Allantat
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2004
- Messages
- 202
- Location
- Fresno,Ca.
- Aircraft
- Bensen Gyroglider in the 70's followed by several Bensens B-8m's with 72/90 HP Macs.
- Total Flight Time
- 400+ Gyro Time. 100 Fixed wing.
Following a 20 year hiatus from gyro flying it's time once again to slip the surly bonds of earth! I last flew a gyro in 1984 at Oshkosh when Martin Hollman and I hauled the prototype Bumble Bee from California to Wisconsin. Life got in the way of flying as it does but it's now time to rekindle the flame and head for the blue! The dream to fly again never left and living under the downwind leg of the Fresno Air Terminal didn,t help much either. "You guys are teasing me floating over my backyard while I'm on the ground"!
I discovered this forum in July of last year..wasted no time in joining and have been an avid reader several times a day! It certainly helped maintain the spark. There is an abundance of knowledge here and a lot of folks who share the same passion.
I'd like to toss this into the mix and get some feedback from. So...here we go!
I hold a Private Pilots license SEl with a Rotorcraft rating. Obviously since I haven't flow in a number of years my medical has expired. During the 20 year flying break age has a way of sneaking up on you and there have been some health problems that I,m sure would preclude getting a medical, or at least make it VERY VERY expensive in proving that I'm ok. I've been following the development of Larry Neal's Butterfly. Built as an Ultralight no license or medical required. Pretty simple! Now, Sport Pilot has entered the picture and your medical can be your drivers license as long as you have never been denied an FAA medical. I have NEVER been denied but am certainly aware that my medical condition would get someones attention. Governor Arnold "The Terminator" seems to think it's OK for me to operate a car. Several FAA folks pretty much told me to follow the "Don't ask,don't tell" policy. Fill out the Sport Pilot paperwork and "go have fun". The Butterfly seems like a good choice..but then again so does the Monarch Butterfly...certainly not an Ultralight! Given that both machines are single place and 100% of my flying will be done in the countryside which one do I build? Is the extra $4 Thousand dollars worth it just to gain 7 Mph? (Butterfly top speed 63mph vs Monarch top speed of 70mph. Since the Monarch uses the Rotax 582 there is more hardware to haul around not to mention overall increased weight plus radiators... thermostats...and leaks......more links in the chain to get Mr. Murphy's attention! I've never flown a Rotax 503...only 72 and 90 Macs plus the Bumble Bee's Kawasaki 440 and a VERY anemic VW I test flew for a friend! For those of you with experience between the 90 Mac vs Rotax 503...how does the 503 stack up? 90 Mac vs Rotax 582?
As Captain Kirk on Star Trek used to say..."More power Scotty" Would the Rotax 582 really make that much difference? It certainly does when it comes to $$$'s!!!!
On one shoulder the little voice says... "Stay under the radar...keep it legal...keep it light and simple" and go the Ultralight route. Then there is Capt. Kirk on the other shoulder going..."Give me more power" What would you do?
I discovered this forum in July of last year..wasted no time in joining and have been an avid reader several times a day! It certainly helped maintain the spark. There is an abundance of knowledge here and a lot of folks who share the same passion.
I'd like to toss this into the mix and get some feedback from. So...here we go!
I hold a Private Pilots license SEl with a Rotorcraft rating. Obviously since I haven't flow in a number of years my medical has expired. During the 20 year flying break age has a way of sneaking up on you and there have been some health problems that I,m sure would preclude getting a medical, or at least make it VERY VERY expensive in proving that I'm ok. I've been following the development of Larry Neal's Butterfly. Built as an Ultralight no license or medical required. Pretty simple! Now, Sport Pilot has entered the picture and your medical can be your drivers license as long as you have never been denied an FAA medical. I have NEVER been denied but am certainly aware that my medical condition would get someones attention. Governor Arnold "The Terminator" seems to think it's OK for me to operate a car. Several FAA folks pretty much told me to follow the "Don't ask,don't tell" policy. Fill out the Sport Pilot paperwork and "go have fun". The Butterfly seems like a good choice..but then again so does the Monarch Butterfly...certainly not an Ultralight! Given that both machines are single place and 100% of my flying will be done in the countryside which one do I build? Is the extra $4 Thousand dollars worth it just to gain 7 Mph? (Butterfly top speed 63mph vs Monarch top speed of 70mph. Since the Monarch uses the Rotax 582 there is more hardware to haul around not to mention overall increased weight plus radiators... thermostats...and leaks......more links in the chain to get Mr. Murphy's attention! I've never flown a Rotax 503...only 72 and 90 Macs plus the Bumble Bee's Kawasaki 440 and a VERY anemic VW I test flew for a friend! For those of you with experience between the 90 Mac vs Rotax 503...how does the 503 stack up? 90 Mac vs Rotax 582?
As Captain Kirk on Star Trek used to say..."More power Scotty" Would the Rotax 582 really make that much difference? It certainly does when it comes to $$$'s!!!!
On one shoulder the little voice says... "Stay under the radar...keep it legal...keep it light and simple" and go the Ultralight route. Then there is Capt. Kirk on the other shoulder going..."Give me more power" What would you do?