The newest Newbie.

[Cowboy]

Back in my grade school years Popular Mechanics had articles on home built planes. I would read and read and dream those articles. One day I was going to learn to fly!

Then I got my first car which meant a job to pay for it and keep it running. School and work left me with Saturday mornings and Sundays for free time until that brunette with long hair and a hitch in her walk caught my eye. One day I’m going to learn to fly.

Graduated from High School and married that brunette! Work plus a monthly house mortgage of $89.03. Old house with a lot of fixing up to do. Gasoline hit $1 a gallon and I’m off work for 8 months. One day I’m going to learn…

Got a job with a small town with small town pay but it was steady. Married 8 years when the daughter was born, three years later a son. Working 50 to 60 hours a week and in my free time worked on the house. A garage, new roof, insulation, new wiring, new plumbing, new windows, siding, boiler and half of the rooms done reflecting the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Jack of all trades, Master of none. One day I’m…

I worked for that Town for 18 years before switching careers and moving. Now for the last 16 years I’ve worked for an Independent Telephone Company as Plant Manager. Daughter and Son have put themselves thru college and living on their own. Yep, still married to that Brunette. I participate in SASS and very active with the local SASS club Cutter’s Raiders which is hosting the State match for 2010.

During a web search, “Gyrocopter” popped up, slow day at work so I started reading. All those Popular Mechanics articles came back to my mind. More web searches, more memories, more reading! Blast it all! I’m going to learn how to fly!

I’ve sent in my applications to join the PRA and EAA. I read the posted links about reading material to help with Recreational Pilot’s licensing and plan on ordering.

Read just about every post in this forum and got a bunch of ideas rolling around in my head.

Here’s the situation:

House is on three heavily wooded acres with an unattached 20’ x 30’ pole building (shop), cement floor, electric, 8’ high over head door with 9’ ceiling.
I don’t have the patience to hand cut, fit and design a scratch built Gyroplane. But I also don’t like the idea of prebuilt gyro. I’d prefer to assemble a well designed kit. Then I’ll know how it went to together, understand how each assembly works, easier to trouble shoot, repair and maintain.

How about a Xeron. $73,000 ouch! Plus I understand it hasn’t been approved for the FAA 51% rule. Scratch the Xeron off my list.

Then a Sparrowhawk III. $45,500 price. Uses a used Subaru 165 hp EJ25 engine. Understand this is an automotive engine and will need to run at more than twice the RPM for what it was designed for. I like the idea of an enclosed cab with heat. I would like to enjoy it year round (Indiana).

OK OK for the price I would consider purchasing a used assembled one.

Will not fit in my shop. Rats. Means hanger rental?!

Dominator single seater. Price is difficult for me to total from the Manufacturer’s web site (web site hasn’t been updated for 3 years?), half the price of the Sparrowhawk? Interested in the Nose Pod & Windshield option. Might just fit in my shop. Seems to be highly rated on this forum. Engine designed for flight.

Would like to fly to local SASS matches so I’ll need a gyro that can store and haul about 100 to 150 pounds of cargo. 1866 rifle, 2 Peacemakers, 200 rounds of 45 Colt, SxS hammered shotgun and a box or two of 12 gage shells plus gun leather.

Here’s what you been waiting for. The start of the questions.

1. Mentone is about a 1 ½ drive for me and I understand they have a CFI. Should I get my Sport Pilots’ license first or build the Gyro first?
2. Solo time. Is that performed in the Instructor’s gyro, do you rent one or provide your own?
3. I understand that until I get the required flying time hauling a passenger is not permit. But I would like to have the option (or use the extra space for SASS cargo). Do you see any major problems with a novice (me) starting out with the Sparrowhawk III?
4. Is the car Subaru EJ25 a foreseeable problem? Belt drive prop and the higher RPM and…?
5. Does it sound like I have my head screwed on right and headed in the correct direction?
6. IF I go with the Sparrowhawk. Goshen airport is a 3 mile drive, Nappanee airport about 10 miles. I don’t understand the License restriction about airports. Are both of these airports “legal” for a Sport License?
7. IF I go the hanger rental route, what questions should I ask the airport?
8. Local farmer has a grass strip for his fixed wing. If I trailer a gyro is it necessary to remove the rotor blades during transport (3 miles)? If yes does it create future problems removing and reinstalling the blades repeatedly?

lane:​

 

[Friendly]

you did not mention the Butterfly, I am a bit surprised. But if you can afford the Sparrow hawk, the 914 Monarch or two place Magni with the load you are wanting to haul would be nice gyros.
Training first would answer many of your questions. You may find that gyros are not what you expected to be. You may find they are more than you could imagine. Also get some stick time in an open frame gyro like Steve McGowan has. That would be my recommendation. Watch You Tube and order some DVDs from Tim Chick. he sells them so low you could get 8 hours of couch flying for the cost of 1 Brad Pitt movie

 

[dragonflyerthom]

Welcome Duncan

You seem to have a good handle on things. Just keep poking around, attend a few fly ins to see if you really are interested, Then maybe get some stick time with a CFI.

 

[Mike484]

Welcome. Looks like you've been doing your research. As far as training or buying first? Mostly depends on what you can afford, if you spend all of your money on a gyro then can't afford training, thats a bad situation. If you take your training first then you will know what you can afford in a machine, also gives you more time to see whats available and then you won't be as disappointed as buying now then finding something later that you like better but have to settle for what you already bought.

 

[PW_Plack]

Matt,

A couple of things. Stop calling it your "shop." It's now officially your hangar. Visualization and all that.

The SparrowHawk is not currently in production, but they are for sale now and then. There's one for sale in the Pacific Northwest right now for about half the price of the new kit, but it's been damaged. If you were prepared to build a new kit, would you consider rebuilding a damaged machine?

Any airport that has drunk from the federal Airport Improvement Grant trough cannot discriminate against a duly N-numbered experimental gyroplane landing and taking off there. They can, however, require you to carry liability insurance as a condition of leasing you a hangar, provided they do the same for all types of aircraft.

Subarus in experimental rotorcraft have a checkered history, but they rarely seem to fail from what you'd think of as RPM-related issues. It's nearly always the Rube Goldberg fuel, cooling, ignition and crankcase-vent stuff. Some of the Australian guys who just pull 'em out of junk cars and fly 'em until the smoke gets too bad put high hours on 'em.

(BTW its "Xenon," not "Xeron.")

Welcome to the forum, and all the best in pursuit of the dream!

 

[Cowboy]

...There's one for sale in the Pacific Northwest right now for about half the price of the new kit, but it's been damaged. If you were prepared to build a new kit, would you consider rebuilding a damaged machine?...

Perhaps. Depends on where and amount of the damage plus the cost of a cross country trip to haul home.

 

[barnstorm2]

Matt,

Looks like you have most of the answers you are looking for already!

Here's my 2 cents..

1. Mentone is about a 1 ½ drive for me and I understand they have a CFI. Should I get my Sport Pilots’ license first or build the Gyro first?

Who know what opportunities life will throw at you in what order?

I would agree that getting some good time in first is a very good idea. Start getting some training hours in.

It would be good to see how maneuverable single-place machines are.

See if some local pilots are getting together for a fly in and check out their craft.



Has Shelbyville happened yet?

2. Solo time. Is that performed in the Instructor’s gyro, do you rent one or provide your own?]

I have never seen a gyro for rent.

I also don't know of any CFI's that allow solo in their craft.

3. I understand that until I get the required flying time hauling a passenger is not permit. But I would like to have the option (or use the extra space for SASS cargo). Do you see any major problems with a novice (me) starting out with the Sparrowhawk III?]

Nope. Just make sure it is what you want. It is a good stable craft. I have flown several.

If passengers are not a big thing, then a single-place with a cargo pod placed in a spot that does not throw off the thrust line might do the trick,

Single place machines are easier to store, chapter to operate, easier to transport on a trailer, easier to remove the blades on and you can likely run one with a 2 stroke aircraft engine $$.

4. Is the car Subaru EJ25 a foreseeable problem? Belt drive prop and the higher RPM and…?

The soobs have an almost religious following but Paul said it best in his answer.

5. Does it sound like I have my head screwed on right and headed in the correct direction?]

Yes, or you would not be asking such good questions.

6. IF I go with the Sparrowhawk. Goshen airport is a 3 mile drive, Nappanee airport about 10 miles. I don’t understand the License restriction about airports. Are both of these airports “legal” for a Sport License?]

Get a sectional and an airport directory from an airport with an FBO (store/gas station) and look up the airports. It will tell you if they are public or private and lots of other things you will need to know.

7. IF I go the hanger rental route, what questions should I ask the airport?]

You might want to see if some fellow pilots might be willing to share space. Gyros can fit in a corner of a hanger and not take up much room.

A single place machine can be kept at home and trailered to the airport, but it is always nice to have a hangar.

8. Local farmer has a grass strip for his fixed wing. If I trailer a gyro is it necessary to remove the rotor blades during transport (3 miles)? If yes does it create future problems removing and reinstalling the blades repeatedly?

lane:​

A topic that has had some discussion, but I have yet to meet a blade manufacturer that has said OK to trailering with them on.

Using care you should be able to reinstall them often with out wear issues.

.