GyrOZprey
Aussie in Kansas.
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2011
- Messages
- 3,591
- Location
- Whitewater KS
- Aircraft
- Butterfly Aurora N5560Z / Titanium Explorer N456TE & N488TE/ - trained in MTOsport 446QT/488FB
- Total Flight Time
- 1061
Having spent a busy few weeks getting the fall farm business taken care-of Jim & I got the camper loaded on the PU & headed to Texas for 3 days camping @ Olney airport !
The main purpose of this jaunt was for myself to attend Dr Bob Stark's super-informative Repairman (light-sport) gyroplane course! We had also arranged for Jim to renew his PPL flight medical with the area Dr. who did his last one! .... which means the 2 year anniversary of our decision to embark on the Tiggy-B gyro build & renew flight status - just passed ....... & STILL he hasn't got flying in HIS gyro let alone got the hours in for check-ride & PPL currency!!!! :rant:
We enjoyed a bit of new scenery with a different & speedier route - direct to Olney via Lawton- Wichita Falls. I had some fun with following our route on the VFR sectionals on my Ipad with the newly acquired GPS showing our location & "airspeed" heading :lol: etc ..... all familiarization for those future Xcountry gyro flights!
The big & fun bonus was our AWESOME instructor Desmon trailered his MTO up on Friday (very early start from Houston) to be available there @ Olney to give Scott & myself some lessons. :hail:
We really noticed the shorter day-length compared to our summer trips down to TX --departing first light, 6.5 hrs drive, caught up with Scott Sullins, Desmon & Crissy as they got back from lunch break, - an hour's lesson, a break ( & wonderful neck/back massage ....THANK-YOU Crissy!!!
) while Scott went up again & then another hour lesson & the sun was setting - time to take rotor off MTO & trailer-up/tie down! Then Desmon & Crissy headed right back to Houston!! Now that is a dedicated instructor!!!! :yo:
We had pretty brisk south winds to deal with but the nice thing about Olney is the choice of 3 5000'+ runways 17-35 13-31 & 4-22 - so cross wind challenges were minimized!
Desmon picked up where we left off on my solo week - 2 months ago.....just can't believe it's been THAT long!!!! Such a chain of crazy mechanicals & windy-weather delays - then WORK priorities when the weather decided to be nice!!!! :
We had lots of fun doing the balanced TO's full power & ease -off throttle, pitch to keep correct speed & land holding the nosewheel off until we'd stopped forward roll - repeat - full powered sequences down the long runway - "Aurora profile" ! Last one off & up around the pattern - some emergency ( power-off/ head straight for the runway) landings, some fun with vertical descents then land, close pattern with tighter banks & turns than I'd done before! What a blast.... intense but gave my confidence the boost it needed! :whoo:
Saturday bright & early Dr Bob's Repairmans course got under way ... we had a good group of Scott (OK) Roger (AL) Doug (AZ) & moi!
Good information & review of FAA regs, Gyro operation theory & how to perform the yearly condition inspection or to prepare the gyro for passing inspection by the A&P ! A very worthwhile course and we enjoyed Dr Bob's dry wit & experience stories interwoven in the course material. He provided a tasty delivered lunch to the classroom & we got through the course work in good time!
Mid afternoon we got to break for a visit to the hangar to look over his dual seat Air commmand gyro trying to find the less than airworthy( for safe operation ) tests he had set up for us to find..... great practical experience!
Sunday 8am we were ready for the final session! Finishing the last course sessions on system inspections! An intense course review to prepare for the test and then we completed the 50 Q test! All passed with flying colors & completion certificates were handed out!
We enjoyed a Sunday buffet lunch in Olney @ Don Antonio's before parting ways! Jim & I camped one more night @ the airport - the cold change had come through with the blustery south winds that had buffeted us all night & day Sat/Sun had switched to a milder but cold N wind dropping in the night for a good frosty start on Mon AM. We were up early & pulled out watching a beautiful sunrise to get to Springtown in good time for Jim's appt with the Dr. for his 3rd class medical.
Dr. Giles's lovely wife Nancy & I took Bonzer for a good long walk- a couple of laps around their 12ac lot of pecan trees surrounding their home & hangar at the end of the private airstrip. We were WOWed by the impressive aircraft & antique car projects contained in the hangar. Pecan harvest was in full swing & Nancy made sure we had a large grocery bag full of cracked pecans to take home. A delightful couple & felt we had made new friends in just an hour or so.
The sun was setting just as we pulled up to home at the end of our 900 mile trip! Missions accomplished 3 for 3!!!
The main purpose of this jaunt was for myself to attend Dr Bob Stark's super-informative Repairman (light-sport) gyroplane course! We had also arranged for Jim to renew his PPL flight medical with the area Dr. who did his last one! .... which means the 2 year anniversary of our decision to embark on the Tiggy-B gyro build & renew flight status - just passed ....... & STILL he hasn't got flying in HIS gyro let alone got the hours in for check-ride & PPL currency!!!! :rant:
We enjoyed a bit of new scenery with a different & speedier route - direct to Olney via Lawton- Wichita Falls. I had some fun with following our route on the VFR sectionals on my Ipad with the newly acquired GPS showing our location & "airspeed" heading :lol: etc ..... all familiarization for those future Xcountry gyro flights!
The big & fun bonus was our AWESOME instructor Desmon trailered his MTO up on Friday (very early start from Houston) to be available there @ Olney to give Scott & myself some lessons. :hail:
We really noticed the shorter day-length compared to our summer trips down to TX --departing first light, 6.5 hrs drive, caught up with Scott Sullins, Desmon & Crissy as they got back from lunch break, - an hour's lesson, a break ( & wonderful neck/back massage ....THANK-YOU Crissy!!!
) while Scott went up again & then another hour lesson & the sun was setting - time to take rotor off MTO & trailer-up/tie down! Then Desmon & Crissy headed right back to Houston!! Now that is a dedicated instructor!!!! :yo:We had pretty brisk south winds to deal with but the nice thing about Olney is the choice of 3 5000'+ runways 17-35 13-31 & 4-22 - so cross wind challenges were minimized!
Desmon picked up where we left off on my solo week - 2 months ago.....just can't believe it's been THAT long!!!! Such a chain of crazy mechanicals & windy-weather delays - then WORK priorities when the weather decided to be nice!!!! :
We had lots of fun doing the balanced TO's full power & ease -off throttle, pitch to keep correct speed & land holding the nosewheel off until we'd stopped forward roll - repeat - full powered sequences down the long runway - "Aurora profile" ! Last one off & up around the pattern - some emergency ( power-off/ head straight for the runway) landings, some fun with vertical descents then land, close pattern with tighter banks & turns than I'd done before! What a blast.... intense but gave my confidence the boost it needed! :whoo:
Saturday bright & early Dr Bob's Repairmans course got under way ... we had a good group of Scott (OK) Roger (AL) Doug (AZ) & moi!
Good information & review of FAA regs, Gyro operation theory & how to perform the yearly condition inspection or to prepare the gyro for passing inspection by the A&P ! A very worthwhile course and we enjoyed Dr Bob's dry wit & experience stories interwoven in the course material. He provided a tasty delivered lunch to the classroom & we got through the course work in good time!
Mid afternoon we got to break for a visit to the hangar to look over his dual seat Air commmand gyro trying to find the less than airworthy( for safe operation ) tests he had set up for us to find..... great practical experience!
Sunday 8am we were ready for the final session! Finishing the last course sessions on system inspections! An intense course review to prepare for the test and then we completed the 50 Q test! All passed with flying colors & completion certificates were handed out!
We enjoyed a Sunday buffet lunch in Olney @ Don Antonio's before parting ways! Jim & I camped one more night @ the airport - the cold change had come through with the blustery south winds that had buffeted us all night & day Sat/Sun had switched to a milder but cold N wind dropping in the night for a good frosty start on Mon AM. We were up early & pulled out watching a beautiful sunrise to get to Springtown in good time for Jim's appt with the Dr. for his 3rd class medical.
Dr. Giles's lovely wife Nancy & I took Bonzer for a good long walk- a couple of laps around their 12ac lot of pecan trees surrounding their home & hangar at the end of the private airstrip. We were WOWed by the impressive aircraft & antique car projects contained in the hangar. Pecan harvest was in full swing & Nancy made sure we had a large grocery bag full of cracked pecans to take home. A delightful couple & felt we had made new friends in just an hour or so.
The sun was setting just as we pulled up to home at the end of our 900 mile trip! Missions accomplished 3 for 3!!!
![[RotaryForum.com] - Long week-end @ OlneyTX.](https://data3.rotaryforum.com/attachments/87/87691-03058d1d17b9c727543e5d5f3b9e998b.jpg?hash=lC0ZLXMsOE)
![[RotaryForum.com] - Long week-end @ OlneyTX.](https://data3.rotaryforum.com/attachments/87/87692-2eb63cb86746439e694f636b6549c231.jpg?hash=QgzftIAFOk)
![[RotaryForum.com] - Long week-end @ OlneyTX.](https://data3.rotaryforum.com/attachments/87/87693-ff2aa83da6f148a11d95867ea7c811d2.jpg?hash=yyqmOR09MF)
![[RotaryForum.com] - Long week-end @ OlneyTX.](https://data3.rotaryforum.com/attachments/87/87694-e3189421fa89a326c610f67ee4f1b2b5.jpg?hash=mBN5M_q3fk)
![[RotaryForum.com] - Long week-end @ OlneyTX.](https://data3.rotaryforum.com/attachments/87/87696-e2f6dfc7b0d9f41b1b3fc0fbc3b7c6e5.jpg?hash=Gd2K0jq_Uw)
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eace: .....2 more years to get current & 
