Sounds great about Ron Menzie, Jim! You're right about getting a lot of the training done with one visit there. He comes highly recommended.

I'm excited that you're going to be flying soon! Dennis and I need some more flying buddies!

Did he tell you about the grass strip in Battle Ground he flies out of, and how there is a big hangar there for rent?

Maybe it could be a gyro nest someday??

Yes, I do intend to practice with the old blades. Your thoughts on the matter make absolutely great sense. I spoke with Ron Menzies on the phone. He has a week in September free. He said that we could get 15 to 20 hours of flight training in for the week. I would be lucky to get that much time in a year working with Jim or Dave. If things work out I think that will be the route I'll take. In the mean time if I can get a few hours with Jim or Dave it will help me be in a place to start with Ron on the a higher level. Ron is sending a form of recommendation to take the Sport License test so I'll have that out of the way.
And yes Dennis is a great guy to have along side. It makes a big difference to have someone there watching. He pointed several things out to me that were helpful and some safety related things. The buddy system is critical in this sport especially for guys starting out. Helps keep it safe.

Later,

Jim L

Sounds great about your rrpms, Jim. You feel the rotorblades begging for you to let them fly, by the sound they make?

Your background in maintenance sure helps, too. I've never changed or even seen the bearings in my prerotator. It only had 1 1/2 hrs. on the gyro when I got it.

Have you thought about using the original blades for your initial ground work (taxiing with the blades spinning, balancing on the mains)? If you had a slight mishap (not likely, but possible), then those blades would take the damage instead of your new ones.

When comfortable, then put on your new ones.

If you decide to not use them as such, we can talk about me buying them for me using them ground use for other guys starting out doing the taxiing/balancing work...

Dennis sure is a great help, isn't he?

The other issue was that the Bendix what not popping up and engaging right. I think the slop and the slightly bent drive wheel shaft was partially to blame and the other was lubrication. (the grease in the flex cable was dry and sticky) Have you ever changed the bearings on the drive wheel shaft? The bearings have a 6201 2RS the side shield. Normally that is 32mm OD -12mm ID and 10mm wide. But bearing used by Sports Copter is designated 6201 2RS but have a 12.7mm ID or 1/2"! For now I put it all back together the old bearing and straightened the shaft in the lathe. I used 680 lock tight... to lock the inner race to the shaft. ( I love that stuff) It's temporary fix until I get back down to SC. I lubed the Bendix and flex cable and now I'm ready to try another rotor spin up.

I don't remember if I told you that Dennis came up and helped me mount my rotors and spin them up. I bought a new drive wheel for the pre-rotor. I noticed that the shaft was sloppy in the bearing housing (this is the night before). There was a lot of vibration the first time and I took them up to 100 but when trying to continue up it seemed to slip. I backed off and checked things out...I had not been careful to keep the Armor All off the drive drum...paint thinner and a 3M pad solved that. The next try we made it up to 200 rrpm...engine rpm a about 3700 to 3900. When I dropped that prerotor level she wanted to go! Great experience...Dennis gave me some great info and instruction.

Jim: I just put in a call to the fella who had the rotorblades for sale for that price. Got his voice mail, left a message. He is now one of our hangarmates there at Scappoose.

We have three SCs and one Pitbull. Room for another one or two gyros! Just about all can leave their rotorblades on for quick rolling them out and going flying.

Although, I'm the only one flying... Need more fliers! Send help!

Jim: Glad to hear to have the time now to get going on your Vortex!

Jim Vanek's advice about fixed-wing tail-draggger time is spot on. I followed that advice in the early 1990's and when I started crow hopping, and then flying, in the gyro, it all seemed natural.

Make sure you get time in a tail-dragger that has a stick for control, not a yoke. The throttle is on the side in that type of tail-dragger, just like a gyro.

I made the mistake of just asking for tail-dragger time at Evergreen Aviation there at Evergreen airport in Vancouver on Mill Plain Blvd. I got several hours in one of their Taylorcrafts before I was told by someone in our gyro club that I needed to fly in a Champ or Cub, that have the stick and throttle in the same positions as gyros do.

The placement of the stick and throttle is important because it becomes automatic with your reflexes in both flight and ground operations.

(Had to break it up ran up against he word stop)

Are you still interested in my dinged rotor blades? Is how much are they worth to you? Jon tried to say they were worth 2K but that is because for their newest and best they asking 4k with the new hub with the dampener sytem. You mentioned a guy with a new set like mine for 1.5k. Are those still available?
I bougght a new drive wheel for the prerotor. Plan to put that together tomorrow. Dennis is coming over ....depending on the time we may mount the rotor and spin them up to see how they behave. I got her running last week and the motor appears to run great. The true test will come later when we get it out and up.

Later,

Jim L

Kevin I spoke with Jim Vanek today. I was down there on a parts run. He did not hold out any encouragement with Dave Overman as he had not heard from him for a while. He is mentioned that another CFI was moving to the area and that he was going to try to work him into giving lessons with the Sportcopter trainer.
He did say if nothing developes that he would give me some lessons but recommended some fixed wing tail dragger to get some hours and basic skills down. My question is how many of those hours transfer over to the gyro sport rating?

Jim L

Later,

Hi Jim: I haven't been to Toledo in years, and wasn't flying (not owning a gyro then). Dennis Debois just recently went there to test his new horizontal stab on his Viewmaster gyro. He and I were to go flying yesterday, but I ran out of time before I had to leave to meet with the FAA guy in Hillsboro for my repairmen's certificate. Dennis flew over to Scappoose to meet me there, and then flew back to BG.

I got back to Scappoose in the afternoon and got in three hours of wonderful flying in the warm weather. He and I are planning on going in the AM before I have to head off to work in the PM.

Sounds like you did all the right stuff to fix your leaks in the fuel lines!

I need to get going on studying for the written exam and get my SP certificate, then I can legally fly at Toledo. I'd really like to fly there instead of trailering the gyro...

Keep in touch, Jim!