Animal, I think by the time I got the rotors up to speed most of the water was slung off. I am mainly thinking it was just too short of a field to takeoff from without extreme attention paid to the takeoff run and with the rain in my eyes and the getting dark quick amount of light I had left, I think I just didn't do what I could have done. I know this strip is longer than the other one, and the grass was short and the ground still very firm.
Udi and Scott, I assure you that without any doubt had I aborted and tried to land in those soybeans I would have rolled the gyro over on it's side. When it got down in the crop the gyro yawed HARD to the right and it was everything I could do to keep it pointed straight. Full left rudder in a Dominator at full power is about 10 times the amount of rudder you would ever use in non-crop plowing flight and it was almost not enough. At the time and still now I think trying to keep the coals burning was the right thing to do once I got into this mess.
I will admit that I probably should have turned back in and landed or at least landed at another real airstrip that was about a mile away to check for damage and to get the soybeans off my gearlegs, but I just wanted to get back, and I kept it over open fields the whole way back.
Mark, I passed on that truck. The seller claimed it was in great shape and clean and so on, but when I saw it there was a mess of stuff I didn't like. Tailgate was bent up, expanded metal on gate and sides torn or bent in many places, Tires had alot of wear on them, radio didn't work, A/C controls missing the lever for the fresh or Max A/C selector, seats stained, drivers seat not the same pattern fabric as the other seat, scratches here and there in and outside of the cab, and so on and so forth. So that one is out and there isn't any other clean ones for sale for less than 16 grand, and new they cost around 25-26 grand. I don't want one that bad. Was thinking about it today and thinking about selling my heavy tandem axle trailer and getting a lighter single axle one - only need 14 foot long trailer - and maybe buying a new basic Chevy or Toyota work truck. There is several dealers advertising basic Chevy 1500 Silverados with V-6 engine A/C and automatic trans for around 14.5 grand new. Can't beat that!!! I would like a cheap old truck - like the one I got now - that I can own and it is paid for, but I need a newer truck that I don't have to worry about breakdowns. A 1500 with V-6 and a light trailer and I might get 12-14 MPG towing, and the Isuzus are only going to get around 8 or 9. That can add up over time!
