GyroRon
Former Gyro know it all
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2003
- Messages
- 16,888
- Location
- Fort Mill South Carolina
- Aircraft
- Vans RV4 / Dominator 582 Ultrawhite
- Total Flight Time
- ALOT
I am in the market for a newer truck to use for work - tired of towing a trailer everywhere and been considering a flat front Tilt Cab Isuzu with a landscape bed. I found one in the trucktrader for sale and called the seller and found out he lived next to a model airplane field about 7 miles from Goose Creek, so I made arrangements to fly over there and meet him to see his used truck he was selling. I was thinking about driving over, but wanted to use this as a excuse to go flying this afternoon.
Got out to the airport and thunderstorms are everywhere. But it was dry and calm at Goose Creek so I preflighted the gyro and took off. It was smooth flying over to the R/C field and I made a nice landing, and then a few minutes later the seller drove up in the Isuzu.We shook hands and then got in the truck for a short test drive, and after a few minutes it began to rain. We drove back to the R/C field and pushed my gyro under one of the carports there used as a shade and we sat there and waited for the storm to pass.
We waited and waited till it was nearly dark and finally I decided I needed to go ahead and go. It was still lightly raining, but no winds... So I fired up the gyro and warmed the Rotax back up, waved goodbye to the seller and the two model plane pilots who were also there and taxied out to the end of the 800 foot runway to spin up the blades.
I have taken off many times from another model field that is supposed to be only 300 foot long so I didn't expect any trouble.
I spun the blades up to 200 RRPM and released the brakes and prerotator and went immediately to full throttle. Because of the light rain and the darkness of the sky I couldn't see much and this was a factor in that I know I should have gotten off the ground quicker. I felt the gyro rock back on the tailwheel and I pushed the nose down to where the nose wheel almost was touching the ground and held it there to the last 50 feet of the runway and I went ahead and gave it a tug of backstick to get her in the air. Well.....
She got in the air but wasn't ready to fly yet, so just as I passed the end of the runway the gyro started to settle back in. Only problem was there was not a smooth field under me now, but instead it was some kind of crop. Soybeans I think...? anyhow, the gyro settled into the crop and it really dragged itself down. I kept the power in and tried to keep the gyro level - needed full left rudder - and even though it felt like someone slammed the brakes when I hit the plants, somehow I was still flying and slowly dragged through and then out of the crop and back into the air.
Gyro was not accellerating like it should have though and would barely climb at all. I flew on straight ahead gaining speed and altitude before turning back to the field. As I got closer I noticed the mess I had made in the plants, I must have dragged through about 300 feets worth of it.
It was then while looking at the field that I noticed what my gyro was carrying on the landing gear.... About a garbage bags worth of plants on each of the three legs and the bottom of the rudder was loaded along with the front of the radiator.
I was still climbing and all apeared well, so I keep climbing and headed back to Goose Creek, 3 bags of plants and all! Didn't have any further problems but did note the huge cut on performance it caused, Couldn't get it much faster than about 55-60 mph and the climb rate was terrible.
Landed no problem back at the creek and taxied up in front of the hangar and snapped a few pics. Most of the plants fell off when I landed, but there was still plenty on the main legs.... Only person who got to see me fly in was a herd of cows....
Anyway, lessons learned? Make sure not to takeoff in the rain on a short wet runway and if it looks like it might rain, plan as if it WILL rain.
Got out to the airport and thunderstorms are everywhere. But it was dry and calm at Goose Creek so I preflighted the gyro and took off. It was smooth flying over to the R/C field and I made a nice landing, and then a few minutes later the seller drove up in the Isuzu.We shook hands and then got in the truck for a short test drive, and after a few minutes it began to rain. We drove back to the R/C field and pushed my gyro under one of the carports there used as a shade and we sat there and waited for the storm to pass.
We waited and waited till it was nearly dark and finally I decided I needed to go ahead and go. It was still lightly raining, but no winds... So I fired up the gyro and warmed the Rotax back up, waved goodbye to the seller and the two model plane pilots who were also there and taxied out to the end of the 800 foot runway to spin up the blades.
I have taken off many times from another model field that is supposed to be only 300 foot long so I didn't expect any trouble.
I spun the blades up to 200 RRPM and released the brakes and prerotator and went immediately to full throttle. Because of the light rain and the darkness of the sky I couldn't see much and this was a factor in that I know I should have gotten off the ground quicker. I felt the gyro rock back on the tailwheel and I pushed the nose down to where the nose wheel almost was touching the ground and held it there to the last 50 feet of the runway and I went ahead and gave it a tug of backstick to get her in the air. Well.....
She got in the air but wasn't ready to fly yet, so just as I passed the end of the runway the gyro started to settle back in. Only problem was there was not a smooth field under me now, but instead it was some kind of crop. Soybeans I think...? anyhow, the gyro settled into the crop and it really dragged itself down. I kept the power in and tried to keep the gyro level - needed full left rudder - and even though it felt like someone slammed the brakes when I hit the plants, somehow I was still flying and slowly dragged through and then out of the crop and back into the air.
Gyro was not accellerating like it should have though and would barely climb at all. I flew on straight ahead gaining speed and altitude before turning back to the field. As I got closer I noticed the mess I had made in the plants, I must have dragged through about 300 feets worth of it.
It was then while looking at the field that I noticed what my gyro was carrying on the landing gear.... About a garbage bags worth of plants on each of the three legs and the bottom of the rudder was loaded along with the front of the radiator.
I was still climbing and all apeared well, so I keep climbing and headed back to Goose Creek, 3 bags of plants and all! Didn't have any further problems but did note the huge cut on performance it caused, Couldn't get it much faster than about 55-60 mph and the climb rate was terrible.
Landed no problem back at the creek and taxied up in front of the hangar and snapped a few pics. Most of the plants fell off when I landed, but there was still plenty on the main legs.... Only person who got to see me fly in was a herd of cows....
Anyway, lessons learned? Make sure not to takeoff in the rain on a short wet runway and if it looks like it might rain, plan as if it WILL rain.