Almost bit the big one tonight...

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. :eek:

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.... :rolleyes:

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.
 

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Ouch! There but-for-the-grace-etc goes Ron.
Glad to hear you're in one piece!

But I don't quite get it - what was the reason for the long take off roll?
Insufficient horizon to get the balancing act correct; dragging the tail?
Wet grass?

And hehe - that's gonna be one seriously pissed farmer..

cheers,
John
 
Ron !
Glad you're OK BUD !!! I can't leave you out of my sight for a minute !! Next time, use a tractor to plow the field!


Barry (sometimes you scare the crap out of me) K
 
Ron,
Glad you're OK. Did you go back with a rake and try covering up the plow marks through the farmer's crops?
 
Hmmm, let's see.... taking the trouble to drag the gyro out, gas, preflight, etC. to fly in marginal (at best) weather...and almost kill yourself... to go 7 miles? Not trying to beat you up or anything, just thinking out loud. Glad it all worked out OK.
 
Yeah it was a dumb idea, should have driven... It never did rain at Goose Creek, so that shows how spread out the weather was. Farmers field was huge, I doubt I took out that much. I am going to go back in a day or two and check it out and see if I owe anything.

Not sure why it took longer to get off, probably a lot of reasons, hence the reason for this thread, just be careful and learn from my screw up.
 
Ron,

I'm glad you're OK and that you shared your mistake. I think we're all vulnerable to 'getthereitis' and need to be reminded that there are ALWAYS options -- that we don't HAVE to fly under questionable circumstances.

Don't do it again!:)!
 
You might want to note the humidity and temp for future references. Is it true that rain on some types of rotors really messes up the lifting capability? I know it does on some critical air foils. All else aside, glad you're ok and the machine didn't sustain damage.
 
Plowing a field for 300 ft? I'm really impressed Ron! I personally would have chickened out and just landed as soon as I hit the plants.

You are becoming "Birdy material" man. Today soybeans, tomorrow cow manure :eek:

Glad you and your gyro are ok!

Udi
 
"I am going to go back in a day or two and check it out and see if I owe anything."
 
Ron Ron Ron Ron Ron Ron :eek:

Barry your suppose to be watching him
Greg
 
Mike Jackson said:
Sung to the tune of "You're in the Army Now"

Your'e in a gyro now
You're not behind a plow
Don't dig up that soy - with you're rotorwing toy
You're in a gyro now! :)

LMAOROTF!
oh thats to funny!

Tim H.
 
GyroRon said:
Yeah it was a dumb idea, should have driven... It never did rain at Goose Creek, so that shows how spread out the weather was. Farmers field was huge, I doubt I took out that much. I am going to go back in a day or two and check it out and see if I owe anything.

Not sure why it took longer to get off, probably a lot of reasons, hence the reason for this thread, just be careful and learn from my screw up.
Ron Glad you and the gyro are ok.
I am leaning towards the combo of the increased drag on the tires from the wet runway,might have been softer ground then you thought and then also the waterdroplets on the blades,I know there have been alot of studys on parisite drag on airplane wings and rotorblades in the past.

on another note Ron, you ride a bike,you should know by now around our state,it might be sunny as can be where you are and go amile away and run into a down pour,at least thats what use to happen to me alot of times.
I just hope the field damage,does not couse an uproar from the farmer.

now with all the serouseness aside..Hey Ron when ya goona paint the gyro John Deere Green!
Btw that Cow in the last pic said your landing was quit MOOOOveing.
Ok I really need to not do replys before breakfest.

fly safe Ron.
Tim H.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the story...

Thanks for the story...

This is great information, Ron. Thanks for sharing it with us. Every instance of a close call should be shared with other pilots (even though you're bound to get a little ribbing about it).

This will be stored in the "Things to Remember" file in my brain.

See everyone Friday at Mentone!

Ed Newbold in Columbus, OH
 
I did the same thing through a field of dry Vermont corn once. I arrived back at the airport festooned with stalks, like a Halloween display.

Lucky you have a big engine -- and that the DEA didn't mistake you for a hit-and-run pot smuggler.
 
Ron, Glad you and your gyro are ok. If things had gone wrong a helmet could have made a BIG difference... stuart
 
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