Begining the Jungle Jet Yamaha Genesis swap...

Wow, what an outstanding vacation!!! I couldn't have asked for a better time. GREAT company, unbelieveable scenery... simply amazing. Thanks guys for showing me and my girl an unforgettable time!!! More pics to come, I just got home....
 

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Uh Oh. Seems like these guys have got sucked into some lotus eating land of Shangri-La. They may not make it out.:eek:
 
Another day

Another day

A brief post of something that happened this past Monday.

Wingnut and his lady came to Panama to visit and see the country. After a week of touring they came back to the city. I arranged to have them meet Joaco (Magni) out at our club. Joaco was as ever very gracious in offering rides to Brian (Wingnut) and Christina and Minnesota Mike.

While they were enjoying the Magni and the incredible countryside (lake, Indian Village etc) I was watching an R22 Beta do some low level downwind turns. This was clearly an instructor and student. What I didnt realize was that the R22 was actually once owned by Joaco and was in fact the very machine he trained in to become a helo pilot. I also didnt realize that the instructor was a young friend named Raimundo. He is the son of a helicopter mechanic and at age 19 is a CFI here for helicopters. Raimundo asked if I wanted to take a ride in the R22 with his student (who I later learned is completely certified and considered one of the best pilots around). The reason he was practicing was to sharpen low level downwind turns used in crop dusting. I took the ride and it was of course great. Once we landed Raimundo came over and told me to get into the pilots seat. He then joined me.

Guys you have to know at this point I thought I was dreaming. I have been completely consumed with the idea of trying my hand at the stick of a helo for a while now but am too cheap to spend the money.

So off we went to see if Rob can maintain a hover!!!!

The results are here for you to see.

WARNING if you are prone to sea sickness you might not want to watch.

I will tell you this - it was a random act of kindness that for me was a dream come true!! Talk about a high.

PS: I prefer my gyro!

Enjoy my dream come true with me....

http://vimeo.com/10789815
 
Wow, what an outstanding vacation!!! I couldn't have asked for a better time. GREAT company, unbelieveable scenery... simply amazing. Thanks guys for showing me and my girl an unforgettable time!!! More pics to come, I just got home....

Brian there is always a spot for you here. I have rarely met a nicer young man.
 
well for a first time, it looked like ya did pretty good. what a challenge huh?

Tim I was absolutely shocked at how wet my hands were at the end of that ride. I dont panic easily but my hands were actually dripping. Of course there were a number of times the CFI took over so I didnt crash us. When he had us fly backward I almost wet myself. Thats not a feeling I know from my gyro flying!!! Really alien and especially that close to the ground.

Mike keeps seeing these gorgeous coffee cocoa and chocolate senoritas and speculating how you would like it here. I figure if a person is the least bit hetero (I know you are) and has at least one good eye - Panama is some form of heaven.

I pray my wife never logs on here now.
 
well I am still waiting to see some of the pics of these sexy women,, you know us sleazy old bikers love eye candy.. :)

I just came in from a ride on the bike, going to go work on the helicopter and maybe drag it out to the pad and see if the starter works. plan is pull the plugs and turn it over and see if I get oil pressure. if so then may try a start.
 
Tim...
I'm forwarding those photos to your email address as soon as I can (...that is....after I recover from tonight's party with the ladies from Estonia and Australia..!!) :)
 
GREAT JOB BRIAN....!!!
Perfect soundtrack..!!

For 6 days I've been wrestling with my editing suite trying to stitch something together...seems my PC has codec and dll. issues and crashes when I try to export.
(Time to reformat and reinstall no doubt...!!)

Glad you posted this video....it perfectly captured our times together here. :)
 
I was right. It is Shangri-La. They are doomed never to reappear, lost forever amongst the dusky fair maidens and exotic beverages, and occasionaly seeking 'hanger' cures.

Our hearts are bleeding for you guys.

Nice job of hovering for a first go Robert.
 
Well, you smarty-party Panama-panty dudes! I was just thinkin...Wait, could that be the voice of a ringmaster I hear ....

"HA-L-L-A-A-A-AD-I-E-S AND GENTLEMEN! Who's going to finish the World's first Air Command Yamaha Genesis gyro build> In THIS corner, we have the red AC-T of Mr. GyroGerg Nowings Attached (NWA), and in THIS corner we have the blue AC-T of Mr. Fiveboy. Let the first round begin!"

Three's the bell, and right out Gyrogerg is well behind, with no outside help, as Fiveboy hits him with a body blow of tag team heroics. Gyrogerg has his snowmobile tho, and is going to really have to struggle to catch up - even tho Fiveboy has....NO ENGINE!

AND HERE COMES BENSEN DAYS TO REALLY MUCK UP NWA's PROGRESS, he's going to miss the entire week of work on his project. I think Fiveboy is biding his time, waiting for just the right moment to strike a vicious blow.

STay tuned for round 2.
 
Well, you smarty-party Panama-panty dudes! I was just thinkin...Wait, could that be the voice of a ringmaster I hear ....

"HA-L-L-A-A-A-AD-I-E-S AND GENTLEMEN! Who's going to finish the World's first Air Command Yamaha Genesis gyro build> In THIS corner, we have the red AC-T of Mr. GyroGerg Nowings Attached (NWA), and in THIS corner we have the blue AC-T of Mr. Fiveboy. Let the first round begin!"

Three's the bell, and right out Gyrogerg is well behind, with no outside help, as Fiveboy hits him with a body blow of tag team heroics. Gyrogerg has his snowmobile tho, and is going to really have to struggle to catch up - even tho Fiveboy has....NO ENGINE!

AND HERE COMES BENSEN DAYS TO REALLY MUCK UP NWA's PROGRESS, he's going to miss the entire week of work on his project. I think Fiveboy is biding his time, waiting for just the right moment to strike a vicious blow.

STay tuned for round 2.

DING! :drum:

After being in training camp since July (i.e. sitting around freaking out), my manager (Racer) has sent me into the ring. He tells me that this weekend (today is Friday) he will have my engine on the mock up engine mount. To me this implies I am actually in this fight and maybe landing blows (as opposed to blowing my landings) - reeeeeeealy soon.

This has the effect of being splashed with cold water and now I am in my corner jumping up and down and waving my little pygmy arms around.

My cut man (Minne Mike) is coming with me tomorrow to the training camp (the hangar) where we will start getting things rolling for the upcoming brawl. Look for photos coming.

Greg you will will be G e r g by the time this is all over.
:hail:Todd - hand me my engine, :puke:this punk is going down! :rant:
 
Cmon....Kick his Butt !!!
 
ROBERT - One can only hope!

I know I have LITTLE hope, but hey, that makes it interesting. Wishing you the best on your build, looking fwd to PHOTOS, PHOTOS, and ...MORE PHOTOS.

BTW, you went DOWN in round one, judges gave me 3-0 for getting my motor first. So far, yer a wanna-be! HahA!
 
Here are some more pics and unedited video of the gyro fun we had in Panama. It was such a pleasure getting to hang out at the club, I certainly do appriciate Rob and Mike for taking us out to Calzada Larga and to Joaco who was kind enough to take us up in his Magni. The people we met and the sights we seen were truely unforgetable, great times. The experience kicked me into gear to finally start training. Hopefully Rob gets his engine soon, I am looking forward to heading back down there and taking that bird for a spin. I can't imagine having that scenery to fly in, just to have my machine sit in the corner. Good luck with getting that engine Rob, I could tell you were "thirsty" to get it flying.

Well here are the vids and pics, I would suggest turning down the volume if you watch the videos, wind and microphones don't make the most pleasant sounds.

Take off http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm8EWbOjqxU

Flying around http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UO8fe8E9uUs

More flying around http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX1WLJVPJqQ

Landing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFQfQCGK8NE

Crossing the Panama Canal by car http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2UrL7hib4o
 

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Brian great shots. Really captures what the scenery is like just around the club. It was great meeting and hanging with you and Christina - and Mike and I are very glad the experience punched up your schedule for becoming a gyro pilot.

As for my machine sitting on the corner... in June it will be a year (though Racer and I didnt get into business together until July). I sure hope I get some kind of good news soon. I am actually afraid I may have forgotten what to do to take off and land! In fact my son is graduating in mid May in Virginia and I have two fly dates with my CFI Mr. Burgess.... so perhaps I can re-learn before I forget again!

BTW Brian that other video you posted of your overall trip was really great.

Open invitation to the gyro community.... C'mon down! (You might even get to fly with me in my machine someday.... it has to be soon now?)
 
Well...after getting into tearing out the guts of my sled today I can see why Todd is not all that anxious to get to a project for someone else's machine. Whatever he is charging for the work, it is not enough. God BLESS but there's a lot of crap to get out of the way just to get at the motor. And these are not bright, shiny gyros. THese things are disgusting, filthy, crappy snowmobiles that no one has gotten this deep into since the day it was built. I have never worked on anything so filthy and disgusting as this sled, and I have pulled MANY car motors in the past. I was sneezing and hacking from all the dirt blown into the air from the pneumatic tools, but no way would I trade that off for hand tools in these tight spaces.
 
Well...after getting into tearing out the guts of my sled today I can see why Todd is not all that anxious to get to a project for someone else's machine. Whatever he is charging for the work, it is not enough. God BLESS but there's a lot of crap to get out of the way just to get at the motor. And these are not bright, shiny gyros. THese things are disgusting, filthy, crappy snowmobiles that no one has gotten this deep into since the day it was built. I have never worked on anything so filthy and disgusting as this sled, and I have pulled MANY car motors in the past. I was sneezing and hacking from all the dirt blown into the air from the pneumatic tools, but no way would I trade that off for hand tools in these tight spaces.

Generalizing based on a single experience is not a trap I expected you to fall so willingly into.
 
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