How did your spouse react to you wanting to fly a gyro?

How did your spouse react to you wanting to fly a gyro?

  • they wanted to fly too

    Votes: 18 28.1%
  • they let me do what ever I want...it's my life

    Votes: 29 45.3%
  • they were opposed, but I changed their mind by...

    Votes: 7 10.9%
  • I don't have a spouse

    Votes: 10 15.6%

  • Total voters
    64
It's always easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission.
 
After learning to fly helicopter it was suggested that I at least had a share in one.
I bought a 1\2 share in a 500 she never turned a hair after 50 years I would not change her for the world I was lucky to find the good one first try, & I am not a easy to live with, the only thing she said was don't go back to race cars.
 
I was flying an Aerolite103 when I met her 10 years ago. I sold it so we could go on a cruise for our honeymoon and she told me then, that she would support future projects and that someday she would fly with me.

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The first thing I did was buy us a couple of seats in a Bell Executive ride and do a tour of the west Georgia countryside.

It worked. She was hooked, and I then drove off to Ohio and picked up an Air Command Tandem that we could both go flying in, together.
 
My wife bought my gyro airframe for me. I chose to stop after my second incident. (Long story) anyway I chose to stop when I realized I lacked, and could not purchase at the time, liability insurance. I couldn't risk losing my life's work for the sport. I understand things are different and insurance is available.
 
The short answer is she supports everything I want to try. The long answer is below:

I have been interested in flying since I was a teen, but didn't get a chance to go flying until my college room mate took me up in a Cessna 172. Fast forward a few years and I joined a local EAA chapter and a local flying club looking to build a FW and learn to fly. A local member had a Tripacer for sale for 2 years and I always asked how it was going as the price kept going down, $25K, $22.5K, $20K, $19K. I jokingly told him that I would buy it at that price if I could arrange financing, but I could only get $15 (I was looking for an ultralight at the time and had approval for a signature loan of that amount). I said if it was still for sale in 2 years when my wife retired, I could use some of her lump sum retirement money to buy it, and he said"SOLD, Pay me the difference in 2 years!".

I went home stunned and told my wife "I think I just bought an airplane!" and she said "Great!".

I am still working on my PPL (FW) and mentioned that I really like the Gyros I have looked at online and she said, "Why don't we go to Wauchula and you can get a ride to see if you like it?". So I was there on the Saturday this year and spoke with Ernie about a 2 place that could hold my wife and I (he doesn't make one but said we could talk about using his new heavy lift rotors on some sort of build) and Gabor (but have the same problem with weight on the ones he was helping to represent), but couldn't get a ride as the rains set in and we spent the time talking to Dave, Chuck (Berry) and Vance (a wonderful couple of hours).

After we returned home (North Florida, just south of Jax), Gabor contacted me about coming to Deland (roughly an hour away) and getting a ride. My wife keeps telling me to take a few hours one weekend to take us down there and take him up on his offer, or contact Ernie and see if he needs some backseat ballast for his heavy lifters (about 2 and 1/2 hours away).

AND she is the reason we went to Airventure last year. Two weeks before the start, I was complaining that we didn't have enough money to make a BIG trip to NY or Alaska and she asked where we could go on the money we had. I said Oshkosh, if we use up all of our hotel free nights, she said, "Let's go!" (our 1st time). As soon as we left the last night there, she asked for me to book the hotel for the next year.

So yes, I would say that she supports my decision. She is now wondering if I can use my FW training to satisfy any of the requirements for a SPL (Gyro).

Kenny in Florida

When I
 
I love reading these responses. I really admire the guys who not only picked a good spouse, but also care what she will think and try to make decisions that both will enjoy. Aviation is tough to justify financially, but someone who wants his/her spouse to be happy and follow a dream is priceless.

My husband is a pilot too, and that can get expensive. He is a good balance to my wild ideas, and I have become quite skilled at arguing my point. Seriously though, if I can't convince him, then perhaps it's not a good idea.

It all comes down to picking the right spouse in the first place I think. I need one who can reign me in once in awhile.
 
My wife said "Don't bother buying a 2 place". Yet she comes to most of our events. Steve gave her a ride in the Black several years ago, he asked what she thought of the view? She said she couldn't say because her eyes were closed!
 
"HE started it ...I "got outta control" "

"HE started it ...I "got outta control" "

I love reading these responses. I really admire the guys who not only picked a good spouse, but also care what she will think and try to make decisions that both will enjoy. DITTO CAMMIE :)

It all comes down to picking the right spouse in the first place I think. I need one who can reign me in once in awhile.
YEP ..that goes for me too!

For TEAM TOEVS ... in 2010 we were soon to be empty nesters & wondering what to do with our extra time freed up "after parenting duties" .... Jim had been a PPSEL many years before we met ... a car accident in 1978 and establishing his business ... put continued flying on hold ...... fast fwds past marriage raising family .....on a visit to his friends large wheat, hay, & trucking business in Sth Australia ... he saw one of the brothers flying a cute(& crazy) homebuilt rotorcraft .... having fun while checking fences ,watertanks, dropping mouse bait in the wheat fields!
FJ .announced he'd like to take up gyro flying ... so we both spent hours together online reading up researching & watching too many terrifying crash videos!
I was excited for him to have a passionate interest in something outside of work!

I had always wanted to fly ... from a very small child ... although a "fear-of-heights", lack of passion for spam-can flying and many other life-interest passions had suppressed the idea!

For the first 2 years ... my role was supportive spouse ... then I had my first lesson / gyro flight in August 2011 :whoo: ... I'd found MY WINGS!!! :rapture:

It's been an incredible 5.5 years ( my rollercoaster journey is well documented on this forum) ..... Exciting & rewarding - more for me than Jim ... but its been a special time with a shared passion for these amazing machines ...AND most of all the super gyro community and a whole new group of very dear friends! :yo:

Looking at our gyro peers ...seems like the spousal support goes from zero to full-on!

It's GREAT to see more couples coming on board together ... I think of the few gyro-flying couples like Dick & Carol Degraw , Greg & Steph Gremminger ... and the newer ones ..such as us, you Cammie, & most recently - Stephen & Terry in LA .....(apologies to the other gyro flying couples who slipped my mind ...as i type this) :rolleyes: :noidea:

:hail: .. to you all!
 
DIVORCE... and I'd do it all over again... just sooner!
 
Gyros cause less trouble than wives, when I was married my wife and girlfriend got along fine, when I found a third woman things became more difficult, lots of tension at times made life somewhat uncomfortable , this caused me to fly a lot to stay out of the house, my conclusion was that since things were ok with just two the problem was caused by an odd number of ladies, my solution was to get another woman as all three would tell me that I was spending to much money on aircraft parts, the fourth didn't take my side or see things my way, when she first saw my gyro she said it wasn't a real aircraft like her x husband had, what they didn't know was that I had more gyros disassembled in the attic of the shop so I set about putting them all together, I ended up with six complete machines and one without blades, when they saw them they though that I had spent all of their money on gyros money on gyros, they had enough of the sweet innocent little guy and the gyros and they left, I still have four gyros and the gyros all get along fine even when I plan to take out one but change my mind and take out another.
Norm.
 
My lovely wife does support my aviation passion. In fact, when we were engaged, I told her that she will be my second love, and aviation is my first. She said she's willing to accept that condition, so I married her. She's flown with me many times in fixed wing aircraft, but it was over twenty years before she would go up in a rotorcraft. I offered her rides in UH-1s but she always turned it down. Then about ten years ago she agreed to fly with me in a friend's Bell 407 and in general she enjoyed the flight, but still was nervous. I then asked her if she would be willing to fly in a gyro. Her answer was, "It must have doors!" She likes the AutoGyro Cavalon and the Magni Orion, however for the price of either gyro, I told her I can just get a Bell 47 and keep the door on the side she sits. If it was her choice on what aircraft, she rather have an early Beech 35V Bonanza!

Wayne
 
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You want to spend that much on a what......... Was how it initially began, I am now onto my third gyro and WE have both flown all over Oz and enjoyed every minute of it, who would have thought????
 
When I discovered gyros while searching the internet/youtube for a way to fly "something" 5 to 6 years ago, I showed the youtube video to my wife and asked her what she thought of gyroplane flight, she said "you'd have to be crazy to fly in one of those!". I explained that I believe that gyros are inherently safer to fly with the proper training and gyro design. She didn't think my interest would amount to anything, after all, I had never flown any type of aircraft and never had any flying lessons.

Then gyro parts started arriving (this was before I had my first gyroplane flight) and she realized that this "gyro thing" might actually happen.

My wife is a BIG worrier and not a risk taker at all! It took many conversations to convince her that I really wanted and needed to do this and that I would go about it the safest way possible with training, aircraft design, etc. She made me promise never to fly with any of our children (I explained this is a single seat machine) and not to expect her to fly with me.

She still worries about my flying but doesn't complain about it because she know how much I enjoy it.
Last June, when I had my flap and flip mishap, I thought she would insist I give up this "craziness". When I explained what happened and the damage on the gyro, she said, "You'll have to rebuild it, because I know you need too". And she meant it.

I've been with this wonderful woman more than 40 years and now you know some of the reasons why.
P.S. The gyro is just about ready to fly again and I'll post about it when I do!
 
Got
the perfect one , we got married in a gyro at 300 ft, by the JP in another gyro right beside us by radio, about 28 years ago, been a part of my business ever since!
 
Got
the perfect one , we got married in a gyro at 300 ft, by the JP in another gyro right beside us by radio, about 28 years ago, been a part of my business ever since!

I love that story! Hope, all is well with you guys,

Kai.
 
I actually wanted to tick "helicopter flying" off my bucket list, but the cost was prohibitive. Then I remembered, gyros from a kid's program and found out that there was an opportunity nearby to do it. It was a miserable, cold, rainy day and my wife came with me to have a look. We flew patterns, me in the back seat of the MTO3, flying squares while drifting in the wind etc.

When I came climbing out again, frozen stiff, gyro-grin in my face, she said "alright, do it then". Just gotta love her. That was 10 years ago, still going.

Kai.
 
another strategem

another strategem

Just take up another hobby in addition, choosing something that looks more dangerous, and the gyro will seem safe by contrast.
 

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Robert (the OP),

My wife is pushing me to get on with my gyro training and get into the air. I feel pretty lucky!

You may enjoy the thread below if you haven't read it already. It has some of the most honest and 'raw' admissions from (high time) gyro pilots that I have ever read regarding the danger and passion of flying:

http://www.rotaryforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39807

Welcome to the forum by the way!

Mark
 
Awesome wedding

Awesome wedding

By the way... very cool story Ernie! I had never heard about that. :)

Mark
 
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