Anyone still flying gyrocopters?

I flew helos in the Marines, and in the '60s put together a Benson kit.
It logged about 220 hours with zero problems, including a highly idiotic
trip from the CA coast to Catalina. In 1972, however, my wife-to-be
insisted it go before the wedding bells.

Are any of these still around?

Henry



************************************************** ******
************************************************** ******
It's much more than fireworks, barbecues, and beaches. It's a
celebration of the birth of the greatest nation on earth, and like
Independence Days around the world, ours was achieved by those willing
to fight for the ideals in which they had faith. Consider the
poet-lawyer Francis Scott Key in 1813 Baltimore, watching the British
fleet shelling the last barrier to invasion, Fort McHenry. He wrote:

Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Study those words carefully.
Do you understand? This holiday was brought to you by your military.

There's a crazy old guy here at FFC who still flies one...


wrote in message
...
I flew helos in the Marines, and in the '60s put together a Benson kit.
It logged about 220 hours with zero problems, including a highly idiotic
trip from the CA coast to Catalina. In 1972, however, my wife-to-be
insisted it go before the wedding bells.

Are any of these still around?

Henry



************************************************** ******
************************************************** ******
It's much more than fireworks, barbecues, and beaches. It's a
celebration of the birth of the greatest nation on earth, and like
Independence Days around the world, ours was achieved by those willing
to fight for the ideals in which they had faith. Consider the
poet-lawyer Francis Scott Key in 1813 Baltimore, watching the British
fleet shelling the last barrier to invasion, Fort McHenry. He wrote:

Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Study those words carefully.
Do you understand? This holiday was brought to you by your military.

Must be a good design if he's an old guy. Do you know which
manufacterer / model it is?

Bob Martin wrote:

There's a crazy old guy here at FFC who still flies one...

wrote in message
...
I flew helos in the Marines, and in the '60s put together a Benson kit.
It logged about 220 hours with zero problems, including a highly idiotic
trip from the CA coast to Catalina. In 1972, however, my wife-to-be
insisted it go before the wedding bells.

Are any of these still around?

Henry



************************************************** ******
************************************************** ******
It's much more than fireworks, barbecues, and beaches. It's a
celebration of the birth of the greatest nation on earth, and like
Independence Days around the world, ours was achieved by those willing
to fight for the ideals in which they had faith. Consider the
poet-lawyer Francis Scott Key in 1813 Baltimore, watching the British
fleet shelling the last barrier to invasion, Fort McHenry. He wrote:

Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Study those words carefully.
Do you understand? This holiday was brought to you by your military.

Well, I don't think that the gyro is that old. A year ago he was doing taxi
tests up and down the taxiway between hangar rows without rotor blades. I
want to say that he's about 55-60, but I could be wrong. As my dad said the
other day, that gyro of his is "like a mosquito... all it's good for is
making noise." And whenever he does fly it, it's only for a few circuits
around the pattern.


"Wooduuuward" wrote in message
...
Must be a good design if he's an old guy. Do you know which
manufacterer / model it is?

Ya, I've heard parts of America and Canada were behind the times. Other
parts of the world have been using them for decades. Although I hear
Florida has one or two also. I found this page that may interest you:
http://popularmechanics.com/science/...ft/print.phtml
or this one:
http://www.baliciel.com/ulm/boispierre/boispierre1.htm

Bob Martin wrote:

Well, I don't think that the gyro is that old. A year ago he was doing taxi
tests up and down the taxiway between hangar rows without rotor blades. I
want to say that he's about 55-60, but I could be wrong. As my dad said the
other day, that gyro of his is "like a mosquito... all it's good for is
making noise." And whenever he does fly it, it's only for a few circuits
around the pattern.

"Wooduuuward" wrote in message
...
Must be a good design if he's an old guy. Do you know which
manufacterer / model it is?

Let me correct a few errors in your post.

The gyro was made in 2001. It is a Dominator basic powered by a 503,
a good design. True centerline thrust,.. which makes it a lot safer
and faster than the older configurations.

He is 56,.. at least you got that right. Retired USAF fighter guy.
Works for Delta now. A&P, CFI/II/MEI, Aero degrees, etc.

Your Dad is wrong, too. Gyros are good for all kinds of things,..
like sport flying and such. And yes it does make noise, but less than
most of the other aircraft at that field. The Christen Eagle that
shares the hangar with that gyro is quite a bit noisier. How did you
and your Dad develop such a snotty attitude about gyros?

Yes, he does fly lots of circuits flown around the pattern. Currently
he is doing a research on various combinations of props, numbers of
blades, pitches, rotorblade lengths, and such. No sense in flying to
Macon just to see if the rpm changed with that last pitch change.

Often he does fly to airports in the area. I guess you wouldn't
notice that, though, since you can't see it when it is not there, eh?
The gyro also attends a few fly-ins each year. Bensen Days in
Wauchula, Rotors over Carolina in Aiken, and the PRA convention in
Mentone,... plus the occasional pancake breakfast and such.







"Bob Martin" wrote in message ...
Well, I don't think that the gyro is that old. A year ago he was doing taxi
tests up and down the taxiway between hangar rows without rotor blades. I
want to say that he's about 55-60, but I could be wrong. As my dad said the
other day, that gyro of his is "like a mosquito... all it's good for is
making noise." And whenever he does fly it, it's only for a few circuits
around the pattern.


"Wooduuuward" wrote in message
...
Must be a good design if he's an old guy. Do you know which
manufacterer / model it is?

"Bob Martin" wrote in message
...
Well, I don't think that the gyro is that old. A year ago he was
doing taxi
tests up and down the taxiway between hangar rows without rotor
blades. I
want to say that he's about 55-60, but I could be wrong. As my dad
said the
other day, that gyro of his is "like a mosquito... all it's good
for is
making noise." And whenever he does fly it, it's only for a few
circuits
around the pattern.


I'm a bit bothered about this, Old guy, at 54 I don't feel like and
'old guy', do I become an 'old guy' on my next birthday?
--

..
--
Cheers,
Jonathan Lowe
modelflyer at antispam dot net

Antispam trap in place



"Wooduuuward" wrote in message
...
Must be a good design if he's an old guy. Do you know which
manufacterer / model it is?

Yep, nothing you can do about it. Used to be
old guys were in their late sixties. But now they're
getting younger. what?

Model Flyer wrote:

"Bob Martin" wrote in message
...
Well, I don't think that the gyro is that old. A year ago he was
doing taxi
tests up and down the taxiway between hangar rows without rotor
blades. I
want to say that he's about 55-60, but I could be wrong. As my dad
said the
other day, that gyro of his is "like a mosquito... all it's good
for is
making noise." And whenever he does fly it, it's only for a few
circuits
around the pattern.


I'm a bit bothered about this, Old guy, at 54 I don't feel like and
'old guy', do I become an 'old guy' on my next birthday?
--

.
--
Cheers,
Jonathan Lowe
modelflyer at antispam dot net

Antispam trap in place


"Wooduuuward" wrote in message
...
Must be a good design if he's an old guy. Do you know which
manufacterer / model it is?

"
I'm a bit bothered about this, Old guy, at 54 I don't feel like and
'old guy', do I become an 'old guy' on my next birthday?

The saying goes, that the impression of old is anyone 15 years older than
yourself.

Think about it. It holds true, pretty well. The poster has just told
everyone else about his "inexperience", hasn't he? g

Then there is BOb, who even admits that he is old! g
--
Jim in NC

better be an old guy than a young ****,,,,,,,,,lollllllllllll
"Model Flyer" a écrit dans le message news:
...

"Bob Martin" wrote in message
...
Well, I don't think that the gyro is that old. A year ago he was
doing taxi
tests up and down the taxiway between hangar rows without rotor
blades. I
want to say that he's about 55-60, but I could be wrong. As my dad
said the
other day, that gyro of his is "like a mosquito... all it's good
for is
making noise." And whenever he does fly it, it's only for a few
circuits
around the pattern.


I'm a bit bothered about this, Old guy, at 54 I don't feel like and
'old guy', do I become an 'old guy' on my next birthday?
--

.
--
Cheers,
Jonathan Lowe
modelflyer at antispam dot net

Antispam trap in place



"Wooduuuward" wrote in message
...
Must be a good design if he's an old guy. Do you know which
manufacterer / model it is?