PRA at Oshkosh

[ScoutPilot]

We arrived early this morning and the campgrounds were a mess. Today was not a typical day on the flight line or exibit area because of the delays in the campground area. I was told by Geoff Downey EAA Rotorcraft Coordinator that things should resume back to normal tomorrow. We had a productive day speaking to people and handing out material and dvd's. the only problem is we cannot find the Airgyro folks, nor have I heard from them regarding our offer to help with set up and manning the PRA area at their booth. I must have asked several different people where Airgyro is at and I got the deer in the headlights look. Anyone been to their booth? We will try to locate them again in the morning after the pilot meeting. PRA Chapter 17 has eight members that showed up to work this morning. Any other chapters willing to help out?

Best regards,

Chuck Freese
President
Minnesota Rotrcraft Club
PRA Chapter 17

 

[All_In]

Good morning rotorheads!!

I talked to Nate and Chuck this morning. It was too late back east to call them when I saw this last night.

There was a communication problem yesterday, so PRA was at the ultralight area.
It was so muddy that tractors were pulling folks in and out, but they did give away several CD's and PRA signup forms from the ultralight area!

Chuck is calling Nate right after breakfast to took up.

Nate said not a lot of folks here yet.

 

[davreich]

Still No PRA

Still No PRA

Hi,
I intentionally went to join PRA today. Had a heck of a time finding booth 15. It's the PowerChute booth with Airgiro inside (no signs for airgiro or PRA). Way in the back was a gyro on display (no literature). I asked where the PRA "Guys" were and was told down in the ultralight area.
I went to the ultralight/rotocraft area and found a butterfly flying the pattern for quite a while later joined for a short time by a Xenon. I found the vendors for the new Honeybee and a Ken Brock near the Red Barn. But, no PRA signs or literature. I asked the Honeybee group if they knew where the PRA was hanging out. Nope.

 

[davreich]

Solution?

Solution?

Hi,
How about a couple small PRA signs by the PowerChute booth with some literature and a sign saying come down by the ultralight/rotorcraft area before the airshow to see helicopters and gyros flying. You can sign up for PRA by the Honeybee area or look for PRA sign. You could also leave your cell phone and change that as needed. Just a thought.

 

[All_In]

Thanks for the pictures and the update Dave.

OK I talked to Jim Skelly, couldn't reach Chuck.

THEY ARE and HAVE BEEN IN THE ULTRALIGHT AREA! Look for the banner table and chairs there. (Not sure why)

He said there are 6 gyroplanes and Larry Neils is flying everyday attracting crowds and they are doing well at promoting PRA for us.

We'll have to wait until I talk to Chuck or we learn more from their posting here. However, no WiFi and bad cell service is a problem.

 

[animal]

that yellow gyro looks kind of cool, what is it? more info and pic please.

 

[JEFF TIPTON]

According to FAA registration it is a HONEY BEE G2 belonging to PAUL S. ROGERS and its certificate was issued 07/12/2010 .

 

[Vance]

THEY ARE and HAVE BEEN IN THE ULTRALIGHT AREA! Look for the banner table and chairs there. (Not sure why)

Hello John,

As of 1:00 PM the banner wasn’t up and I wasn't able to find them in the ultralight area before I wandered off.

I talked to Chuck this evening as he was leaving the event and he seemed very positive.

Chuck seems like a very nice fellow. He has a big nametag and everything so I could tell he was connected with the PRA. He had a couple of nice fellows with him.

Thank you, Vance

 

[Dmorris]

Been here since Sunday. Haven't been able to find anyone connected with the PRA. I did go by Airgyros booth and I did see Larry's ultra light in the very back. If someone was trying to hide it they did a great job.

On a positive note I did get to meet and spend some time with John Salz and his beautiful Xenon. Looking forward to two Xenons flying at Mentone. The Honeybee machines were very impressive. Both of the ones on display were already sold. Also got to watch Larry Neal fly a lot. Much better representation overall than the past several years.

 

[davreich]

Stealth PRA found

Stealth PRA found

Hi,
Hey, I finally found the stealthy PRA at Airventure. I found the sign on the Ultralight/Rotocraft barrier fence at the far south end near the fuel building. The go to guy for PRA is Chuck, a heck of a nice guy. I got some literature and a dvd. Here are some pics.

 

[Lspav8r]

Well guys I finally got some wifi here at the ultralight barn so here goes.
as well as can be expected. This place was an absolute mess with all the raqinwhen I got here Sunday and I didnt get in to a campsite till tuesday and they told me I could try but there were no guaranties Iwouldnt get stuck.
I have been to airgyros booth a few times and found Larry's gyro way out back outside the tent and nothing for the PRA is aty the booth. The banner as you have seen is on the fence by all the gyros at the ultralight field, and people are3 showing interest in the sport.

Next year the PRA is going to have to have a differant way of displaying and promoting since we arent really set up as we should be to be super e3ffective here. Wed are getting a lot of people on the fence at the 1230 flight block since that is Rotorcraft flying time. I met the Frenchman that flew hismachine in from France and gave him the PRA information to see if he could make it to Mentone, but he is going to be flying on to "Canada, Alaska and Russia so its iffy for him to attend.

I asm playing the dvd every time I go in to the Ultralight basrn and getting a nice croud every time it is on so we are getting coverage there to the right people I think.

More later on

Jim

 

[Lspav8r]

We will be discussing EAA at Mentone and seeing what we can do to make it a better showing for the PRA. I think we had a good presence even with the booth debogle. People were really attentive when Chuck flew his bensen, and Larry Neal flew his Border Patrol Machine every day. There were about 10 gyros in all at EAA this year and the guys in charge of rotorcraft at EAA were really happy for our presence. I am quite sure that after we brainstorm this event at Mentone we will come up with a good solution for the PRA in the future.

I left the show Saturday afternoon due to commitments between EAA and Mentone, but will be at Mentone tuesday.

On another note I traded my gyro for a Quicksilver MXS 2 place ultralight so I can fly the grandson off our farm and I still have the B8m that we will refurbish and make some mods to like a tall tail and CLT Stab as well. I really liked the way Chucks tall tail looks on his machine.

 

[matt]

I was there four day's and walked from one end to the other many times and never could find air gyro or did I see ten gyros. I did see Larry fly everyday but that was it.

 

[Greg Mitchell]

Sounds like Larry NEAL is the best advertising and representation the PRA has.

After all the discussions about the PRA in the last few years and especially this year, I would be disappointed if I were a PRA member looking forward to seeing the sport advanced by my association.

Good thing Larry goes there to Oshkosh every year with a gyro of some description and fly's as often as they will let him.

Mitch

 

[PW_Plack]

Airgyro's booth is a tent identified as Powrachute, located in spot #15, across the street from the Safran/SMA tent near the main gate.

 

[matt]

Airgyro's booth is a tent identified as Powrachute, located in spot #15, across the street from the Safran/SMA tent near the main gate.

That was north of the main gate correct? I went by their many times and looked but did not see anything. I must be going blind. Oh well

 

[Lspav8r]

Airgyros tent was in fact the Powrachute tent, and Larry Neals gyro was stuck out back outside the rear of the tent which to me indicated that Powered Parachutes were the main focus of the Airgyro tent, but if you were there for 6 days like I was, and you were at the ultralight flight line every day like I was, and seeing Larry fly his creation every day for many hours, along with the Chaopter 17 crew that was represented en mass and promoted the sport with face to face contact with the crowd daily, handing out literature and talking with the masses about gyros. Something that Larry Neal did not do that I could see, but he did fly a lot, and as a matter of fact flew as much if not more than the helicopters present. I did not however see Larry Neal promoting face to face with the crowd, the PRA about the PRA, but reather demonstrating the Butterfly machine to the masses, so call it what you like, but we were represented as well as could be expected for the first time in a long time at AirVenture. Next year should prove to be even better with what we know now. the Video was played in the Red Barn as often as I could get it on the TV in there, and we had a a crowd around that whenever it was on.

I dont know who was there with the Xenon but I did not see that person down at the end of the runway where most of the other gyros were parked all the time. As a matter of fact Larry Neals machine was down there with the other machines about half of the time, and the rest of the time it was at the other end by the Xenon. These are things that need to be worked out over the time between this years EAA meet and next years.

All in all it was a nice representation given the circumstances, and will improve with time.

I think we need to look at it as a good experience and not as a bad one since things didnt go as they were thought to have, but they did go as good as can have been expected inspite of the misgivings. Some of us will look at the glass as half empty while others will look at it as being half full, and that is to be expected of a fledgling endeavor.

Jim

 

[Lspav8r]

Ten gyros

Ten gyros

I was there four day's and walked from one end to the other many times and never could find air gyro or did I see ten gyros. I did see Larry fly everyday but that was it.

There were never ten gyros on the field at the same time since some came and went throughout the event. I guess I worded it wrong. Sorry.

 

[gyroplanes]

I did not however see Larry Neal promoting face to face with the crowd, the PRA about the PRA,
Some of us will look at the glass as half empty while others will look at it as being half full, and that is to be expected of a fledgling endeavor.

Jim

I have to comment on several things here;

1) Don't expect Larry Neal to be out promoting PRA. Several years ago Larry severed his ties with the PRA. I'm hoping he will return to the fold, we need people like Larry.

2) Promoting gyros at Oshkosh is not a fledgling endeavor. It might be for you new guys, but we have had a very up-and-down existence at EAA for at least 35 years.

3) From a previous post by you, Jim. Blaming the problems at Oshkosh on a "good-old-boy" PRA couldn't be farther from the truth. There has never been a good old boy clique in the PRA.

There are four good reasons PRA / gyro promotion at Oshkosh has declined over the years.

1) It has been many years since the PRA had an organized effort to promote at EAA. The PRA supported volunteers at Osh, but hasn't had a serious, organized presence since the late seventies (and even then, it was subject to criticism)

2) The PRA snubbing EAA's takeover offer ended a fine mutual relationship that left the EAA with the feeling that we were competitors. EAA withdrew it's free offers of space and tents for the gyro area. This was also around the time that Ultralights were beginning to show up and we were demoted even further.

3) Ken Brock's passing

4) Geoff Downey becoming the rotorcraft chairperson. Geoff may welcome gyros now, but not too many years ago he did all that he could to keep them away. Ask him about it. I have known Geoff for over 30 years, he is in charge and entitled to his opinions, but for a long time, he was not our friend.

I'd be glad to discuss any of this further if it helps the cause. I have always said that representation at Oshkosh was far more important than any rotorcraft fly-in for the promotion of our sport and the PRA.

 

[matt]

I just got back from Oshkosh and know going to go to Mentone and haveing a hard time leaving. Who can take off two week's of work? I think I need to go to work to rest from my vacation. It is a lot of work trying to go to both and it make's me tied.