Xenon Gyronauts fly in the Rockies

ms80831

PRA member since 1973
Joined
Dec 15, 2008
Messages
1,546
Location
Colorado Springs CO.
Aircraft
Cessna 210 +, Xenon RST, Citabria
Total Flight Time
2000+
Everyone knows GyroCopters won't fly in Colorado, ... Or what I did on Labor Day Weekend .


DSC00246.jpg


Todd Rieck and Mark Shook grabbed the Sony handiCam and headed out into the morning air to show you the Colorado Rockies this September 2010 Labor Day Weekend !



DSC00148.jpg


v v Garden of the Gods ^ ^

DSC00150.jpg


DSC00151.jpg


DSC00153.jpg


DSC00156.jpg


the Kissing Camels ^ ^


DSC00158.jpg


Manitou Springs ^ ^

DSC00165.jpg


Over Manitou looking North at Williams Canyon ^ ^

DSC00167.jpg


Williams canyon below cave of the Winds ^ ^
DSC00172.jpg


Cave of the Winds Gift shop ^ ^
 
Last edited:
DSC00174.jpg


Flying over Ute pass at 8500msl with Pikes Peak towering over at 14,110ft MSL ^ ^


DSC00179.jpg


Think we can put it in that flat spot if the engine quits? ^ ^


DSC00175.jpg


Flying up Ute pass towards Woodland Park CO. ^ ^


DSC00182.jpg


Looking W toward Woodland Park with South Park beyond ^ ^


DSC00184.jpg


Race to the clouds

If you look closely, you can see the dirt road they race to the top of Pikes Peak on each July - Pikes Peak Hill climb


DSC00186.jpg


Over Woodland Park at 10,00MSL looking back East towards Colorado Springs ^ ^


DSC00197.jpg


Descending Down the pass back to Colorado Springs CO. ^ ^


DSC00202.jpg


Over Hwy 24 looking East ^ ^


DSC00207.jpg



DSC00208.jpg
 
Last edited:
Page 3

Page 3

---------------------21--
DSC00192.jpg



Almagre 12, 367MSL on the left - Pikes Peak 14,110MSL on the right ^ ^


DSC00213.jpg



Flying south along the front range towards NORAD ^ ^


DSC00218.jpg



^ ^ Through the notch ^ ^


DSC00219.jpg



and East down 7 falls rd towards the Broadmoor Hotel ^ ^


DSC00220.jpg




DSC00224.jpg



Broadmoor hotel and golf course ^ ^


DSC00227.jpg



Cheyenne Mnt and Will Rogers Shrine..NORAD ahead at the base of the mountain. ^ ^ ^ ^


DSC00242.jpg


NORAD ^ ^

DSC00244.jpg


Entrance to NORth American air Defense command

DSC00248.jpg



Out the left window - Looking North at Garden of the Gods , Norad behind us, heading East to the COS Airport
 
Last edited:
Page 4

Page 4

DSC00249.jpg

Looking NE over the City with Black Forest in the distance
DSC00251.jpg


Fort Carson Colorado, just East of NORAD


DSC00255.jpg


Close in Right Downwind for 17R at COS


DSC00256.jpg

Xenon gets Red Carpet arrival at the Jet Center COS


DSC00258.jpg


Xenon with 35 Citation Jets on the Ramp behind.
 
Fantastic pictures, thank you. 10000 ft is way out of my height range so far.

Kai.
 
When you start from 6874 MSL field elevation, it is not that far to climb.

Todd gets credit for the pictures.

Thank You !
 
Mark- Thanks for posting those excellent photos! We visited Colorado Springs, rode the coghill train up Pikes Peak, visited Molly Katherines gold mine near Cripple Creek, went to the Royal Gorge bridge etc. It was just a beautiful experience. Stan
 
Wow

Wow

And it was over 90 degrees here yesterday. A view from an angle few people get to see in there whole lifetime. Can't wait too fly a Zenon here someday. Havn't been this excited sence I first started flying Gyros 33 years ago. Thats a experience I've been wanting to share with friends & family forever..........Dick
 
Last edited:
And it was over 90 degrees here yesterday. A view from an angle few people get to see in their whole lifetime. Can't wait to fly a Xenon here someday. Haven't been this excited since I first started flying Gyros 33 years ago. Thats a experience I've been wanting to share with friends & family forever..........Dick


Dick That is high praise coming from you. You are a Gyro Pioneer in Colorado. We all stand on your shoulders.

Mark
 
Great pictures and some lovely scenery up in the high country. Thanks for those.
 
Vindication!

Vindication!

Mark ... you have done me a big favor without even realizing it. I've had a few inquiries about my Xenon for sale and all of them seem to be of the impression that the Xenon lacks power.

I tell them that we routinely fly with two adults (not small) and fuel in density altitudes of 8,500 to 10,500 with no problems. And they think I'm exaggerating!

I think the combo of the rotor, the Rotax 912, after-market turbo, DUC prop and flying fuselage come together to make an unbelievable operating machine.

Thanks for vindicating me! Mike Bantum and I flew @ 96 degrees from KFTG (5480 ft.) and climbed out at 600 fpm with no problem.

And thanks to Raphael for putting it all together!
 
Tom

It was my pleasure. I have looked for a 2 place Gyro that will fly me (255 lbs) and a passenger at my altitude for over 30 years. I have lived in Colorado Springs since 1973, and have wanted a Gyro since 1974. For many years I was told Gyro's can't fly above 6,000 feet. Our summer density altitude is regularly over 9500ft DA. (6874 field elevation)

In those shots up Ute pass, I estimate the DA was about 11K. I was over 10K MSL for a few miles when we did our turn over Woodland Park Colorado (8600 MSL city elevation, --nearby ridges over 9,500MSL.)

Considering it weighs 620 lbs empty, and was carrying close to 500 lbs payload, it did really well.

Mark
 
So it was 5100 during the flight .
I presume this was a 912 s Rotax, If it was , how many litres an hour are you using?

Shay
 
Thank you for posting the photo's Mark, I am pretty sure we set Gyro history that day by flying up Ute Pass to Woodland Park. I have a good friend who is always giving me a hard time for choosing to fly Gyro's over fixed wing. He lives near Woodland Park and is building a Zenith 701 kit plane... I could not resist calling him on the phone and had to make sure he saw the Gyro as we flew over his house as he was working on his plane.

Thank you Mark for inviting me to join you on a flight of a lifetime and one that I will never forget for as long as I live.

Todd aka "Racer"
 
Todd

Thanks for taking these great pictures to show we really do this kind of stuff !

Mark
 
Mark- Thanks for posting those excellent photos! We visited Colorado Springs, rode the coghill train up Pikes Peak, visited Molly Katherines gold mine near Cripple Creek, went to the Royal Gorge bridge etc. It was just a beautiful experience. Stan

Stan

We flew right over the train station for the cog railway in Manitou Springs.

I have lived here over 37 years, and this flight still took my breath away. It was so pretty and green, and the decent down 7 falls road was nothing short of spectacular. Todd and I discussed the possibility of a future flight around Pikes Peak over Cripple Creek. We could get shots of the Royal Gorge bridge on the way home.

Or maybe one to the Leadville Airport , Elevation 9927 MSL (the highest public airport in North America.)

Maybe Todd will post some of his impressions too. It was a great trip. One of the best one hour flights all year. (Flying the Gyro to Key West for Lunch with my grandson was a highlight this year too.)

Mark
 
So it was 5100 during the flight .
I presume this was a 912 s Rotax, If it was , how many litres an hour are you using?

Shay

It is a 912 Rotax with a Mitsubishi Turbo and an intercooler. It puts out 130 HP. At full power it is pulling 42 inches of MP.

Burns about 7 US gallons per hour.

Mark
 
So it was 5100 during the flight .
I presume this was a 912 s Rotax, If it was , how many litres an hour are you using?

Shay

NO

It was 5600 RPM for take off and in full power climbs. 5100 to 5200 RPM cruise.

Mark
 
Top