N467TE - Titanium Explorer - Colorado - 4.9.23

[Resasi]

They didn't all go that high, of course. Just any time you take off and land multiple times during one pass over/on a runway.

A valuable training manoeuvre Tyger. We had a retired military airfield with long wide runways, a load of students, and an active club, with up to 34 gyros in our hanger at times. Weekends were busy. With three or four volunteers/assistant instructors, we could have a carousel of up to six or seven or more gyros lining up to do crow hops down the various runways at RAF Little Rissington.

In turn we would set off to do two or three hops down the active runway. Instructors/volunteers would be in radio contact as the airfield was on the top of a hill and one could not see from one end to the other end and an observer in the middle and one at each end was required.

Aircraft would be released at intervals to do their hops down the right side of the very broad runways, the returnees coming back down the left side. Close eye was kept and each was watched and commented on as they performed their hops.

The action was very closely monitored and each student would be commented on by the departure, mid field and arrival ends of his run. We had a senior instructor and several assistant instructors as well as a number of experienced senior members. It was a unique and I think now unavailable association of both two and single seat gyro pilots in the UK. I feel extremely fortunate to have been exposed to this collection of old time, old school gyronauts. A past generation of learners and old time gyro pilots I think I had stumbled on and feel that it was a very fortunate association.

The machines were vintage, as were some of the members. Some came...then went. Some came and simply played with polished and taxied their gyros, some part of the active flyers, but all were welcome and good company, drawn together by a common interest...as we in the Forum are...all in our own individual ways. Drawn by a common love of a particular way of shaking off the shackles of gravity, and reaching for our own individual freedoms in the sky above us.

 

[Burrengyro]

Crow hops are great training for when you might need to abort a takeoff. A week or so ago, I was lined up to take off, with one passenger and 30L of mogas. Take-off proceeded fine until I realised I was not achieving climbing power to safely climb out before the end of our 1600ft grass runway. It was about 1 hour before sunset, warm with no wind to help. I aborted the takeoff, immediately progressively closed the throttle and landed safely. Did the normal checks, running up the engine, checking the mags, etc. No issues. Tried to take off again and again had to abort, landing safely. This time I decided to shut down for the day. I returned the next day to do a thorough DI as well as draining the gascolator and the fuel tank drain valve to make sure there was no water in the fuel system. No problems were found. I then did a solo test flight for about fifteen minutes to make sure everything was ok before returning to fly with my passenger. Everything worked perfectly.

During the solo test flight, I realised that the issue causing the takeoff problems the previous evening was a Human Factors problem. My previous gyro was an ELA07S with the Rotax 914 turbo engine. I had completed about 300 fun-filled hours on the ELA gyro. My latest gyro is a Magni M22, also with a Rotax 914 turbo engine. I had completed about 6 hours of difference training on a Magni M16 and then progressed to my own Magni M22 with about 35 hours done to date. There is a simple but critical difference between the throttle in the ELA07S and Magni M16 and M22 gyro throttles. In the ELA, the throttle movement is one smooth operation from 2000rpm to full turbo up to 5800rpm. I always go full turbo throttle once I know takeoff is progressing normally. In the Magni gyros, the throttle moves smoothly from 2000 rpm to approximately 5200 rpm. In the Magni M22, you have to move the throttle lever slightly to the right to overcome the indent and then move it fully forward for full turbo boost.

For some human reason, I was in ELA07S style throttle mode in my brain and muscle memory and thought I was at full throttle. However, I was only getting about 80 hp rather than the normal full turbo 115hp because I had forgotten about the Magni throttle indent and was not applying full turbo boost. There is a big difference between getting 80hp versus 115hp in the takeoff phase. Hence, the aborted landings and the eventual realisation of the root cause. A good outcome thanks to good training and a good learning experience to make sure my brain and muscle memory are correctly calibrated for the Magni M22 gyro and it's particular throttle features. Safe landings!

 

[Vance]

I know more than one person who got up flying without a clue how to land or even descend.

Crow hops are good for that because they immediately teach you how to both takeoff and land.

In fixed wing aviation crow hops are often part of the early flight testing.

The challenge is I am most vulnerable in any aircraft when interfacing with the ground and alignment with the direction is important.

I feel it is important to have very low wind limits when doing crow hops.

I usually teach people how to land separately from taking off unless the learner has a particular problem that I feel will be helped with crow hops.

When teaching in a single seat gyroplane we always start with crow hops.

If we have not done dual instruction crow hops I make a point of teaching engine out on takeoff.

In most gyroplanes I have given instruction in there is very little to do if the engine goes quiet on takeoff or we need to abort a takeoff.

 

[Vance]

For some human reason, I was in ELA07S style throttle mode in my brain and muscle memory and thought I was at full throttle. However, I was only getting about 80 hp rather than the normal full turbo 115hp because I had forgotten about the Magni throttle indent and was not applying full turbo boost. There is a big difference between getting 80hp versus 115hp in the takeoff phase. Hence, the aborted landings and the eventual realisation of the root cause. A good outcome thanks to good training and a good learning experience to make sure my brain and muscle memory are correctly calibrated for the Magni M22 gyro and it's particular throttle features. Safe landings!

On my takeoff check list for The Predator (Lycoming IO-320) if I don't achieve 2,300 rpm on takeoff we abort.

I have had many learners not use full throttle for takeoff because they don't like how fast the front end comes up.

The engine RPM minimum helps prevent that.