Decaying Vortex near Mountainair, NM, U.S.A.

zaitcev

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Jun 8, 2014
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Albuquerque, NM
Flying over today, I saw a SportCopter laying on its side next to an abandoned private runway, about 5 miles east-north-east of Mountainair, New Mexico (M10). Looks like it was tipped over by the wind. One blade broke off at the mast where it hit the ground.

Since it was a private airport and the runway condition was rough, I chose not to land, and didn't take any close-up pictures.

Anyone knows anything about its owner and its story?
 

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At least it's in a relatively good climate for preservation !
 
May be worth the time for someone in the area to go out and find it. Very dry there so there may not be a corrosion problem, just a good cleaning and going through could produce a nice machine.
 
Ooo ooo

Ooo ooo

I got a new engine for it!
For sale even!
 
Run out there and pick it up. Then you could sell your engine with a free gyro.
 
Was there someone there in that airplane? Maybe it was theirs?
 
I live about 30 miles southwest from montainair its at a elvation of 6,500 ft and is at the

north end of the white sands missile range in a remote part of n.m..this weekend its been

very windy, landing there would probably be a unscheduled landing. No one around here

has a sportcoptor that I how of.I suspect the fixed wing was with the gyro on a

cross country trip.(That's the mountainair city runway, I have landed there before its been a while though.)


Best regards,eddie.....
 
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I think I've found it - have a look at this


http://alibi.com/blog/29976/Gyrocopter.html


"someone gave my dad a gyro"

"he's not too keen on lessons"


It's a old Van Craft. I wonder who gave it to him.

Photos and even a video of it with the engine running.

Who needs a starboard wheel when you can use an old bucket instead.

Listen to the commentary on the video...... "it can go upside down, some folks do aerobatic stuff in them - it's cool"


How do you think will this all pan out ?

Will it be another Weaverville.




Steve
 
Is this the one that was on Craig's list recently, where the guy said if he didn't get an offer for $8,000 he was going to fly it himself? If so, the predicted outcome didn't take long.

If that's the one, it makes a great demonstration of the value of training. Ten hours of training would have been a 4:1 return on investment or better.
 
let's hope it's nothing more serious than the "bucket wheel" fell off in string winds.

How can we educate those that see gyro flying as no more complicated than opening a milk bottle.
 
I think I've found it - have a look at this

http://alibi.com/blog/29976/Gyrocopter.html

How do you think will this all pan out ?

Will it be another Weaverville.

Thanks, Steve, that's the one. The 2009 pictures are taken at its resting place, so it never moved from there. You can see the old Cherokee with cowling off right where I photographed it. So we may be certain that the old gentleman never flew it.

-- Pete

P.S. I am not a gyro pilot, but I knew a guy out at Sandia (1N1), who had a gyro with Rotax 912. At his home base's 6200 ft his takeoff performance was somewhat underwhelming. He sold it early this year. There's also a guy at Socorro (KONM), who flies a gyro. He uses a 2.5L Subaru engine with a 8psi turbo, which outputs about 230 h.p.. That one seems like doing fine around here.
 
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So we may be certain that the old gentleman never flew it.

After reading that page and listening to him talk about it, I'm glad he never tried to fly it.

Holy crap.

-John
 
""After reading that page and listening to him talk about it, I'm glad he never tried to fly it.

Holy crap.""


I wondered for a second if it was a comedy spoof sketch.
 
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