- Joined
- Oct 30, 2003
- Messages
- 18,363
- Location
- Santa Maria, California
- Aircraft
- Givens Predator
- Total Flight Time
- 2600+ in rotorcraft
Hello Larry,
I feel this is a particularly risky time and worth a separate thread even though all landings are heralded with a takeoff.
I have an electric pre-rotator on the Predator and I can’t hear the radio when it is engaged.
At an uncontrolled airport I call, “White Gyroplane lining up for takeoff on runway ___ for a ______ departure to the N S E W. I usually call my turn altitude and speed.
I fly the entire runway before turning in case the engine goes quiet.
I climb out at 60kts to get out of the way as soon as possible.
If I feel crowded I side step the runway at around 50 feet agl, the direction depending on the situation, usually away from the pattern.
At the end of the runway I scan the instruments and say, “Temperatures and Pressures in the Green” to myself.
I try to be careful about crossing the pattern if I am making a crosswind departure by extending my takeoff a quarter mile beyond the end of the runway.
At an airport with an operating control tower ATC will tell me what they want. It is not unusual for them to ask for an early turn of a side step. Otherwise I try to do exactly what they expect.
This is what works for me, I am not a CFI and this is not exactly what I was taught. It has emerged from things that didn’t work out.
Thank you, Vance
I feel this is a particularly risky time and worth a separate thread even though all landings are heralded with a takeoff.
I have an electric pre-rotator on the Predator and I can’t hear the radio when it is engaged.
At an uncontrolled airport I call, “White Gyroplane lining up for takeoff on runway ___ for a ______ departure to the N S E W. I usually call my turn altitude and speed.
I fly the entire runway before turning in case the engine goes quiet.
I climb out at 60kts to get out of the way as soon as possible.
If I feel crowded I side step the runway at around 50 feet agl, the direction depending on the situation, usually away from the pattern.
At the end of the runway I scan the instruments and say, “Temperatures and Pressures in the Green” to myself.
I try to be careful about crossing the pattern if I am making a crosswind departure by extending my takeoff a quarter mile beyond the end of the runway.
At an airport with an operating control tower ATC will tell me what they want. It is not unusual for them to ask for an early turn of a side step. Otherwise I try to do exactly what they expect.
This is what works for me, I am not a CFI and this is not exactly what I was taught. It has emerged from things that didn’t work out.
Thank you, Vance