Gyroplane Training 
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Web by: Rebel Systems Training Days April 7 - 22 2001 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 May 26 - June 2 2001 April 1 - 11 2002 |
Day 26 We had arranged to be at the airport for 0900, so I was somewhat dismayed when I arrived and found Roger already there with Chris the trainee-trainee instructor and the Benson out of the hanger. It was 0900 wasn't it? Well, I was right, but Roger decided on a quick start. Right, booted and spurred, Roger with two radios: One radio for ATC and the other to talk to me, I set out along the taxiways, cleared to hold Delta, and then onto the main runway. This was the first time for 10 months so the brief was no heroics and build up into it slowly: Fine by me! Up, Down, Up, Down... A little more power, front wheel light, then bang onto the tail wheel. A few more of those and a little more power and the balances were coming back. Those that know these little craft will know that the Rotax torque requires a significant amount of left rudder to offset. Trouble is on the ground that is quite a hard turn left, so each time the nose lifted the left rudder had to be applied sharpish, and on hitting the nose wheel on the ground the aircraft would pull hard left. Very off-putting, but got to grips with it in the end. Nice balance, and look at the amount of left rudder to counter the engine torque.
Thanks to Geoff Dovaston for manning my camera. He took many superb shots of me wheel balancing, but I'm not going to bore you with them: Honest!!!. Oh, and here is a picture of said Geoff, about to go off in the VPM. I don't care how many times he tells me, that helmet IS TOO SMALL!!!
A few helis also flew in:
The next one is an S76, owned by the new owner of Carlisle airport. The heli is worth 5 times what the airport is!!! Here he is practicing circuits for 3 hours. What a way to learn!
And of course not forgetting pictures of the Cricket MKIV, aka AV-18. Nice, clean, simple lines...
Simple panel, composite seat, BGL keel mount control column
Offset, BGL Gimbal Head
The air was beginning to kick, so we gave it a rest until late afternoon, hoping for calmer air. It seemed to calm down so off we went. Unfortunately the wind direction put us down the disused runway which was a little bumpy. A few runs, good wheel balances, and starting to skip the mains. The wind was gusting a little, and 15 knots, so we called it. Taxiing back from each run, downhill, with a good wind behind was proving difficult to keep the speed down on the Benson. Well, not a bad first day. 1 hour this morning, and back into the groove, and 20 minutes in the afternoon and back to main wheel skipping. Hopefully tomorrow, with an improved forecast we should see low hops and back to where I was 10 months ago, then onwards and upwards...
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