The adventure continues!

Vance which GPS do you have? I will see if I can find a down loadable one for you.
 
Thank you Brandon, you helped me to remember to stay inside my wind limit.

As I considered not coming down as the tower reported winds at 330 degrees at 13 kts, I remembered what you said about my diligence and I called for a full stop. As I ate lunch looking out at runway 30 there were gusts to 29 kts. I watched a Brasilia get up on one wheel. Thank you.

Thank you Jeff, It is a Garmin III. The manual is just the last place I will look for it. It is not very lost. I have been working so hard at getting in every minute of flying I have gotten a little sloppy. If you can find something that would be great, having it on the computer will allow me to look like I am working at work. Today I figured out how to do “go to” and I set the clock and reset the trip. I feel like I am over the hump now.

The photographer from the newspaper didn’t show today and I played with my Garmin while I waited for him.

My expanded lists were helpful today, but not in the way I expected. As I roll out for takeoff I am always wondering if I released the rotor brake or if I turned on the fuel pump, if I am full rich, or if I have changed to the tower frequency, ect ect. With the list, before I call the tower and tell them I am ready for takeoff, I can run down the list very quickly. When I am taking off I can focus on rotor management and takeoff stuff. I had not realized how much of my focus I would lose to my mental check lists. I don’t believe I would want to work without them. I lost one of them over the strawberry fields today.

It was a little gusty and winds were 300 degrees and 10 kts. Every landing was lovely. I still tense up a little but I have come to expect elegant landings. I am no less grateful for good landings; I have just come to expect them.

I flew for 1.6 hours of touch and goes and simulated engine outs. 18 in all. I am focusing on my ground reference maneuvers and consistency. During takeoff and climb out, my ground speed was 9 miles per hour slower than my airspeed. When I would level out at 700 feet my ground speed was 15 miles per hour slower than my airspeed. Sometimes on downwind my ground speed was 20 miles per hour faster than my airspeed. I found this confusing.

I learned a little bit about radio calls today. I found that I was trying to rush through the whole thing. Today I focused on reading one line at a time and I was a little slower, but I stumbled over the words less.

Santa Maria tower

Experimental Gyroplane

November 142 Mike Golf

With information whisky

Ready for take off

Request left closed traffic.

I am slower and more deliberate.

These details are what allow me to continue to grow.

I am working on a flight plan to Oceano tomorrow.

Thank you, Vance
 
Vance,

The headings normally shown on any aviation GPS are magnetic headings. In aviation, we use angular relationship to magnetic north, stated in degrees, for almost everything -- headings, orientation of runways, orientation of navaids. Instructions from controllers are always in magnetic: "Turn left 320 degrees, intercept the localizer."

The north-south orientation of the aeronautical chart is based on true north, which is why the 0º/360º radial of a VOR on the chart doesn't align with the north-south grid lines. (Technically, the gridlines are oriented neither to magnetic nor true north, but to a third measure, "grid north." We can ignore that distinction). There is only one other exception that I can think off off the top of my head (I am on the road and away from most aviation references). The exception is that wind direction in written forecasts and reports (such as METARS) is given in degrees from true north.

Unlike these written publications, SPOKEN forecasts and reports are usually in magnetic. (They're supposed to always be in magnetic, but controllers get a bit loose and sometimes just read you the METAR).

From NOAA (here):

WIND and TEMPERATURE ALOFT FORECASTS (FD) are 6, 12, and 24-hour forecasts of wind direction, speed, and temperatures for selected altitudes to 53,000 feet MSL at specified locations. Direction is relative to true north rounded to the nearest 10 degrees. Speed is in knots. Temperatures aloft (in degrees Celsius) are included with wind data for all but the 3000-foot MSL level and those levels within 2500 feet of the ground. Temperatures above 24,000 feet MSL are always negative. Winds at other locations and altitudes can be obtained by interpolation.

Note that while Garmin GPSes like the GPS III Pilot can be set to read true heading, the default or factory setting is to read headings in magnetic degrees. That's logical, because these are the headings that controllers will understand you to be on.

Finally, unlike true headings, magnetic headings change -- not from minute to minute, but as the years go by. This is because Earth's magnetic field is in motion. This motion is fairly stable and highly predictable (if you have a USGS (USA) or Ordnance Survey (UK) map, it has a small grid-magnetic angle diagram on it with a date, and information about how the angle changes from year to year. Why don't aviation charts have that? There are two reasons. First, aviation charts don't last for years, they are quickly replaced (every 56 days). Second, aviation charts cover a much larger area than a hiker's map (because aircraft cover more ground than hikers!) This means that the isogonic lines might be moving in one direction at one point on a sectional chart, but in another direction entirely a few hundred miles away (at abnother point on that same chart).

Here is a page explaining some of the entanglements in GPS and headings... it also has a very cool time-lapse video of the isogonic lines in motion over the years!

http://www.cockpitgps.com/VOR_magnetic_variation/vor_out_of_alignment_gps_and_obs.htm

I am afraid I may have made a jumble of this explanation. Vance, is it clear enough for you?

They key fact is this: unless you manually changed your GPS to display headings in degrees from true north, they will be displayed in degrees from magnetic north. This change is not something that is likely to happen by accident. So your GPS is almost certainly using degrees magnetic.

You can check it by finding a place on the sectional where a line (a power line, say) oriented to true north intersects a line oriented to magnetic north. Fly there and see which one aligns with north on your GPS... I bet it'll be magnetic north.

cheers

-=K=-
 
Thank you Kevin,

I love the depth of your understanding; you express it so well and make it practical. I am still having a little confusion in my flight planning. I want to learn to navigate with my compass, my timers and my slide graphic navigation computer because I feel this will give me a basis for an intuitive understanding of where I am in the same way a slide rule gives me a feel for the calculations that a digital calculator doesn’t. I feel the rush of achievement each time I spot an anticipated landmark on time. My error becomes apparent sooner as I feel my way across the sky and relate what I imagine to the ground I know. I love this process.

I would like to find some analog timers. My digital ones have nice big numbers and are cheap. I would like to get a feel for time that goes beyond numbers.

The wind is 3 kts and variable. It is a little hazy and 48 degree.

As I sit here I wonder what challenges I will face today and what I will learn from my interaction. I wonder what little snippet of information that I picked up here will be applicable.

Thank you, Vance
 
It was a perfect day for flying. It was 70 degrees and variable winds at 3 kts.

I did not fly well today. I was not happy with two of my 18 landings. Somehow I have forgotten what the picture looks like when I am just off the runway. I flared about a foot too high both times and as I bled off speed, I kept expecting to touch down. I was able to make it smooth, but it was inelegant and I felt behind in my skills.

After my morning flight I went to a funeral at the airport for Dr. Henry A. Rowe, 1918 to 2007. It was an aviation funeral complete with a scattering of his ashes from the air. It was kind of nice to see him leave for a final flight. Many people spoke of his work to get them a medical. One was a double amputee that does aerobatic flight. I found it inspiring.

I was not much better in the afternoon. I am trying to land to a higher standard and I fell short.

I noticed a 35 foot sink at my normal power setting from one end of my down wind to the other. My next pattern I added another ten rpm and she still sank 25 feet. I decided to land to see if something was wrong. My last landing was elegant.

I am gassed up and ready to go tomorrow. I love to start out in calm air and have the winds pick up. I learn so much. If it is windy I will take another flight to Oceano.

I need to work on my compass. It is only half full of fluid and it often does not read correctly. I hope to address this tomorrow when the winds come up. I will fill it and than take the Predator out to the compass rose with a friend or two and adjust until it works well.

I had a Cessna linger on the runway and I flew my final at 25 miles per hour to give him spacing. It turns that many of the people at the funeral were watching and thought it was cool.

There is a pool at the airport for how many hours it will take for me to crash. There are more people that think it is cool than are participating in the pool. I tried to place a bet, but they said that I could control the event, so I wasn’t allowed to participate.

Thank you, Vance
 
I flew my final at 25 miles per hour.....

I tried to place a bet, but they said that I could control the event, so I wasn’t allowed to participate.

Hi Vance,

How far down final did you fly at 25?

With the engine off, how much airspeed do you need to arrest the sink out of your 25 MPH approach?

How much altitude do you consume, engine off, accelerating from 25 MPH to your minimum flare entry speed?

Your friends are correct. You can control the event.

Jim
 
Vance, I am not completely sure, but I think Jim maybe trying to tell you something.

Depending on your altitude, at 25MPH, you are entering the apex of "dead man's curve". Remember ,it is all about airspeed.

If you do not have the correct altitude(either very little or a lot),at that speed a newbie can find the ground really fast and hard with a engine failure.

I think the sicko's at my airport had the same bet going for me. No one has gotten paid in 7 years.....yet.


Scott Heger Laguna Niguel,Ca N86SH
 
I tried to place a bet, but they said that I could control the event, so I wasn’t allowed to participate.

Vance, this is great news. The airport rats now believe you're able to control the machine. You're doing something right!

You're doing lots of pattern and landing work. Make sure to take a day every so often and just go sightsee. It's a different skill set, and a different rhythm. Both are important.

And listen to Mayfield. He's not done writing, and I'm not done gathering the music! ;)
 
Thank you for the advice Jim,

I will try to find those numbers today.

I had extended my down wind and I was flying a straight in approach from 500 feet agl. I added power and arrested my decent at about 400 feet agl until the Cessna cleared the runway.

Thank you Scott for explaining what Jim was saying. I often don’t understand him. He gives me too much credit for cognitive skills.

The hanger rats had my hours at 17 and it is more like 35. I offered to help keep score but they declined my offer. I had not previously met the person who started the poll and he seemed uncomfortable when I identified myself as the gyroplane pilot. I need to work on my social skills.

Thank you Paul, Scott had also suggested that in a previous post. I will get Jim’s numbers, see if I can get my elegant landings back and then I will go ramble around the valley and maybe fly up the coast.

It is 43 degrees and winds are calm, I have a little work work to do and I will be in the air.

Thank you, Vance
 
Sorry Vance,

I was not trying to be cryptic.

Make sure you always have enough altitude or enough airspeed to safely land.

25 MPH IAS seems pretty slow to me. Talk to Terry before you nibble at the corners of your envelope much more.

Jim
 
Hi Vance,
Congradulations. I am so glad to see you having so much fun. I never thought I would see that the fastest man I know trying to do something slow. Just wondering are you going to be able to make it to Bensen Days? If so, are you going to bring Pred.?
 
Vance I sent you a E-mail with a manual attached. Let me know if it is the correct one.
 
Hello Mike,

I expect to be at Bensen Days. The only way I will bring the Predator is to fly her and that is looking a little unlikely at this moment. I am going to lose the entire month of February to travel for work so that doesn’t leave much time for learning how to fly. It would be a wonderful adventure, maybe next year.

Thank you Jeff,

I off to a meeting now, I will learn more tomorrow night.

I flew for four and a half hours today.

The answer to Jim Mayfield’s question is around 50 feet is lost accelerating from 25 miles per hour to 50 miles per hour with the engine at idle. I say about because it is very hard to watch the altimeter and the airspeed at the same time. I did it several times and came up with answers from 35 to 80 feet. I realize that if you were only 35 feet above the ground this level of accuracy would not be good enough.

I found out what I was doing wrong that cause my landings to suffer. After the first inelegant landing I began to look at the ground instead at the end of the runway. I know better than this because in a slow race on a motorcycle you never look at the ground because of target fixation. You go where you look. I will try not to make this mistake again. I made more than forty elegant landings today.

I flew to Oceano and filed up. This is really my first solo cross country. I thought it didn’t count because it is only 17 miles and it doesn’t count for my requirements. Terry explained that takeoff from one airport and landing at another is a cross country. I have to admit that it felt good. There were two fellows there watching the grass grow and they both felt that I made an elegant entrance and that it was a nice machine. I found a very nice way to get there with four heading changes. All my radio calls went very well. I hit four landmarks on time and used less fuel than I had calculated. I was a minuet early on my estimated time of arrival and a minuet late upon my return to KSMX.

I went up again after lunch and worked on my landings. I wanted to make sure I had found the cause. It seemed to simple and silly to be the cause of yesterday’s challenges. I was trapped by my trepidation.

Terry reminded that one of the practical test standards is to make a 45 degree bank turn without changing altitude so in the late afternoon I was practicing that in the pattern. I love rolling in and rolling back out.

The sun was setting and the fog was rolling in as I made my final landing. I was pleased to find that the fading light didn’t affect my ability to land. The last one was as good as any of the day. One of the ways I compensate for my monocular vision is with light. The contrast between the light of near objects and far objects allows me some sense of distance.

I am picking up the liquid for my compass at the meeting I am late for so I had better get going. I am going to adjust my compass tomorrow with my new aluminum screw driver and the compass rose that I helped paint.

I was supposed to be there at 7:30 and it 7:41 so like Stan’s speed puzzle, I can’t go fast enough to get there on time.

The flying keeps getting better and I love sharing it with my friends.

Thank you, Vance
 
Vance,

I'm afraid you're the one who's right about "cross-country time." I got burned on this the day I showed up for my check ride. I had plenty of cross-country time, but none of it counted toward the minimum. My instructor also had signed me off for the checkride, but the DE reviewed my logbook and sent me home. Here's why...

In the very front of Part 61, this is defined, under "Applicability and definitions."

61.1(b)(3) says it's cross-country time if you hold a pilot certificate, are flying an aircraft, land at a point other than departure, and require "the use of dead reckoning, pilotage, electronic navigation aids, radio aids, or other navigation systems to navigate to the landing point." Pretty clear.

But...farther down the page in 61.1(b)(3)(v), there's this land mine:

"For the purpose of meeting the aeronautical experience requirements for any pilot certificate with a rotorcraft rating or an instrument helicopter rating, or for the purpose of exercising recreational pilot privileges, in a rotorcraft under 61.101(c), time acquired during a flight...

"(B) That includes a point of landing that was at least a straight-line distance of more than 25 nautical miles from the original point of departure;..."

So, if you're logging cross-country time for insurance or resume purposes, a four-mile hop to a different airport counts. If it's to satisfy the minimums to be ready for the checkride, you need at least a 25 nm straight-line distance, or the clock never started running. If you have 100 trips to Oceano, and nothing else, you won't have met the minimumn experience requirements to be allowed to take a checkride.

But wait - it gets even wackier. There is yet a third requirement for the private certificate that the FAA refers to as "cross country."

61.109(d)(2)(i) calls for a solo cross-country flight of over 50 nm total distance. Oceano and back won't do it. But get this...if you plot an equilateral triangular course including Oceano and one additional airport, three legs at 17 nm each, the 54-mile total qualifies for the cross-country requirement, but can't be counted as cross-country time toward the checkride! Why? No landing point was at least 25 miles from the departure point!

How did I discover this? My solo cross-country for the airplane certificate had to be 100 nm, with one leg of at least 50 miles, and at least one landing at a point other than departure or destination. So, I flew a triangular route which totalled over 100 miles, starting and ending at my home field, and had a middle leg of 52 miles. I actually made this flight twice during my solo time.

But neither of the other two points was more than 43 miles from my origination airport. So, while it counted as my solo "cross-country flight," I couldn't count the time toward the minimum to qualify for the checkride. My examiner sent me home with an instruction to come back when I'd met the minimums.

So, as I found out the hard way, there are at least THREE different definitions of the term "cross-country" as regards gyroplanes in the FAR:

61.1(b)(3) says any flight where you land other than at the departure point, and have to dead-reckon or navigate to get there...

61.1(b)(3)(v) says that to count toward the "cross-country requirement" for the private checkride, the flight must include a landing at a point over 25 nm from where you started...

61.109(d)(2)(i) requires a solo cross-country over 50 nm. This individual requirement could be satisfied with a triangular course with three 17-mile legs, but if you do it that way, time would not be loggable as cross-country time for the experience requirement.

Why is this a big deal? (Other than the jaw-dropping red-tapeness of it all?) Because while it's easy to plot a course with one landing at least 25 nm from your start point, all qualifying airports may be outside your instructor's comfort zone during your solo sign-off period.

I can actually understand why the FAR is written this way. I believe the intent was to prevent someone from submitting a bunch of four-mile hops to an airport near his home field as "cross-country time."

I might also have been able to get more creative in logging my solo cross-country, calling that middle leg it's own flight, since it qualified for "experience time" if considered individually. I didn't want to push my luck with the DE at that point.

Vance, I'd find a route which counts toward the minimum experience requirement according to the FAR. In Part 61 fixed-wing training, it's routine for the instructor to fly it with you first, at night, to satisfy part of the 3-hour night requirement, then let you fly the same route solo in day VFR, to satisfy the solo cross-country experience.

Otherwise, if you get a DE who's a stickler, you could find yourself with 100 hours of cross-country, and zero hours toward the solo cross-country experience requirement.
 
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Vance,

What I think you should be interested in:

Altitude consumed accelerating from 25 MPH to 50 MPH, at zero thrust, and fully arresting your rate of descent.

Now throw in a second or two for recognition time.

from 25 MPH to 50 MPH in 50 feet, and not sinking below the target altitude, is 2 to three times better than I've ever been able to do it; except in my old Bensen.

Jim
 
Sorry Jim, I misunderstood.

The fifty feet was to get from 25 miles per hour indicated airspeed up to 50 miles per hour indicated air speed with the engine at idle. This is the speed I normally began my landing flair from.

I did not try to arrest my decent.

I will try that tomorrow.

Thank you for your help in understanding the hazards of ignorance about gyroplane flight.

I spent a lot of time talking with Terry today and as usual learned a great deal.

Thank you, Vance
 
I arrived at KSMX early with the compass fluid in hand. It took quite a while to remove, dissemble, fill the compass and reinstall it. I didn’t get around to adjusting it because I wanted to fly and further explore what I had learned yesterday.

The hanger inspection went well, sort of an exercise in obfuscation.

In my preflight I found that I needed to replace the outer cable on my rotor brake. I purchased at the aviation department of my local bicycle store. It took another hour to get it installed and adjusted properly. I stopped for lunch and when I got back winds were are 320 degrees at 12 kts. This is my wind limit, so armed with my new found overconfidence I went flying.

I tried to find out the answer for Jim and I am just not cut out for that type of flying.

At 25 miles per hour indicated air speed I pulled the engine back to idle, waited until I had 50 miles per hour indicated airspeed and attempted to flair to arrest my decent.

I found that by pulling back hard I could slow the decent fairly rapidly.

I felt that my perception of the instruments was flawed as I felt busy. My vertical speed seemed a little behind and I couldn’t really get my altimeter to stop without running back close to zero air speed. I would then advance the throttle and drop the nose, but the carb heat would make her miss.

I used up about 600 feet several times and I still don’t have the answer.

I seem to lose rudder authority as my airspeed approaches zero and I am coming down faster than I am comfortable with.

I think that these questions are better answered by people with more flying skills than I have.

Perhaps instruments that responded a little faster would help. I would find myself focused on the panel and forget to look outside to see what to do next.

My perception was often at odds with the flight instruments.

I went back to pattern work and I love my more aggressive 90 degree turns.

At first, yesterday I was pushing her around too much, eventually I found the timing to where with constant pressure I would roll to 45 degrees, reverse the pressure and roll out at a lovely right angle without changing altitude or airspeed. She actually felt more stable in the middle of the turn. I had only made left patterns yesterday and today I made both rights and lefts.

I love it when I roll out and I am in the middle of the runway aimed correctly. It is a lovely dance with a music and rhythm I am just beginning to understand. The winds picked up and added additional challenges. I was cleared for taxiway alpha for a touch and go, I asked for a full stop on 30. Once I got my rotor stopped I checked the winds and they were 320 degrees at 10 kts. I asked about gusts and it was gusting to 22 kts. I was glad I had replaced the cable housing.

I hope to get an earlier start tomorrow. I am working on my radio calls and flight plan for Lompoc.

Thank you, Vance
 
Vance,

I think you've found out some of what you need to know.

For now, why don't you just decide to not get below 50 MPH (except for the landing flare of course) below 500 feet AGL.

This will give you fewer things to worry about WHEN, not if, your engine quits.

R/S

Jim
 
Vance,

************************************************
"At 25 miles per hour indicated air speed I pulled the engine back to idle, waited until I had 50 miles per hour indicated airspeed and attempted to flair to arrest my decent.

I found that by pulling back hard I could slow the decent fairly rapidly.

I felt that my perception of the instruments was flawed as I felt busy. My vertical speed seemed a little behind and I couldn’t really get my altimeter to stop without running back close to zero air speed. I would then advance the throttle and drop the nose, but the carb heat would make her miss.

I used up about 600 feet several times and I still don’t have the answer.

I seem to lose rudder authority as my airspeed approaches zero and I am coming down faster than I am comfortable with.

I think that these questions are better answered by people with more flying skills than I have.""
**********************************************
Amen to the last sentence. Your numbers from post #96 of fifty feet decent is not practical in a larger two place gyro like yours. Maybe in a single place high performance model with more flight experience, yes. But I would not bet the farm on it. Most new pilots need lots of extra time to process an emergency situation. So time means two things- plenty of extra airspeed and altitude. With 25MPH on any approach to land, your timing has to be damn good because bad things are going to start to happen real fast without airspeed and poor rudder authority with no engine. Only a well timed flare can save you then. Jim says good things, he has been there and done that.

Scott Heger,Laguna Niguel,Ca N86SH
 
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Thank you Jim and Scott,

Most of the airport rats make fun of my concern for engine outs.

I appreciate your experience and will follow your advice.

My engine is old and it is attached to a lot of stuff that is home made. Mark did a very nice job, but it is still one of a kind and somewhat experimental.

I am flying a lot of hours so I expect at some point I will hear the swish of the rotor blades without the adjunct sound of that sweet old engine. I want it to be a non event.

I hope to wander over to Lompoc today for my first hundred dollar hamburger. I need to stop and pick up some nylon straps to tie her down at transient parking. Somehow that sounds disrespectful of such an elegant lady. I hope she has a wild side.

At 5:51 winds are at 310 degrees at 9 kts. I will have a tail wind. I am going to call for the winds aloft from the hangar when I am ready to leave to make my heading corrections. I am only getting up to 2,700 feet over Harris grade so winds aloft is kind of an embellishment. I love talking to the people that help me plan my flight. They have always been very helpful.

Thank you, Vance
 
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