Colorado Springs Gyros

[jdalexa]

Hi all,

I'll be in Colorado Springs on business next week (13-20 Sep) and into the weekend. I'd like to hook up with some rotorheads there and do some gyro geeking. Who we got in that area?

[Udi]

John - Bill Clem and Dick Goddard are flying out of the Front Range airport, in Denver (one hour north of Colorado Springs). I am flying out of the Fort Collins/Loveland airport, which is about an hour north of Denver. I don't know of anyone else who is currently flying in this area. There is really no organized group of gyronauts in Colorado.

Udi

[jdalexa]

Udi - I don't know what my schedule will look like, but I'll probably have some time during the 18-19 Sep weekend. Perhaps I could swing up and say hi??? Or being now from California, would that be... dooooooood!!

[GyroRon]

I picked up my Sonex last summer from Greely - spelling? - Colorado. The airport was a hotbed of activity. Didn't see any gyros but there was plane after plane after plane coming in fom Breakfast at the diner on the field. Udi how far away from there are you?

[Gyroflyer]

Udi, have you got enough engine for the altitude? You're at around 5,000 ft, aren't you? I thought 3,500 was bad.

Mark

[Udi]

Originally Posted by Gyroflyer

Udi, have you got enough engine for the altitude? You're at around 5,000 ft, aren't you? I thought 3,500 was bad.

Mark

Mark - My Air Command with a Rotax 532 is climbing at 700 fpm at this altitude. I have larger (24 ft) DW rotor blades just for this reason. I have never flown my gyro at lower altitudes, so I can't compare, but it has all the power I need. I fly from 5000 ft but the DA is usually much higher. My airport ATIS system is reporting DA all the time. I am usually flying with the DA between 6500 and 7500 ft.

Udi

[Udi]

Originally Posted by GyroRon

I picked up my Sonex last summer from Greely - spelling? - Colorado. The airport was a hotbed of activity. Didn't see any gyros but there was plane after plane after plane coming in fom Breakfast at the diner on the field. Udi how far away from there are you?

Greeley is less than 20 miles from my airport. I flew into Greeley 2-3 times.

Udi

[jdalexa]

Udi,

What do you see for blade rpm? Man, I'm betting a dude from down here in the thick air could really get himself into trouble flying in you guys rarified air.

[Bill Clem]

The DA's you just get used to. But if we waited for 5 knot winds, we'd never fly. While you are here you may get a chance to see a Colorado Wind Sock. It's a 6 foot section of logging chain with one end attached to the top of a post. There's usually a placard to help the uninitiated.... "Wind speed measured by angle: 90 degrees - Storm, 75 degrees - Strong Wind, 60 degrees - Brisk Breeze, 45 degrees - Mild Breeze, 30 degrees - Calm, 15 degrees - Wind Sock Broken."

[Udi]

Good one, Bill

John - I usually see between 330 and 340 RRPM. I am a light person and my gyro is light so the performance even in this altitude is good.

Udi-

[jdalexa]

I'd be interested to see how my gyro would do. At sea level, I'm turning 350-360 rpm in cruise.

[Gyroflyer]

sea level, what's that???

[MMorgan]

As a comparison....when I had my 23 ft. DW's on my Air Command I also saw between 330-340 rpm here at sea level. I am also light at 155 lbs.

My 23 ft. McCutchen's turn 350-360 on the same machine.

[jdalexa]

Maybe it should read see-level.... That's down here in the flat lands where the land is level as far as you can see.... See my pictures titled Sacramento Valley Flying...

That is opposed to you folks up at lumpy level where the air is rare...

[TomCarlisle]

I fly at Gallup (6520MSL) with 25' Dragron Wings and they turn 330-340 in cruise here. At Wachula, they turn at about 305 and are rough. At El Mirage (3000MSL) its a toss-up, but my 23' DW's seem to do OK and they are a lot smoother. As Bill C says, its really the DA and I have never flown here at less than 8000. I weigh 200 and my Dominator with the Hirth 2706 will climb at 700-800FPM here with the 25' DW's. Come up to El Mirage week after next and we will compare.