Riding the Wind!

[Vance]

It rained hard last night in Nipomo and according to Lockheed Martin the storm is off to Arizona.

When I arrived the wind was variable at 6kts. The Terminal Aerodrome Forecast for SMX had wind at 300 degrees at 15kts gusting to 20kts beginning at noon, by 4:00 it was supposed to be 280 degrees at 18kts gusting to 26kts.

It was a little brisk, 47 degrees F and the sky was beautiful with the fluffy clouds contrasting with the deep blue sky.

On preflight I found the front tire was a little low so I removed the wheel pants on the mains and checked them all and they were all low.

I didn’t like the slop in the controls so I did some work on one of the rotor control levers.

By the time I was ready to go the wind was up. The density altitude was -200 MSL.

As I passed the tower and waved I got an enthusiastic wave back. They gave me a gratuitous wind check and it was ten kts stronger than the ATIS that was only 15 minutes old.

The run up went well and we prepared to take off.

“Experimental 142 Mike Golf, runway 30 clear for takeoff slight right approved.”

My rotor wanted to diverge in the gusting wind and I gave prerotation another try. It worked better the second time as I watched the wind socks dance and saw 35kts indicated air speed when we were barley rolling. She leaped off the ground with very little ground roll and quickly climbed to 800 feet. I backed off the power and we started to rock and roll. 50kts indicated air speed gave me a ground speed of 28kts and we were bobbing around like a cork in a storm. I ran her up to 75kts indicated air speed and we were seeing just over 40 kts of ground speed. She seemed to like the higher speed as we bumped across the Santa Maria Valley. I felt like I could touch the wind as we felt the power toss us about.

We caught some lift at the Nipomo Mesa and picked up 200 feet before I could back off the power. Then she sank at 400 feet per minute. The throttle was never still for the rest of the flight.

The air felt and tasted fresh and clean and the temperature added a bite to it.

I checked SBP’s ATIS and called ATC from 13 miles to the south east at 1,300 feet, requesting a direct approach. I didn’t want to fly the Avilla Pass in the wind. I was to remain south of the centerline and report four miles.

We climbed to 1,500 MSL over Arroyo Grande and slipped over the hill into the beautiful Edna Valley. ATC cleared us to land from four and a half miles to the South East.

At 75kts indicated air speed we were showing 52kts of ground speed and the airspeed indicator was swinging through 20kts. ATC cleared a Cessna number two behind the gyroplane, slow moving 50kts.

I could tell it was a panicked student pilot in the 172 because of his radio communications. He asked for a wind check four times in less than five minutes. His voice seemed to get higher and his speech faster with each call. He could not find the gyroplane and the tower tried to help him. ATC is particularly nice at SBP but always by the book.

I love to imagine the way the wind caresses the hills around the Edna Valley and try to anticipate which direction we will be tossed next.

The hills have turned green and I could smell the wet soil of the vineyards. The clouds made a wonderful pattern of playful shadows on the valley floor.

We descended nearly vertically and I felt some trepidation as I watched the wind sock dart through fifty degrees. There is sometimes a wind that comes down runway 25 and it causes a swirl on runway 29 where I touch down. We stopped descending about three feet off the ground and slowly rotated to the left. Our indicated air speed was 34kts as we touched down with zero roll.

I was to taxi to restaurant parking on the tower frequency.

Once I got our rotor under control I watched the student go around and then dribble down the runway. He aborted the landing on the fifth bounce and the voice on the radio changed tone and sounded confident. The next landing was very nicely done with only two bounces.

The GPS showed we had averaged 41kts on the flight to SBP.

Lunch was great and we taxied off to self serve with the rotor tied down. The clouds were looking a little ominous to the south east and it appeared to rain in the hills. I left my helmet on as I filled up because I was in a hurry and didn’t want to be caught in the coming rain. A nice fellow walked up and asked me about autogiros in this wind. I have yet to complete a fill up with my helmet on.

He was an engineering professor from nearby Cal Poly and asked if I would speak at the San Luis Obispo EAA chapter. He said it would be nice if I would fly in so people would know what I was talking about. I will be honored. He is going to email me so we can figure out my schedule. Who knows, maybe he is a door to improving Mariah Gale.

All the while the sky was getting less hospitable and the rain nearer. I untied her rotor and called ground to taxi to runway 29.

The run up went well and I asked for a left downwind departure to the east south east. “Experimental Gyroplane 142 Mike Golf, runway 29 clear for takeoff, left downwind departure approved.”

Those words have not lost their magic as I anticipated the magic of the return flight. The rotor came up nicely. We were a little slow to get off and then suddenly leaped into the air on the back of a gust. We were at 1,300 feet by the intersection of runway 25 and I asked for an early left cross. It was approved as requested.

When we turned down wind it was as though we received a big push from behind and we were soon climbing at 95 kts of ground speed. I leveled off at 1,500 feet and aimed for the power transmission tower. There are lots of wires because of the nuclear plant at Diablo Canyon.

We were quickly over the hills and I began our descent to Santa Maria. Indicated air speed was still bounding through 20 kts and I thought I could feel the moisture on my skin.

I called in the Santa Maria Tower over the Nipomo water tower and was to make right traffic for runway 30 and report mid field.

When I reported midfield my lips were too cold to work and I had to repeat myself. Runway 30 was clear to land. I could see four windsocks all blowing in different directions, none steady. The landing was so nice I tried to remember the trepidation conditions like this had caused me in the past. I am again battling overconfidence.

Two of my friends watched the landing and clapped.

My neighbor with the Mooney was blocking our hangar row so I waited until the rotor stopped before going around him. I love how nicely the Predator maneuvers and how little room she needs compared to a fixed wing.

It felt good to get out of the cold but our flight was too short.

Thank you, Vance

 

[StanFoster]

Vance- Always nice to bum along on one of your forum flights. Nicely written as always. Stan

 

[Wiplash]

Nice read, as always...

Have you ever considered writing for flying magazines?


Thanks for the ride-along,
Todd

 

[Vance]

Sharing the wind

Sharing the wind

Glad to have you along Stan.

I loved the way the sky looked.

I suspected it would get windy but the TAFs had it well below my limits.

I should have known that they are just not that good at predicting how fast the incoming storm was moving or just what winds it holds.

Thank you Todd,

It was one of those flights where I could not find the words to describe the taste of the air or the feel of the wind. The bite of the cold sort of amplified the feelings.

It makes that task easier when the reader has a similar love affair with flying an open aircraft.

I am trying in a casual way to get some articles published because that will help when it is time to get a publisher for our book.

My stories have a tendency to be a little long and I have to get better at editing.

I practice here.

For a print magazine the pictures need to be higher resolution so I am limited to my flights with Ed and her lovely pictures.

For on line magazines my pictures work fine.

I recently sent a story off to the on line EAA sport pilot magazine but I have not heard back.

I loved the drama of the sky so here are a few more pictures.

Thank you, Vance

 

[Wiplash]

A book aye...

I'll be brining a copy for you to sign at Mentone when it comes out

 

[Vance]

Thank you Todd.

Thank you Todd.

It will be an honor to sign your copy.

It is a big fantasy and we are working on it one step at a time.

I try to make a little progress each day.

We are designing and building a gyroplane in a friend’s garage and then Ed and I are going to tour the country with it.

We hope to write a coffee table book with lots of pictures about our adventures exploring a United States of America that most people think doesn’t exist anymore.

We don’t even have a publisher yet.

Practicing writing about flying is part of the exercise and it is fun to share our joy with our friends here on the forum.

We are having more fun than we imagined.

Thank you for your interest, it helps us to keep moving.

Thank you, Vance

 

[StanFoster]

Vance- There are certain people I have run across in my life that set goals, no matter how challenging, and tenaciously keep move forward till they succeeed. You sir are definitely one of those on my list. I also am looking forward to yours and Eds coffee table book sitting in my living room, proudly with your signature. Stan

 

[farmer jim]

Vance -

WHAT HE SAID (#7)

fj

 

[SgurlEd]

It will be an honor to sign your copy.

It is a big fantasy and we are working on it one step at a time.

I try to make a little progress each day.

We are designing and building a gyroplane in a friend’s garage and then Ed and I are going to tour the country with it.

We hope to write a coffee table book with lots of pictures about our adventures exploring a United States of America that most people think doesn’t exist anymore.

We don’t even have a publisher yet.

Practicing writing about flying is part of the exercise and it is fun to share our joy with our friends here on the forum.

We are having more fun than we imagined.

Thank you for your interest, it helps us to keep moving.

Thank you, Vance

My Husband is amazing and never gives up on a dream! He inspires me!

When I was about 8 years old I remember my Dad bringing home the straggly haired, grungy Biker guy home his Motorcycle broke down and my father stopped to help.
He found out the guy was going to visit with family and was on a road trip…he had no home, no money and no food. As he didn’t have any Money to fix the Motorcycle he was just going to leave his motorcycle right where it was and walk to his destination.
My father brought him home. He and My Mother, fed him, helped him get his motorcycle running...he spent a few days with us. Then my dad gave him the last $100.00 he had in his wallet to help him get on his way.
The guy was grateful and didn't want to take the money. My Father insisted...then explained to the guy that he had been in his shoes once and would have been grateful to have someone kind enough to help him.
My Father was an Ol' Cowboy (Ranch Foreman) before he served in the Army in Custards 7th Calvary Division in the Philippine Islands. After he served he found it hard to get a job and started jumping trains along with the bums until he reached California and rode the Rodeo Circuit (He had a hard life. He was 3rd to the last of 13 children of a German Family who immigrated to America and landed at Ellis Island and ended up in Minnesota)
After he helped this Biker Guy the man was my Fathers friend for life and kept in contact and actually got his act together and visited us once a year. I remember thinking my Daddies a HERO! He didn’t have to stop and help this man. Hell anything could have happened to him but he took a chance on another human being. That’s what I’m hoping to find while Vance and I are out traveling that there still are good kind people out there not afraid to be a friend to strangers.
I look forward to our adventures into the wild blue yonder...possibly re-discovering the America that was once really Great where people were genuine and cared about their fellow American!

I love this Forum...and I love sharing this dream with my Husband!
Cheers! Ed

Below is my contribution to Vance's Designs....LOL The Name of my Company: Special Ed's Acme Designs! ;-P

 

[StanFoster]

Ed- What a nice story....thanks for sharing. You dad was a rich man in other ways.


Stan

 

[SgurlEd]

;-P Thanks

;-P Thanks

Thanks Stan...
My father was a man with many stories and had a gift in telling them so true and some not so much....LOL. I now wish I paid more attention I'm sure I would have learned so much more about him.

I think about what this Journey Vance and I are on and what it means to us and what it will mean to my children and grandchildren long after we are gone...kinda makes you want to do a right fine job of it!

With Vance by my side it feels Awesome and exciting!
I am Blessed!
Cheers! Ed

 

[Wiplash]

Looking forward to reading about this journey.


Blue Skies :hippie:
Todd

 

[Vance]

Steps each day.

Steps each day.

Thank you Stan,

You support means a lot to me.

Thank you Jim,

I am enjoying our relationship a lot.

That is a patch from the test pilots school at Edwards Air Force Base. We found it at the sail plane base in Tehachapi.

That is why I love my special Ed, she loves and supports me and is a very special woman. She is the wind beneath my wings er rotors.

Thank you Todd, we are enjoying every step of the way.

Thank you all, Vance