1968 pra flyin at r-d airport, nc

[Jerry_Forest]

Gyro flying in the good old days. First effort on digitizing a Super 8mm home movie. It has lost some resolution, but let me know if you see yourself there. People like Igor B, Ed N, Ken B.,etc. you may also recognize, so let me know, eh??!! gyro_jerry@hotmail.com PRA 5392, Ch.11, RAA 1293, Ch 4911.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lqguZ0pnxM

ps, the music is courtesy of Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians.

[getut]

WOW... I was only -3 when that piece of history took place. Its nice to see gyros slowly building their numbers in NC again.

I fielded quite a few answers to gyro questions at my Salisbury/Rowan EAA meeting last night and one of the old timers there spoke up and said he was interested in gyros in the 60's and had stopped in to see Igor Bensen in Raleigh. He said he ended up in a Stinson though and never followed through on the gyro interest.

[barnstorm2]

I love the gyroglider footage and the "sunbathing" shot.

[animal]

very cool old footage, My helicom Commuter Helicopter was built in 1968, I can't help but wonder if some where, someone has any old footage of it flying. that would be so cool to see. I do know it was at a fly-in in mayville n.y. sometime in 1981 I think it was.

I too am glad to see more gyros in N.C. I just think it is sad that the home state of the Bensen Gyro, does not have a PRA chapter of it's own.
as long as I can remember I don't know of there being a N.C. chapter of PRA.

PRA 13 is Georgia- Carolinas but not a NC chapter by it's self.

at one time I tried to start a Rotorcraft club ( North Carolina Rotorcraft Association ) but it never got enough interest to do anything.

My e-mail address today still reflects that effort ncra@bellsouth.net

anyway very cool footage thanks for posting it.

[gyroplanes]

Gerry, Thanks for posting the 1968 fly-in. I was just a 20 yr old boy with a gyro dream then. It would be 5 years before my first gyro and that changed my life forever.

Animal, What was you Helicom's N number. my friend took his to the Mayville fly-in. He sold it to someone down south I think. I have pictures and probably a video or two.

[animal]

Originally Posted by gyroplanes

Gerry, Thanks for posting the 1968 fly-in. I was just a 20 yr old boy with a gyro dream then. It would be 5 years before my first gyro and that changed my life forever.

Animal, What was you Helicom's N number. my friend took his to the Mayville fly-in. He sold it to someone down south I think. I have pictures and probably a video or two.

Tom Mine is N814S it is a Single seater, check out my build thread. and there are a few pics of how it looked when first built.

Of course I would love to see Video of any of these old Helicom Commuters.

I tryed to test mine again but the starter drive has a small spragg clutch in it and it is slipping. I took the Starter back off and I have the drive soaking in a cleaner.

also it had a push button mounted to the starter and it shorted out and started smoking,so my plan is to take it off and install a separate starter Solenoid . I will post some pics on my build thread.

[gyroplanes]

Tim,
My friend's was a commuter II He sold it for $10,000. I flying condition.

[animal]

Originally Posted by gyroplanes

Tim,
My friend's was a commuter II He sold it for $10,000. I flying condition.

was that the orange one you had posted pics of before?

would be cool to track it down and see if it was still flying.

[Jerry_Forest]

Gerry, Thanks for posting the 1968 fly-in. I was just a 20 yr old boy with a gyro dream then. It would be 5 years before my first gyro and that changed my life forever

.
Hi Tom. Thanks for your comment. I was flying my gyro-glider the year before, in fact the first time was Oct. 14th, 2007 (age 23). I remember it well and I also have that on a home movie.
But I'm having a real fiddle trying to maintain the resolution of the original movie when digitizing and editing it. Anyone have any suggestions on this (and to keep it short and simple)?

[Scary Gary]

Thank you so much for posting this . I was blest with meeting knowing and calling Tommy Milton my friend lond ago and still do . I got to catch the tail end of the B8M and KB2 craze . I will forever be grateful to Tommy for introducing me to Gyro's , it was one of the best time's of my life . And this 8mm movie brings back such fond and good memory's that I long for that simple time . God I feal old .
Thanks
Scary Gary

[gyroplanes]

Originally Posted by animal

was that the orange one you had posted pics of before?

would be cool to track it down and see if it was still flying.

I just checked the FAA registry for N69GK. It is still registered in my friend's name after 30 years. I bet the buyer stripped the info and re-cerified it as his own build?

[gyroplanes]

Originally Posted by Scary Gary

Thank you so much for posting this . I was blest with meeting knowing and calling Tommy Milton my friend lond ago and still do . I got to catch the tail end of the B8M and KB2 craze . I will forever be grateful to Tommy for introducing me to Gyro's , it was one of the best time's of my life . And this 8mm movie brings back such fond and good memory's that I long for that simple time . God I feal old .
Thanks
Scary Gary

Don't make me cry PPH.

[Scary Gary]

It's all your fault Milton .

[animal]

Originally Posted by gyroplanes

I just checked the FAA registry for N69GK. It is still registered in my friend's name after 30 years. I bet the buyer stripped the info and re-cerified it as his own build?

Thats pretty cool, I wonder if your friend stayed in touch with the new owner.

I wonder how many of these Commuters were built and how many are still around.

Kind of like the early Bensens, there seems to still be many stored in barns and garages around the country.