Mike G
Junior Member
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2005
- Messages
- 1,918
- Location
- Lillebonne France
- Aircraft
- Owned Magni M16 now ELA 07
- Total Flight Time
- 550FW + 500 gyro
I’ve read the different threads concerning gyro accidents with great interest.
What I’ve understood to be that the causes can be broken down into 3 main headings:
There don’t appear to be many detailed solutions proposed, more a wish list of things that the authors are doing, or have done and want others to do or simply things that they think others should be doing.
One solution proposed (by Phil Bennett) is legislation which is probably the only way to move things along but I personally reject totally. We have more than enough rules and regulations already.
Another is some sort of warning device.
My take on this is:
Last year I proposed a warning system that would :
Mike G
What I’ve understood to be that the causes can be broken down into 3 main headings:
- Training
- Design
- Social/economic selection of owners.
- Training seems to revolve around the need for an agreed global training program with or without Glider/balancing on the mains and perhaps PIO training?? Read posts by just about everybody.
- Designs need to reduce/eliminate “coffin corners”, so eliminate the need for RLV to be part of gyro stability, eliminate linked nose wheels plus make all pre rotators flex drive. Read posts by Doug Riley, Chuck Beaty and Magni owners.
- Owners tend to be richer, older and ex FW. Read thread started by Ron Award.
There don’t appear to be many detailed solutions proposed, more a wish list of things that the authors are doing, or have done and want others to do or simply things that they think others should be doing.
One solution proposed (by Phil Bennett) is legislation which is probably the only way to move things along but I personally reject totally. We have more than enough rules and regulations already.
Another is some sort of warning device.
My take on this is:
- To globalize a training program across the world is simply a Utopian dream. Phil Harwood’s program is a good attempt and will, I hope, gain traction. Each country might manage to improve their training program but with the politics of today it will probably never extend beyond their borders, especially as everybody has much bigger fish to fry such as Covid and the financial disaster that will probably follow. The PRA effort to create a re-testing program seems to be a worthy effort for the USA.
Added to the above is my observation that CFIs tend to fall into 2 groups, those that welcome discussion and potential criticism and change to their methods and those that believe they are right, full stop. Getting all CFIs to follow a common program would seem impossible to me. - The desire to change the designs is admirable but again a Utopian dream. Current manufactures simply cannot change their designs without admitting that their original design was wrong (a commercial and marketing disaster) and opening the door to claims for retro fits and even legal claims for damages from previous accidents.
- Ron Awards point is, IMHO, very valid and probably the major cause of our current crop of accidents, linked also to the training issue. It is obvious that many baby boomers have managed to retire with pensions and funds that their children and grand children can only dream of. Added to which they were brought up in the 50s & 60s when flying and pilots were role models. Today’s young have Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerbugger as role models and don’t have a spare 100k to spend on a toy. So it’s a simple fact of life that until the baby boomers reach their 80s and stop flying we’re going to have these accidents.
Last year I proposed a warning system that would :
- Warn the pilot of an impending rotor flap/sailing.
- Warn the pilot he was behind the curve and then behind the power curve.
- Warn the pilot he was approaching a bunt.
- Warn the pilot he was at the maximum airspeed for his rotor.
- Record the parameters of the last flight for post crash analysis
- Allow instructors to create alarms to train students to react correctly.
- Would give the warnings via a recorded message over the intercom direct to the pilot.
Mike G