Helicycle-- Hoverings & Happenings

Mirek- That was funny....and yep, that was me with the pliers!


Stan

Stan
Thank you for the explanation ! In my mind it is very important to know WHY and how to DO to avoid repetition!
I was worried that it was a design problem.
I must say that you are a very skilled pilot !!!!

Duvan- my problems were just a simple adjustment quirk, both to my chopper and myself for being overzealous on the collective. I am not a highly skilled pilot by no means, but I do feel very few practice forced landings like I do. I taught myself to fly everry gyro I ewver had, zero lessons period, but I practice cutting the throttle on a whim, just like a real engine out happens, and then I evaluate how I did when I power recover. My logbooks show 18 forced landings in gyro, and 2 in my helicopter. I guess maybe I am a good pilot , but a poor mechanic! Stan

Way to you just land her!!!

Sounds like you have it sorted out now.

We had an excellent day at our local fly-in. I was demonstratng hovering, piroquettes, quick stops, autos with power recovery, etc. It was almost embarassing that out of the 55 airplanes there, the Eurocopter Medvac helicopter and mine were the only two aircraft with a herd pf people around it all day. It was a lot of fun.

The pilot of the big helicopter and I soon bonded. I was drooling over his awesome job of being paid to fly that helicopter, and he was drooling over the thought of having his own Helicycle. We left mutually agreeing that we both are having a lot of fun.

I was really testing my turbine for a flameout over the sod runway and I could not get it to flameout. Its not supposed to of course, and I believe I have that problem solved....thank you Doug Schwochert!

The one picture is of myself and my new buddy helicopter pilot. He fles out for Carle Hosital where my daughter is a nurse. I have been invited to the 9th floor anytime and visit them in the pilots lounge.

The last picture is my wife Barbara who enjoyed herself for 4 hours, until it got hot out. She can not stand the heat and I was so happy that the weather was perfect and she came up. She really isnt interested in flying' but wanted to see what I had been alll excited about. She made my day being alongside me.


Stan

Flew over 100 miles this morning on a short cross country to a friends house who has the R22 I trained in. Enroute I took two pictures of Bruce Artwicks 22,000 sq. ft. home. I am going to land there soon and inspect the curved stairway I built for his home 11 years ago. Bruce wrote the "Windows" program and sold it to Bill Gates for $380 million...then built this home He also created the "Flight Simulator" and has two of his chips on the space shuttle. Otherwise, he hasnt done much with his life......ha...

Later flew to Frasca field...but it was a ghost town. Usually the air is full of planes headed to Osh Kosh this week.

Stan

My Helicycle is down for its first condition inspection. My next flight will be enroute to Mentone after of course a maintenance flight. I am pleased with my cooler main rotor transmission temps much lower with the Moroso oil cooler I installed. Flying in 98 degree ultra high humidity saw temps much lower. I have no changes planned , just a thorough check over of everything I can see. I really am doing a condition inspection all year long, but the official condition inspection will have ALL things checked till done. I have done several modifications since my flameout last November, and I am very content with the dependability of this machine. So far she has achieved every mission I have been on. Looking forward to flying in to Mentone with a fresh inspection. Stan

Heli-luggage

Heli-luggage

Helicycles are luggage challenged to say the least. I made a nice hidden storage compartment below my seat cushion for putting tools, grease, rags,,maps, camera, batteries, etc...quite a bit of room for that stuff, but to go on an extended trip with clothes, no handy place.

I was going to ship my duffle bag to Mentone, and then ship it back, but came up with a very secure way to haul it underneath my cabin.

The heavy nylon straps are triple wrapped around my frame, then a secure ring locks them together. I have heavy nylon ties securing the bag from another two points giving the support extra redundancy. I even have a third set of nylon ties for another layer of protection. Bottom line...this bag does not swing....it is safely away from any moving controls or engine pulleys. It is also directly below the main rotorshaft so there is no CG shift.

I am all loaded for Mentone and will be departing Wed morning as soon as any fog or weather is out of the way.

See you all wed morning!

Stan

Have a safe trip Stan! Good Luck...

Uh Stan whats that little project in the background hmmmmmmmmmm?

Stan, How was your trip to Mentone. Was this a long cross country trip for you? I'm in Northern CA. and am looking forward to a few 400 mile trips to southern CA when my ship is finished. Have you passed 100 hrs yet?

Grub- I had a beautiful 121 mile flight to Mentone...flew 10 hours going to and from and at Mentone. Beautiful flight home. Today is my 1st anniversary of my first flight in my Helicycle. What an exciting year it was! Both with trouble free flying and the two flameouts......still flying and I am confident the reason for two flameouts has been resolved. I cant get the turbine to stall even on purpose while flying down the grass runway.

Here is one of my recent flights last week checking out the huge wind turbines they are erecting just east of my hometown. I dont edit my movies yet, but soon will be, so please just ride along for the 17 minute ride....it will be worth it.

My next videos will be hovering high and taking some videos of the workers using giant cranes lifting these 300 foot diameter rotors into place. Cant wait.....and now that I dont have to maintain 500 feet from any person,vessel or structure, I will use that ability to get some much closer, but still safe to all videos.

Aug15 001 - YouTube

Congrats on the one year anniversary with your copter. It's a real eye-catcher.

Does the 500 foot limit change at the one year mark? I'm confused by your comment about that restriction no longer being applicable.

Gary- Let me clarify what I meant. I can see how it looks to you that now that I have one year in my helicopter, I can now go less than 500 ft. to any person vessel or structure. From day one I did not have that 500 ft. restriction. I could never legally fly my gyroplane EVEN over my own home unless I was 500 ft. from it....or fly less than 500 ft. from any person, vessel or structure. Now I can in a helicopter, but of course I have to be aware of not endangering person or property just because I can fly much less than 500 ft. from them. I will not abuse that rule. Anyone I am flying close to has been asked beforehand if it would bother them. I also never land on someones property just because I physically can....that would be trespassing of course. I will however use the airspace that we all own and hover one foot off of someones property , say back in some secluded area that I want to check out. But for appearance sake...I will not and do not abuse my legal right to hover behind someones property in a way that may "look" like I am being nosy. I must maintain a friendly neighbor as I use our airspace tactfully. The wrestling farmer from a few years ago, I still just stay away from him, but if I happen to be flying at 50 feet high, and his combine is in my path....I will not divert, but continue right over and wave to him. I am sure he waves back a single finger salute!

Stan

Heres another unedited video of some flying. It was very turbulent on this flight. We have had dead calm days, and then fronts would come through and stir the air up. You can see some down corn to the left of the grain bins at the first of the video right after I departed my woods. I fly over all of dads farms and take pictures of any problem, downed corn......tile holes....people cutting out drinking party auditoriums in the middle of a 160 acre field, you name it....it can be found from the air! Actually...that little downed patch of corn is so far the only downed cord my dad has....and I have searched all his farms. There are some really bad cases on other farms that look terrible. Its all in the timing of the windstorm, the genetics of that particular corn, etc..


Aug15 - YouTube


Stan

Out just having fun again. I took off from my chopper channel, and went across dads soybeans that are just about to be harvested.....then some of his corn....then landed up at the local airport which is about as dead a place you will ever see. When I had my SparrowHawk up there , there was a lot more activity.

Sep17 002 - YouTube


Stan

I am driving up to bid on three stairways in a large home about a 2 hour drive from my shop. I would have flown but I have something to deliver enroute already in my truck. Its out in the country and one that I will fly to via Helicycle if I get this contract. Its only a 70 mile flight and would take me 45 minutes to fly there. This is one of the reasons I wanted a helicopter. Ever since I flew my SparrowHawk to that job in Chicago that was on a private airstrip, I became spoiled with the idea of flying directly to the jobsite. Unfortunately most jobsites can not be landed at except with a chopper. This would be exciting if I get the job. Stan

Stan, I bought a Bonanza for our small software company back in 2005, and being able to commute from Austin, Texas to my customer in north Des Moines Iowa several times a month was extremely handy. I would land at Ankeny, the airport would have my rental ready and waiting, 5 minute drive to the hotel, and 10 minute drive to Firestone (my customer.)

Then 2 years ago, we were in a Cirrus fractional ownership program when we did some work for the Mexican govt. at the border crossing in Matamoros. It's a 6 hour drive one-way, but ony an hour and 15 min. in the Cirrus...we had to make about 8 trips down there over a month, and having the Cirrus saved us a LOT of time.

There's nothing like using GA as a tool for business, especially when you have customers that need tending to off-site. It absolutely works.

Your use-case for your helicopter sounds ideal for the work you do...the only problem you're likely to have is that you'll be itching to get done with your work so you can fly home....or wherever.

-John

Buddy you are having way too much fun!!!
The green grass of the chopper channel really looks good, nice runway!
Thanks for sharing, I enjoy hovering and turning with you, almost like I was there!

John- Yea, I am having fun with the chopper. It is in constant tremble mode sitting in the hanger like a minute man missle preflighted, fueled and ready for launch. Its latest mission is helping the farmers get the harvesting done here in Illinois. I love to hover taxi next to the $300,000 plus combines and watch these monster machines gobble up corn. That is so kind of them clearing thousands of acres for me to get down on the deck again. Love this capabiility that I would be insane to ever tire of. Trouble is my best flying experiences can't be caught with video. Stan