand experience of pitch stable gyro flight?

Aussie Paul.

[KevinKing]

I'm jealous. I drove all the way to Mentone (>600 miles) and didn't get to ride in a SparrowHawk (because of the wind).

[teiland]

Kevin, although I know that is true , I really hate hearing it...........If you are at Sun-N-Fun, Mentone, or Oshkosh, next year, or anywhere near Crystal River, FL, please look me up. If it is within my power, I will see that you get to check out our machine. We would appreciate another opportunity.

Terry Eiland

[r.coplen]

Hi Terry,

I bought one of them there Florida gyro machines. I was informed it was never cold there so you didn't need no stinkin heater.

I am installing a heater I got from Dan Regan today. Scott Tinnesand is comming back up next week to continue training for our two new CFI's want to be's. Been really cold and rainy here. I want to go to Buckeye and warm up.

Your doing great work, Terry. Hope it warms up and the winds die down. For those folks looking for a CFI in the greater Florida area Terry is as good as there is. I have worked with him day after day and the guy never quits as long as its safe to fly. Terry, you da man.
And it really helps to have a good woman working with you.

[teiland]

Hi Randy,

Actually, I kind of agree with the no-heater argument. I am beginning to re-think the door issue, tho. With the ususal Florida sunshine, the doors make it a little hot-house, and you need air vents rather than a heater, but it can be real nice with the doors on.......... Dan Reagan has been down flying with me several times and is now flying his own SparrowHawk every day the weather lets him........David and I were out flying this afternoon, and other than being chilly, it was wonderful. I was running 90 to 92 mph much of the time (light load), and had a blast........I hope your weather there improves soon.

Terry

[r.coplen]

Terry,

Have you seen anyone come up with a safe latch for the RAF doors? Maybe that is a good post item.

what say ye?

[teiland]

No, I haven't. I would sure appreciate any suggestions on that as well.

[Aussie_Paul]

I'm jealous. I drove all the way to Mentone (>600 miles) and didn't get to ride in a SparrowHawk (because of the wind).


What!!!!! wind stopping a pitch stable gyroplane. I don't believe it.

Aussie Paul.

[KevinKing]

Thanks Terry. I hope to be at Mentone again next year, but it's too soon to say for sure. Randy Coplen was driving me and several other guys to the airport, and we were about 5 minutes out when Jim called and said they had stopped.

Paul, if I remember correctly, there was a 20+ knot crosswind and it was even worse a couple hundred feet up.

[Mayfield]

Thanks for your support Kevin. I do not remember if I briefed you, but we were babying our interim fix nosegear at that time and I called further flights off when the crosswind exceeded my comfort level.

We'll get you in the aircraft as soon as possible.

Jim

[Mike Hook]

I went to Mentone too , drove up from southern Ohio. I did catch a ride in a raf, wanted to try the Sparrow Hawk bad but took me two days to find out why they were not flying them at Mentone. The front nose gear could not take being taxied in the grass. I wandered around and found the red one out back on the trailerwith the nose wheel folded under. I understand that they went over to another airport to fly out of.
I just wish that they had been honest and just said we have a problem at the moment. I still am looking forward to seeing the new designed cockpit for the SparrowHawk because of my height. Existing rudder controls would be a pain for me with my height

Mike Hook

[ToddP]

Mike,

I wasn't at Mentone but I can say AAI's response was nothing but honest. There were posts on Norm's forum almost immediately explaining there had been a problem and that they are working on it. Did you ask anybody what happened to the RAF conversions? I've been to lots of fly-ins and if there's been any type of incident, thats usually the center of conversation rather than a cover-up as you suggest.

[r.coplen]

Mike Hook,

It was my machine you were looking at. When Jim Mayfield became aware of the nose wheel issue he imedately grounded the two flying aircraft and had a new design engineered at Buckeye and flown out to Menteone. Everyone with AAI told anyone who came by the static display that we had the nose gear problem and Jim sent out a general post about the need to upgrade the nose gear and not use it on grass. He also had every customer contacted imediately who had bought one and told them that an upgade would be sent to them at no charge and not to use it on grass fields. After installing a much stronger intermediate nose gear at Mentone he allowed istructional demonstration flights at the nearest paved airport. We had a large sign up at the static display about the flights away from Mentone. We told everyone who talked to us about what we were doing. Sense then AAI has designed a nose wheel that could plow a grass field.

Mike, you may unfairly call that a coverup but I don't know how we could have done any better of a job in caring for the safety of our existing customers and demonstrating our product to potential new customers.

Randy Coplen

[Vance]

Hi, I was at Mentone from Nipomo, California and saw one of Jim's ships go over. No one was the least evasive in all the interactions I had. I did not have any trouble getting an inroductory lesson in one of the modified ships that they had there in spite of less than ideal conditions. Jim and his crew have always been very accomadating and forthright and I made it clear until my medical was cleared up I was not a potential customer. I teach customer service and I have already used Jim in some of my lectures as an example of how to do it right. I would not hesitate to recomend the whole group to anyone. Thank You, Vance

[Mike Hook]

Randy
I did not mean to imply anything dishonest. I just felt as many times as I came around no one told me what was goin on. All I keep gettings was that you were not sure when they were goin to fly. At the end of the Second day one of the reps for the Sparrow Hawk did tell me that they were going over to a paved airport. I Still think your rotorcraft is a great looking machine.

No hard feelings please, I guess i just was not as observerent as some of the others to the posting.

Glad you got that gear problem ironed out.

Mike

[r.coplen]

Hi Mike,

I apologize for being a little strong in my response. I have been involved with Groen Brother Aviation for about eight years as an invester and as a dealer. My passion sometimes gets a little strong. One of the key principals of David Groen, the CEO of GBA is to "always do the right thing". Jim Mayfield, the president of AAI (a wholly owned subsidiary of Groen Brothers Aviation) has always been open and public about any issue that may cause any problems for our customers. To ever try to cover up something that wasn't to our customers best interest would be absolutely against what the hundreds of folks involved with GBA and AAI stand for. The gyroplane has not been considered a key part of the aviation industry in the past sixty years and all of the people at GBA and AAI believe that it should be. As a pubic company with thousands of stockholders it is vital that we do the right thing. As one of the dealers at Mentone whose lively hood depends on us doing a good job for all of the gyroplane industry and for our potential customers I appoligize if we didn't get the message to you. We are just people who will make mistakes but will always try to do what ever we can to do to get it right.

Best Regards, Randy Coplen

[Hognose]

...took me two days to find out why they were not flying them at Mentone.....I just wish that they had been honest and just said we have a problem at the moment.



Mike, I have to say, everybody (including Jim, Randy and Devon, the sales guy) were completely upfront with me about the gear failure (which I did not witness, arriving late) and the technical oversight that led to it. ("We made a mistake," quoth Jim). You gotta step up and ask the right people.

I was there representing a news outlet (Aero-news) and I got complete frankness, and had it in my story that night, which my publisher did not run for reasons only he knows. My point is, if they were trying to conceal anything I would be the guy they'd wanna hide it from.


I still am looking forward to seeing the new designed cockpit for the SparrowHawk because of my height.


Available pictures on the "Latest" page at AAI; I have also posted a thread. Probably still won't answer your question but you can go look.

cheers

-=K=-