Back in the saddle!

[BEN S]

Uphill, downhill, with and without power and landing in different spots on the field while trying to determine the sweet spot from the roll coming off the tree line....

 

[StanFoster]

Ben...That is a very good technique. I attribute my 18 real forced landings in a gyro without hurting myself or the gyro was due to what I call "throttle chops on a whim".

I would be flying along and as soon as the thought of "throttle" came into my mind...I would chop the throttle and see how I would react. I would simulate it to the point of adding power after I saw it would have been an uneventful landing. But sometimes....I NEEDED to add power to get out of that situation.....and THAT taught me to stay away from getting into that situation again.

I would never fly over water or a solid canopy of trees if I thought I could not dead stick it past those hazards.

Some may scoff at this, but as a totally self trained gyro pilot, how better to set up real examples with an engine to save me....to train me to stay away from flying depending on that engine.

Sure....there are times taking off out of strips with trees all around that my engine was needed for part of the flight, but thats the risk factor you cant get rid of completely.

But each one of my 18 real "throttle chops" ended with a non event touch down with no repairs or wound healing.

My helicopter changed my behaviour and I became too complacent , the euphoria from flying that powerful smooth machine caused me to be NOT flying with a good outcome should my turbine quit. It did indeed flame out on me two times....and both times I saved it to be able to fly it immediately afterward.......but I used my best ADM ever, and realized I was a ruined pilot ....and should sell before my behaviour killed me.

Just being brutally honest. I know I made the correct choice. When I quit flying, the average of all the pilots improved!

 

[BEN S]

Stan I didn't know you had 2 flame outs.
I know nothing at all about Jet Engines, and have no idea what causes one, but good pilotage that you were not in the height velocity diagram so you COULD save it.
maybe just maybe your being too hard on yourself. Dunno, wasn't there.

 

[StanFoster]

Ben...I WAS in the bad area of the HV curve during my first flameout. 40mph....150 feet above ground....and very inexperienced on practicing autorotations ....especially a real one. I would not blab those above numbers unless they were backed up with proof. I only had one option...and that was to do a run on landing. I did not have the precise skills to save my helicopter except with a run on landing.... I waited with ice in my veins as the ground came rushing up to greet me as I was maintaining 40mph....then I pulled the collective the last second and skidded 200 feet through the grass, diagonally across the runway...and ended up 50 feet on the other side of the runway. Anyone doubting my story.....please go to youtube...go to my handle Helicyclepilot and then go to the video titled "November 11th flameout".

This happened on November 11th, 2010...actually on veterans day. Though unfortunately to my regret I am not an actual veteran, I in a way became one that day.....a veteran of a real forced landing in a helicopter....and I flew it home afterwards..

Ben, I wasnt being hard on myself in my last post.....just brutally honest. As much as I felt I had earned my wings, my complacency caused me to wise up and make one final ADM....quit.

 

[DavePA11]

Stan - what gyrocopter do you fly, and how do you like it compared to the Helicycle? Thanks!

 

[StanFoster]

Dave...I am a surface dweller. I have nothing to fly.

 

[Eric S]

[QUOTE= "throttle chops on a whim"

Oh yeah. I do that often and sometimes you learn a valuable lesson whether you like it or not! It certainly does help when it happens for real.

Then there those times when you're flying along, pushing the limits or doing something you know you shouldn't and saying (sometimes out loud), "don't quit now, don't quit now, please don't quit now."

 

[Resasi]

When doing my PPL my ex RAF Instructor would throw in a ‘fan stop’ on every flight, and sometimes 2 just for fun. A practice I carried on when I began instructing.

Came in to reception at Opa Locka one day to close out a flight with a student when I was informed that I was required in the Chief Instructor’s office. There I was met by him together with two FAA inspectors from the local GADO. Turned out that one of my students had landed in the practice area after switching off the engine and then failing to restart it. He told the FAA investigators that that is what I did when teaching forced landings.

I was quickly able to show that this was not so by simply pointing through the glass to my just finished student, and to my next student both in the lobby, and asking the FAA gents to quizz them on my procedure. They did so and confirmed that both had informed them that this had simply been to close the throttle to idle...add carb heat, and every 500’ to briefly bring up the power to ensure the engine was running OK.

In closing their investigation they congratulated me on having successfully taught the subject of their enquiry how to do a reasonable job as he and the plane were safe and sound, and the plane later recovered that day by another instructor.

I carry out this every flight I do in a gyro just to keep in practice. Have only had 2 for real but am sure that it is well worth doing.