Last little tweeks for my new Gyro Trailer!

[BEN S]

My situation had changed here and I had to leave the private field I was operating from. Its not the best situation, no hanger doors near a cliff overlooki g the ocean and a runway in line with property but a nasty roll from the side off the cliff.
I spent 8 months arranging to build my own hanger at my home, and needed a trailer to move the gyro.
I had experience with my first gyro trailer, some of you may remember it, "The White Elephant" but what I was really after is a hanger/trailer combo that the gyro could stay on the trailer in the hanger ready for a good flying window!
The hanger will be completed this next 2 weeks with any luck. Its like the freakin tower of Babel here...Korean Contractor hire Chinese Sub whose door instsller is Cantonese....no one speaks the same language.....so some delays there....
Anyway in the meantime I got permission to use the Fuam International Airport! Got all my badges and passes and access, so thats been awesome. Only pilot in airports history to do what Im doing.
Now the trailer HAD to be designed to be operated by one man (me) as no one is allowed on the ramp to help me...in higher then reguapr winds.
I tried a few differet ideas some failed miserably, but this week my last best idea seemed to be perfect!
I have a 16 ft tilt deck trailer with a raised blade box to keep blades fullly assembled! With a remote control winch and electric fuel pump station that locks the hub bar up into a cradle so I can move around without having to hold the suspended blades!
I have made two flights so far but none with my new cradle...yet, but the trailer rocks and I am not dependant on anyone else for my rig!
I have seen a bunch of trailer designs, but this one, for an open trailer, should give me a stop to prestart time alone of about 5 to 8 minutes once I am proficient in its use...

 

[martin-av8r]

Awesome !

 

[Brian Jackson]

Dude that is seriously nice.

 

[Tyger]

Anyway in the meantime I got permission to use the Fuam International Airport! Got all my badges and passes and access, so thats been awesome. Only pilot in airports history to do what Im doing.
Now the trailer HAD to be designed to be operated by one man (me) as no one is allowed on the ramp to help me...in higher then reguapr winds.

Would that be the Guam IA?

 

[DonBishop]

We need to see that in action! Please make a short video showing how it all works.

 

[BEN S]

Why yes it would!
A. Won B. Pat International in Hagatna, Guam.

I will post video of its workings as soon as I am able.

 

[BEN S]

Here it is in its first use, worked great!

 

[loftus]

Here it is in its first use, worked great!

Really slick!
Also great flying video. Gyro videos these days are so much smoother and nicer to watch with the new cams.

 

[BEN S]

This was filmed with a hero 7 black gopro. The stabilization is incredible, but the area I mounted it on is also quite stable. Just below the shock isolated folding mast joint.

 

[okikuma]

Hello Ben,

Why not approach one of the GA business on the South side of the field to rent a small portion of hanger space? A gyro does not take up much space, so you could conceivably rent space next to one of the inside hanger walls out of the way of daily maintenance and operations. Either that get a hold of an old shipping container (ready made gyro hanger) and see if you can rent space on the airfield to place the container/gyro hanger? The container can easily be sold when you leave Guam.

Wayne

 

[BEN S]

Wayne I did approach dome of the buisnesses here originally, ut the going price for a small corner was 500 a month! With an open door 50 feet high which is ONLY closed during typhoons.
Beside all that, they all maintained the right to move my bird as they saw fit if snd when it was in their way....#&$^ That!!!
As for a conex, even an extra tall wont fit my assembled mast and blades height with the off road suspension package.
Look guys, I didnt spend damn near 70k and better part of a year without weighing all my options.
Your not going to get me with a "gee why didn't I think of that?"
This Island has some very difficult ways for those of us used to things in the US. I am ajusting my environment to match.
As for leaving....not happening. I am now officilly a Guamanian. Have fully left Conus and all possesions behind or sold.
Were here till I die.

 

[Tyger]

As for leaving....not happening. I am now officilly a Guamanian. Have fully left Conus and all possesions behind or sold.
We're here till I die.

It might finally be time to edit the location on your profile, then.

 

[BEN S]

Actually I tried the other day. Can't remember where to go to change it.

 

[Kevin_Richey]

Actually I tried the other day. Can't remember where to go to change it.

When you're on the forum, click on your Avatar Photo & Name in the dark blue banner @ the top of the forum. Then, Account Details, then scroll down to Location. Then enter the foreign country you've relocated to...
Almost as easy as mountin' your rotorblades on top of your Magic Carpet Ride!

 

[BEN S]

Kevin, I have tried that like 3 times. If I click on my location area it hyperlinks to google maps,but win't let me change the location.....

 

[BEN S]

Thanks Kev. That got it!

 

[Kevin_Richey]

Being that it is tomorrow there b/4 it is done being today here, the forum software probably had to work harder to let you initiate the change!

I enjoyed the video you posted, but it seemed docile (Cessna-like) compared to the flying I've seen you do in person!

 

[BEN S]

Welllll........docile......that's a pretty accurate description of the flying I do when I am INSIDE the airport boundary. It took a LOT of work to be able to get permission to fly there. Interestingly enough, my safety factor for flying here has increased over my time in AZ. where as I had a whole county to land on and no issues flying low and doing "river runs" and other unmentionable maneuvers , here my choices are sporadic football fields, roads with wires, shark infested waters or jungle canopy! I find my normal cruising height has increased from about 50 feet to 1000 to 1400 just to buy me extra time in case the engine goes cold on me.
Speaking of river runs I dug out my original go pro (hero 1) the other day and it still had a chip in it. I downloaded the contents and it was the fly-in Machine Gun shoot BBQ I held in Yuma. There is video footage of Me, Dave Bacon and I believe it was you flying together and doing a river run.
Or am I getting soft headed in my old age?

 

[Sv.grainne]

I flew in and out of Guam, both military and civilian sides in the 80's. Have to hand it to you for flying your machine there. Probably the most restrictive places you could find! Hag Adai!

 

[Kevin_Richey]

...Speaking of river runs I dug out my original go pro (hero 1) the other day and it still had a chip in it. I downloaded the contents and it was the fly-in Machine Gun shoot BBQ I held in Yuma. There is video footage of Me, Dave Bacon and I believe it was you flying together and doing a river run.
Or am I getting soft headed in my old age?

Dave had to leave then for something b/4 I arrived there. I remember because I was disappointed in not going flying w/ him. But, you, Brita & I went flying together to that dry-river run. You could hear my radio transmissions while Brita couldn't, so you'd relay what I said to her. That flight is memorable, seeing the sights of the outskirts of Wellton's farmlands. It was impressive how all the brown mountains & desert contrasted w/ the green crops below as we swished along.

I did get to fly along w/ Dave @ El Mirage when several gyros (Vance, Scott H., Dave, me (& another?) flew over to California Logistics from the lake bed. He said then that it had been the first time he had flown away from the lake bed. His gyro's engine was the only Mac present.

I also remember being in a bit of awe how you were holding up since it had been only a month or so since Dougie's crash there @ the airstrip & all the trauma you had to go through w/ the investigators questioning you extensively about your friendship w/ him.