gyroplanes
FAA DAR Gyropilot
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2004
- Messages
- 6,205
- Aircraft
- (1) Air Command, (1) Bensen glider project (1) Air Command 2 place kit, (1) Sycamore gyro
- Total Flight Time
- 2650
(I meant to put a question mark after "Dichotomy")
I copied this here from another thread. Please help me with this.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote:
Originally Posted by Screw
Screw-In
1. The Bensen, as designed, was a very close to CLT machine with a Mac or VW direct drive engine.
Screw-Out
This and other statements cause me great concern.
Chuck Beaty has recently been touting the "safety" of the old Bensens and our old method of learning to fly one.
I have to agree with Chuck about "Self training" I haven't seen a decline in fatalities since dual came along. I don't condone self-training any more. That's a subject for another thread.
Our chapter did the old double hang test vertical C of G determination on a member's VW Bensen. This old Bensen (with a very short mast by today's standards) came in real close to CLT. I expected it would.
What causes my heartburn???
I remember the old days. Gyro carnage didn't start with Dennis Fetters Air Commands.
Don't get me wrong. I believe in the benefits of CLT. I just can't understand how these NCLT early Bensens still managed to PIO / PPO as often as they did..
Our beloved gyroplanes didn't earn their horrid reputation with the advent of the Air Commands, it was very well established before then.
When I was a student at the FAA academy in Oklahoma City, OK. thirty years ago, I spent my spare time in their library sifting through all of the gyro accident records. There was a staggering number of accidents, virtually all of the fatal accidents displayed the tell tale signs of PIO / PPO.
The FAA library did not have a copy machine, so I hand copied each and every accident for my records.
When I was the PRA Safety Editor we published these reports in the PRA magazine. I still have them and maybe after the Chistmas confusion I could dig them out.
I copied this here from another thread. Please help me with this.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote:
Originally Posted by Screw
Screw-In
1. The Bensen, as designed, was a very close to CLT machine with a Mac or VW direct drive engine.
Screw-Out
This and other statements cause me great concern.
Chuck Beaty has recently been touting the "safety" of the old Bensens and our old method of learning to fly one.
I have to agree with Chuck about "Self training" I haven't seen a decline in fatalities since dual came along. I don't condone self-training any more. That's a subject for another thread.
Our chapter did the old double hang test vertical C of G determination on a member's VW Bensen. This old Bensen (with a very short mast by today's standards) came in real close to CLT. I expected it would.
What causes my heartburn???
I remember the old days. Gyro carnage didn't start with Dennis Fetters Air Commands.
Don't get me wrong. I believe in the benefits of CLT. I just can't understand how these NCLT early Bensens still managed to PIO / PPO as often as they did..
Our beloved gyroplanes didn't earn their horrid reputation with the advent of the Air Commands, it was very well established before then.
When I was a student at the FAA academy in Oklahoma City, OK. thirty years ago, I spent my spare time in their library sifting through all of the gyro accident records. There was a staggering number of accidents, virtually all of the fatal accidents displayed the tell tale signs of PIO / PPO.
The FAA library did not have a copy machine, so I hand copied each and every accident for my records.
When I was the PRA Safety Editor we published these reports in the PRA magazine. I still have them and maybe after the Chistmas confusion I could dig them out.
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