Sitting in the rain...

[BEN S]

Waiting with the cover on for this squall to pass
But if it doesn't go away in about 2 hours, well it won't be the first time I have taken my gyro for a drive...

 

[BEN S]

Got some air in between rain cells!

 

[Brian Jackson]

Love that shot, Ben. Noticed a screw missing from the VSI. Is it accounted for? I have phobias of loose things binding with cables or something. Guam looks beautiful.

 

[Sv.grainne]

Sympathize! I've been dodging weather issue as well!

 

[BEN S]

Thank you! Yes I had noticed the screw was missing a while back.

 

[Resasi]

I've almost given up flying in England...it's snowing in London right now...doesn't do that often.

I've been spoiled by my flying in the US... with Denis in Minnasota, down in Florida with Gregg, a taste of the West Coast with Vance, the freedom the topography, it just incredible.

I loved my time instructing down south, my executive work coast to coast, seen it high, seen it low, the US has everything and it been a privilege and great pleasure to have experienced that.

Now it'll be waiting for for the warmer weather. That's open single seaters for you...and wouldn't have it any other way.

(Icarus...hmm. That's the chap who didn't pay attention to the altitude/temp restrictions and came unstuck big time.) Nice panel Ben.

 

[BEN S]

I noticed that warning on the handlebars of the first guy in town to buy a Yamaha V-Max. I have adopted it to all my flying things since...

 

[Resasi]

It's a polite sort of 'f*ck-up and you die' reminder.

 

[BEN S]

Love that shot, Ben. Noticed a screw missing from the VSI. Is it accounted for? I have phobias of loose things binding with cables or something. Guam looks beautiful.

Again thank you Brian, this might interest all.....I went to replace the screw you and I both noticed was missing, but there was something in the hole already.
I asked my buddy Evan up at Sportcopter and he said if you look closely, there is a tiny adjustment screw in the hole for the VSI! so don't jam a screw in there!
I had to get a flashlight and glasses, but its in there, so nothing is missing.
hope this helps someone else

 

[MikeBoyette]

Again thank you Brian, this might interest all.....I went to replace the screw you and I both noticed was missing, but there was something in the hole already.
I asked my buddy Evan up at Sportcopter and he said if you look closely, there is a tiny adjustment screw in the hole for the VSI! so don't jam a screw in there!
I had to get a flashlight and glasses, but its in there, so nothing is missing.
hope this helps someone else

Not to mention a conversation piece. Dad and I would do things like this just to mess with people. I can’t think of one particular thing right now. The one I did as a kid without his knowledge was put a an ejection switch on the instrument panel of Blunder Beast. I got it at Spencers. The first flight after he came looking for me. He said it scared the girl that was getting her first ride in any aircraft. I chewed me out then we had a good laugh. It’s still on the dash.

 

[Kevin_Richey]

Was it the Blunder Beast Connie & your dad were married in @ altitude?

 

[MikeBoyette]

Was it the Blunder Beast Connie & your dad were married in @ altitude?

No that was Big Bird. The first centerline thrust machine Dad and I built in 1987. It was a side by side with a 532 swinging a 72” prop. The machine would pull 425lbs of thrust and only weighed 375 lbs itself. Later I took the dual side by side fiberglass seat tank off and converted it to a single place machine. It was a rocket even with my fat butt in it. I will see if I can find pictures.

 

[MikeBoyette]

 

[DavePA11]

Nice there was common interest in flying between Dad and son!

 

[MikeBoyette]

Nice there was common interest in flying between Dad and son!

Always. He took me for my first two flights in the same day when I was 4. Believe it or not I was only 2lbs 9Oz when I was born so the doctors didn’t expect me to live through the night. I was always underweight until I turned ten. My divorced my step mother and got a Cherokee beauty who could cook. Now I’m always told well you for sure made up for it “Big Guy”. Anywho that day when I was four Dad asked me if I wanted to go flying with him. I said yes I do. I think he felt bad because he had no one to watch me so kinda took me along. I sat in his lap and he put the seat belt around both of us. It was his C-85 powered Bensen with homemade fiberglass baldes on it. His first set of blades he ever built. Later we would discover they were the same airfoil as Dragon Wings. He says now he just flew up and down the runway barely above ground affect because he had me in there. I clearly remember going around the patch a few times.

Then he decided to take me for my first airplane flight too. A friend of his came to the airport and we all flew together in Dad’s Aronica 65TAC. Which he bought from the Boy Scouts. They used it as a project to earn some kind of badges. It was held together by baling wire and Duct Tape. He sat in the back seat with me and put the seat belt through my belt loops. He flew us a pretty far distance West of Lantana airport and gave me the stick and told me to fly us home. I turned the plane 180 degrees he said without loosing altitude and flew us right back to the airport. This didn’t surprise him because since I was barely 3 I had been telling me mother how to get home while driving. I knew my right from my left and spoke like an adult. I have always been able to operate any machinery you put me in with minimal instruction.

 

[Brian Jackson]

Again thank you Brian, this might interest all.....I went to replace the screw you and I both noticed was missing, but there was something in the hole already.
I asked my buddy Evan up at Sportcopter and he said if you look closely, there is a tiny adjustment screw in the hole for the VSI! so don't jam a screw in there!
I had to get a flashlight and glasses, but its in there, so nothing is missing.
hope this helps someone else

Nice. Love it when an innocent question has the power to teach. Learned something new today.

 

[BEN S]

Nice. Love it when an innocent question has the power to teach. Learned something new today.

Me as well. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Rowdyflyer1903!]

Got some air in between rain cells!
View attachment 1156795

I would love to see your full instrument panel.