Aloha from Hawaii

hismiths

Newbie
Joined
Nov 28, 2019
Messages
24
Location
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Aloha everyone, I'm retired airport planner/project manager and fixed wing SEL private pilot living on the Big Island of Hawaii (KPHO). I have 900+/- hours in a wide variety of airplanes, recently flew a gyroplane in Costa Rica, snd I'm hooked!

http://www.autogyroamerica.com

I did my ab initio flight training at KOA in the late '70s in Grummans (which I love), and have owned 3 airplanes. A lot of my time is taildragger and mountain flying hours. I've got my hours for a glider rating, but no check-ride. I'm ultralight certified, and completed the groundschool and dual for ultralight instructor, but before I could get a check-ride the FAA went and changed the rules! Bummer, as I would have been grandfathered in, and ʻIʻ would be a LSA instructor ... We owned a 7AC Champ and a Spezio TuHoler during the years we lived in Montana, and flew it over the western states. The gyro felt just like the Champ, and I stayed on altitude and airspeed in my first steep 360°s.

I hope to find a two-place that I can leaseback to an already existing 'intro to flight' operation in Kona. I plan to get my initial training, until my instructor is satisfied I can fly safely. I'll then have a solo adventure flight to the west coast, and get check rode somewhere along the way with my accumulated hours and experience. At the coast Iʻll break the aircraft down and palletize/shrink wrap her for my frieght forwarder, and have her barged to the Big Island.

If I can get an independent inspection and condition report, I can buy/insure sight unseen, if storage until appropriate X-CNTRY WX comes around is available. We did that buying our Champ in Michigan from Hawaii and it worked fine.
 
Aloha! My wife and I just returned a few weeks ago from the Big Island. Having some Kona Joe's coffee right now in fact. Welcome to the Forum.
 
Mahalo for the welcome. You can probably see why a gyro is the perfect aircraft for Hawaii. It's either warm severe clear, or stay on the ground!
 
Mahalo for the welcome. You can probably see why a gyro is the perfect aircraft for Hawaii. It's either warm severe clear, or stay on the ground!
Indeed! And don't land on the lava! My wife decided to be adventurous and hike over some. That lasted about 12 feet. But what a wonderful place to fly a gyro that would be. The views were breathtaking by car. Can only imagine by air.
 
First flew my boss to Hawii to sell a BAC111 to Chris Hemmeter.

My boss ended up with a share of the Maui Hyatt, and what a beautiful hotel that was. We later flew back there for a second visit in his upgraded 727 and another fantastic break.

A beautiful place, so impressed I took the family back for a cruise round the Islands, certainly a holiday to remember.
 
First flew my boss to Hawii to sell a BAC111 to Chris Hemmeter.

My boss ended up with a share of the Maui Hyatt, and what a beautiful hotel that was. We later flew back there for a second visit in his upgraded 727 and another fantastic break.

A beautiful place, so impressed I took the family back for a cruise round the Islands, certainly a holiday to remember.
First flew my boss to Hawii to sell a BAC111 to Chris Hemmeter.

My boss ended up with a share of the Maui Hyatt, and what a beautiful hotel that was. We later flew back there for a second visit in his upgraded 727 and another fantastic break.

A beautiful place, so impressed I took the family back for a cruise round the Islands, certainly a holiday to remember.

If you come to the Big Island, give me a heads up. Seven hours in Kona isnʻt enough.
 
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Couple of photos I took on our Jeep excursion of the Big Island. It goes from one extreme to the other fairly quickly. Hope to return someday.
 
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