barnstorm2
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2003
- Messages
- 14,573
- Location
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Aircraft
- 2-place Air Command CLT SxS (project), & Twinstarr Autogyro
- Total Flight Time
- 750+hrs and climbing
Without a doubt the smiles I get after I give people their first gyroplane ride is a great reward and makes all of the effort worth while.
Occaisonally, someone I give a ride to will send me something extra. Doug on this forum sent me a professional photo that was taken of my Twinstarr in flight which he then augmented with some great computer graphics.
The photo has been my my desktop background for over a year and is also part of my screen saver both at home on my servers, on my laptop and my instructor machine at work.
I sent out an email to people that contacted me over the winter about gyros to let them know that I would be giving rides Sunday and if they wanted to watch me fly to come on up to the airport and if they were willing to brave the cold I would take them for a ride.
Four people showed up and they all got rides and I got big smiles back after landing.
One of the people that showed up had gotten his first aircraft ride from me last fall and he brought his son over so he could get to see a gyro and get a ride. The father was inspired from my gyro ride last fall and began taking Sport Pilot lessons in a CUB at a local airfield.
What I did not expect, is that the ride I gave him also inspired the artist in him.
Yesterday he presented me with this at the airport:
It is a wood burn etching of my Twinstarr!
At first I thought it was some sort of photo transfer but then I realized he ad created it by hand!
Wood burn etching is difficult and I remember when I tried it I could not even draw a straight line because of the grain.
Needless to say I am highly impressed and grateful.
I am going to hang it in my office next to the server with Doug's TS photo.
I would like to encourage all gyro pilots with 2 place machines and high time flying experience to share the joy with others. Some of the rewards are amazing.
Elaine getting her first ride and landing in a gyro.
Mike before his first gyro ride:
Occaisonally, someone I give a ride to will send me something extra. Doug on this forum sent me a professional photo that was taken of my Twinstarr in flight which he then augmented with some great computer graphics.
The photo has been my my desktop background for over a year and is also part of my screen saver both at home on my servers, on my laptop and my instructor machine at work.
I sent out an email to people that contacted me over the winter about gyros to let them know that I would be giving rides Sunday and if they wanted to watch me fly to come on up to the airport and if they were willing to brave the cold I would take them for a ride.
Four people showed up and they all got rides and I got big smiles back after landing.
One of the people that showed up had gotten his first aircraft ride from me last fall and he brought his son over so he could get to see a gyro and get a ride. The father was inspired from my gyro ride last fall and began taking Sport Pilot lessons in a CUB at a local airfield.
What I did not expect, is that the ride I gave him also inspired the artist in him.
Yesterday he presented me with this at the airport:
It is a wood burn etching of my Twinstarr!
At first I thought it was some sort of photo transfer but then I realized he ad created it by hand!
Wood burn etching is difficult and I remember when I tried it I could not even draw a straight line because of the grain.
Needless to say I am highly impressed and grateful.
I am going to hang it in my office next to the server with Doug's TS photo.
I would like to encourage all gyro pilots with 2 place machines and high time flying experience to share the joy with others. Some of the rewards are amazing.
Elaine getting her first ride and landing in a gyro.
Mike before his first gyro ride: