To Be a "GYRONAUT"

[Chaz]

Heya Folks :D

Going through my copy of African Sky's early this morning and found three lovely adverts about about gyro's namely the ELA, MAGNI and soon to be released XENON.

So just after 8/9 i phone Anthony the agent for ELA and enquired about costs To say the least unless you do it cash its unaffordable. Well to me anyway. Even a hefty deposit and finance, the big killer is "INSURANCE" which is about 9% of the value apparently. Equates to about 3 to 4k a month just on insurance

What prompted this, was that i was at the airfield yesterday and the only guys flying around due to windy conditions were the "GYRONAUTS". Anyway will work harder now but i am definitly going to get myself a "GYRO". Never been in one yet although i have had some Helicopter training on a R44. I think a GYRO apppeals to me and if there is any "GYRONAUTER" out there prepared to take me for a flip it would be greatly appreciated.(Will share costs where neccessary). I think there stabilty in turbulance appeals to me.

Your's in Flying
CHAZ (future "GYRONAUTER"

[t-bird]

You are definitely right about the stability in the wind. I was flying Sunday afternoon from Tedderfield where there was a 90 degrees crosswind. The 3-axis guys really struggled to maintain runway direction and also had a few missed approaches.

In the Gyro it was a non event.

I bought my Gyro in a partnership and it works great. A Gyro is ideal for a partnership because you can fly the whole day. In a trike you have 2 hours in the morning and 2 in the afternoon.

Book a flip at 303 Squadron Brakpan with Mirek or Josua. Both excellent pilots and they will show you what a Gyro can do.

[afskies scribe]

What prompted this, was that i was at the airfield yesterday and the only guys flying around due to windy conditions were the "GYRONAUTS". Anyway will work harder now but i am definitly going to get myself a "GYRO". Never been in one yet although i have had some Helicopter training on a R44. I think a GYRO apppeals to me and if there is any "GYRONAUTER" out there prepared to take me for a flip it would be greatly appreciated.(Will share costs where neccessary). I think there stabilty in turbulance appeals to me.

Chaz, suggest you contact CloudBase, Chairman of SAGPA - I've mailed you a PM. :D

[CloudBase]

Just to stop the phone calls - I haven't looked at the forum the last couple of days, but I did PM'd Chaz on the 17th and we had a chat subsequently - thanks for the reminders.

My stock advice is to get your butt in as many different types of gyros as you are interested in and experience it for yourself. It is after all your own money you'll be spending when you make the purchase decision.

It is true that a gyroplane is generally much less susceptible to unstable air, because of the high wing loading of the rotor blades and is therefore more comfortable for the average pilot to fly all day. If you therefore do not enjoy the shakes and rattles of midday cumulus on a low wing loading aircraft, are willing to part with the money and prepared to do the training and master the idiosyncrasies of a different type of aircraft, a gyro is a good option.

If it was me I would trust my butt to an instructor of good repute or to someone that I know well for an introductory flight.

A list of the SAGPA instructors appears on the sagpa.co.za website. Most of the local distributors support SAGPA with advertising on the website, so their contact details are available there as well.

[Chaz]

Heya Folks

This has been an absolute "BLISSFUL" weekend of flying for me, my uncle and a friend of his. Firstly Staurday morning my uncle and his friend are introduced to "MICROLIGHTS" by Fred Blokland. Later the day we all three took aerobatic flips in a "HARVARD" and yesterday went for a flip with Johan in his "GYRO"

My personal "OPINION" is that i am sold on the "GYRO". It was quite a Xwind we lifted in with the "GYRO" and throughout the whole flight including the landing it was negligible in the "GYRO". Granted Johan a brilliant "GYRONAUT" but with me that has a turbulance problem i loved the flight and the capablitys that Johan demonstrated with the "GYRO" were awesome.

So all in all a very fruitful and exciting weekend of flying.

Your's in Flying
CHAZ

[CloudBase]

Glad you enjoyed it. The gusty conditions on Saturday was "perfect" for demonstrating one of the wondeful aspects of gyroplanes - and the main reason I choose to fly a gyro.

[Yoda]

Ek is ook nuut in die Gyro vlieg en ek moet se ek is elke dag verwonderd oor die vermoe van die autogyro. Ek gebruik die gyro in my boerdery en moet baie dae in baie slegte weer vlieg. Die gyro maak dit vir my moontlik om letterlik amper enige tyd en in slegte weersomstandighede te vlieg. Met reg gese, die koste aspek van die gyro is regtig 'n probleem en dit eindig nie by die koop van die gyro nie.
My grootste drama was na die tyd nog met lewensversekering ook. Die enigste firma wat my op die ou end wou verseker was Old Mutual en die bybetalings is ongelooflik. Dan verseker hulle ook eers nadat ek my lisensie ontvang het. Ek was tot by die hoofonderskrywer van die maatskappy en hy het blykbaar self al in 'n gyro gevlieg, maar die statistiek rondom gyros huidiglik is baie negetief en verouderd.... en blykbaar het hulle nog nie uitgevind dat moderne gyros baie veilig is nie.
Ek glo Cloudbase en die manne is hard aan die werk om die negatiewe rondom gyros uit die weg te ruim.
Dit gese wil ek net se dit bly die moeite werd en die gyro is ook elke sent werd. Ek het aanvanklik gedink die gyro is heeltemal oorprys. Ek het intussen my opinie heeltemal verander. Jy kry waarde vir jou geld en die genot wat jy daaruit put is onmeetbaar in geld. Ek is so spyt ek het nie lankal "uitgevind" van die gyro nie.

[UJOHN]

Lyk my dit is aansteeklik!
Het laas Sondag vir cloudbase ontmoet toe ons hulle gehelp het
met brandstof na die Empangeni "flyin". So raai wat?
More is ek oppad na die Guateng plek en gaan hopelik n draai saam met
hom vlieg.

Sien jou moreoggend.