Mr Toad prepares to become a gyroplane private pilot

[All_In]

As I'll be transitioning to an ARGON 915 before the TriBull & then my G1Sb.
The closest to me with a similar view side by side is a Cavalon 915 in LA.


I found the POH but the one I found only lists engines of 912UL & 914, NOT the 915.

Is there a specific POH for the 915 that I need to find?

I hope the takeoff procedure is the same or I just flew at least 40 takeoffs following it in my office chair and formed bad habits already if not the same.

I would suspect the pre-flight would be slightly different for the 915???

 

[Vance]

Cavalon 915 POH is here:

https://www.auto-gyro.com/chameleon/public/741cd10c-7c2e-ffd8-2f6d-1ceb2e46e430/POH_CV915_1-0_EN.pdf

Please read ALL of the Pilot's Operating Handbook carefully so you have context.

If you don't understand something, ask me.

The takeoff procedure in not the same as the 912 or the 914

In my opinion based on its similarity to a Xenon the Argon will fly very differently compared to a Cavalon and you will need to get transition training.

 

[All_In]

Dang, I hate to cancel, they'll be disappointed. Craig in Texas as an ARGON 915.
I would hate to delay training. But if I use Craig I should tow the ARGON 915 to him after it's inspected and have Craig do the final inspection and test fly it. He's built a few.

Logic would then dictate to dealy and Kill two birds with one trip?? But I don't want to!

I wish I would have remained ignorant to it not being as similar as I hoped... Not really Bro.
Thank you.

U-ROCK.

 

[All_In]

Is the Cavalon harder to fly than the Zenon or Argon or just different?

If it is harder that appeals to me?
Learn the easy one later.
Fingers crossed...

I have the POH for the ARGON 915 so I can compare them for the differences.
Not sure I would have thought of comparing them until I was going to fly the Argon without your experience/wisdom. That should tell me the differences by the book but not how they respond which I love for you to share your pilot report.

 

[Vance]

Is the Cavalon harder to fly than the Zenon or Argon or just different?

I don’t have enough experience in a Xenon to have an opinion as to how it compares to a Cavalon for difficulty.

Naturally it is easier for me to fly the Cavalon because I have flown seven for over six hundred hours and instructed in them for something over two hundred hours.

I have only flown in one Xenon and one Tercel under less than ideal conditions and I have not instructed in either. Both were powered with the Rotax 912 with the aftermarket turbocharger.

My feeling was the Xenon had better rudder authority and needed less pedal work. I liked the feel of the pedals as it felt to me that pressure moved the nose and it would stay put unless I used pressure to move it in a different direction.

I feel the Xenon has better visibility; that is a very subjective thing.

The Xenon had much less power-pitch-yaw coupling than the Cavalon.

In my opinion this does not make the Cavalon more difficult to fly, just different.

I suspect the 915 IS will make a pleasant difference in both the Argon and the Cavalon.

The only 915 IS I have flown was in an American Ranger and I found the power delivery (throttle response) a big improvement over a 914.

 

[All_In]

Well, I do not want to wait anymore. So will train in Cavalon get signed off Sports Pilots on my way to Gyroplane add on to my Private.
Then fly builders Raul or Craig out to inspect it after it is registered. Get me checked out in her by one of them.
Then fly the 40 hours off and get a LODA for Ron to be trained in it.

 

[All_In]

As I promised to report my progress.
Just did 5 Cavalon take-offs without landing??

From my office chair.

According to my instructor me. They were perfect.
The only problem with that, critique, is my instructor only knows what I know.
Which = the blind teaching the blind. Self-training you would never know if you did it correctly or a BETTER way!! That is not in general. That is always and undisputable.

 

[All_In]

Gyroplanes have many more STEPS in the take-off procedure than FW.
But it's like showing a person who has never seen an instrument panel is overwhelmed with all the gauges.
When you explain one gauge at a time it becomes easy to understand the airspeed is like your car speedometer and the same for them all.

It is the same for the many steps for gyroplane take-off procedures.
You learn why for each step and memorize them one at a time and they are all EASY!

 

[Vance]

I feel you will be fine training in a Cavalon and taking your proficiency check ride in a Cavalon John.

Transition training should be fairly straight forward.

If you are after Sport Pilot, Gyroplane you need to train to proficiency with no minimum hours and take a proficiency check ride with a different CFI than your primary flight instructor.

Your main Sport Pilot limitations for gyroplanes is day VFR only with a slightly expanded definition of Day VFR and a maximum of 1,320 pounds maximum takeoff weight.

If you are after Private Pilot, Rotorcraft-Gyroplane you must log at least 40 hours in a gyroplane with a minimum of 20 hours of dual instruction from an authorized gyroplane instructor and a minimum of ten hours solo. The rest of the requirements are in FAR 61.107 (d).

You will need to have a designated pilot examiner to do your practical test.

For either rating you should be familiar with the gyroplane portion of The Rotorcraft Flying Handbook, current on your understanding of airspace and the relevant Federal Aviation Regulations.

Rotorcraft Flying Hadbook: https://www.ronsgyros.com/Gyro_Handbook.pdf

eCFR Title 14 - Electronic Code of Federal Regulations​

Given the complexity of the airspace you will be flying in some work with a CFI on charts would be useful.

 

[All_In]

Sports Rating.
Then LODA for ARGON.
Then training for Private Pilot, Rotorcraft-Gyroplane in the ARGON.

Thank you for confirming for me the fastest method a FW pilot has and explaining to newbies.
That is why I'm sharing a high time FW pilots transition to the most fun aircraft I've ever flown.
--
Also thank you for reminding me.
I do need to reread the Rotorcraft Flying Hadbook before my first hour, I forgot.
It's been 10 years since the last time.

---
The method I use to learn the newest rules and regs. I use the FAA Wings videos (which also tests what I did not learn at the end of the video).
Videos are so much more fun than reading for a dyslexic person and do review many of the courses.

For newbies, they have courses for runway markings, radio calls, charts, most everything. I highly recommend them.
---
Charts I mastered starting at age 10. 1st for boats, then boy scouts on land, then Aircraft where they actually paid me to ferry new Pipers FW from the US to many airports in South America, across the Atlantic to Europe, Africa, 2 to Australia, and one to New Zeland.
Even with cancer, I was still teaching how to fly through San Diego and LAX airspace to newbie FW pilots at our airport. I grew up flying into LAX for the piper dealership vendors of ours.
...The rest of the story:
All of those trips were with no GPS or Loran C. Vors in most countries but South America did not work. Always hit my airports on time.
Never lost but I was a might perplexed one IFR with an instructor in a thunderstorm we did a 180 out of too late. No forecast like today.
Turbulence was so bad we were not sure if one of them did not invert us. Took out a penny and dropped it to find gravity not working.
In a Maraca, it just hits the roof and the floor equally to the rhythm of the shaker.
Said well the Turbo Aero has a short oil sump that can fly inverted.
About an hour later... Relieved we were still right side up.

 

[All_In]

Flying through airspace even restricted is easy. Check Notams, get the frequency, and simply ASK your request.
The worse they can do is say too busy or NO.

The reason I bring this up. I was explaining the panel was not laid out at the factory to hold a large ForFlight display and was covering the display of the Transponder and we will have to move it.

He said no. You don't need a transponder much just fly around B airspace.
WHAT in Southern CA I used the transponder changing squawks as much as the radio frequency!
It would add hours to most CA flights and in Salt Lake too and many other cities.

Don't be afraid to use every service the FAA offers.
Get with a friend or instructor who can fly with you in every airspace you fly in.
IIRC If a sport pilot you have to get signed off to fly in Class B airspace so get instruction and use it don't lose it.

It is easier than when we all first learned to use the radio at control towers. Because it is basically the same.

 

[Vance]

A transponder with mode C capability and Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast out (ADS-B out) are required in class Charlie airspace and inside the mode C veil of class Bravo airspace. Writing in general terms the mode C veil is a 30 nautical mile circle around class B airports. FAR 91.215, 91.225 and 91.227.

Last I looked there were thirty seven class Bravo airports in the USA.

 

[Tyger]

He said no. You don't need a transponder much just fly around B airspace.
WHAT in Southern CA I used the transponder changing squawks as much as the radio frequency!
It would add hours to most CA flights and in Salt Lake too and many other cities.

Don't be afraid to use every service the FAA offers.
Get with a friend or instructor who can fly with you in every airspace you fly in.
IIRC If a sport pilot you have to get signed off to fly in Class B airspace so get instruction and use it don't lose it.

A key point, as noted by Vance, is that having a radio and a Mode C transponder is no longer sufficient to fly in those classes of airspace.
ADS-B Out is also required.

 

[All_In]

The website is finally published yesterday.
Which allows me to have a life again. So today is the 1st day I get to play.
I'm on my way to train in a Cavalon TODAY... hip hip hooray!!!
Free at last, free at last, it's time to FLY and get high on life again!

 

[All_In]

The good, once in the air and hit my assigned altitudes, (3) on the way to Happy Valley, Henry said well you can fly.
The bad and ugly.
I suck at throttle control. Gyros compared to FW's are much more sensitive. I'd try to increase or decrease RPM's by 200, but no 500 or 600 increments.
I'm sure my flight path looked like a porpoise swimming and slowing down and speeding up. I mean I was using the stick to keep within 20 feet of the assigned altitude. WRONG!

The 2nd I suck is anticipating how MUCH rudder to put in that 915 torque is major when you add or take out the power. I've not been off the ball that badly that I can remember. Finally, you almost always add full rudder on major power changes and it is much quicker to center.

 

[All_In]

About 3/4 into the first flight. Henry said well you just flew what I usually fly for the 1st time students.

Is there anything you would like to do?

Yes, I would really like to evaluate myself with turns around a point and S turns over a road.

So I did. Henry said that would pass. I laughed and said did you look at the altimeter? I lost almost 70 feet doing an almost perfect turn. To me Henry I SUCKED!!!

S turns were easy.

The main thing is I haven't had this much FUN in YEARS. Next 100 take-offs and landings mostly engine-outs or until it is automatic.

 

[All_In]

My worse day piloting a gyro is better than the best day of anything else. Looked at my logbook and it's been 7 years since J, Arlen, and I last flew the Caladus with Mikeal Burton in Spanish Fork Utah.

1st hour of Take-offs and landing I felt like I'm starting over. Henry is too kind telling me I'm way ahead of just starting.

Oh, and my wrist hurt from a dead man grip on the stick. Didn't even notice until I taxied off the runway and then started laughing turning to Henry and telling him what a rookie mistake not to even notice!!!
Way over controlling the stick and hunting for how much to move it to produce what effect. This is similar to the 1st hour of using the throttle.
Further exacerbated, with no place to rest my arm to steady it for fine-tuning as I had done most other models I've flown.

Take-off is not a problem until I try and balance on the mains. I do not know how much to move it and am terrified I will bounce the nose wheel from hearing how they tip over. This is a real physiological problem for ME for this particular model mainly based on false RUMORS.
It is harder to balance on your mains to take off than to take off in a FW. You are going to need more time than when you learned to fly FWs.

I'm still not sure how high off the ground my landing gear is after two hours, I'm guessing and do not feel it or see it by looking down the runway.
I suck!!! When I told Henry he said can't tell because I'm guessing very well 90% of the time then.

Raul advises instead of resting my arm for finer stick control is to use more of my wrist by holding it with 3 fingers, not two has I switch to after the 1st-hour dead man's grip.

Other advice is welcome to stop this 3 Stooges movie?

 

[All_In]

Oh, I also think I learn how those who fly behind the power curve and crash do not notice. They cannot be looking at the horizon and must be fixated on gauges or something else.
Once her nose lifts up and you put it back down to balance I forget the gauges and it becomes more like FW aerobatic flying use the runway/horizon!!
3 times I ballooned up from bad throttle control and if I did not know to find the runway again it could have happened to me before I paralleled the runway to accelerate to Vx. Once level I only then look at the RRPM to assure it has climbed and is climbing not again until the next take-off.

 

[All_In]

Flight training delayed. Finishing up the last bits on the ARGON's 915 for final inspection on Tuesday 9/7 for registration.

I will return on Wednesday 9/8. This time staying up there until Friday as I learned Aventure LA/ Henry has an upstairs room with a bed and a bathroom downstairs in the office with a shower. Sound like home to me.

 

[All_In]

I have a question.

About how long is the delay in a Cavalon's blades from the time you move the stick to when it actually changes your pitch?