Jim flies a modified Bensen gyroplane. He made several modifications to
improve this proven design. Among them is the four stroke EA-81 Subaru engine.
Using the original two bladed prop, Jim is able to hand prop this little beast.
It came out of a junkyard form a car that had about 30k miles on it and has been
running smoothly ever since. Also notice a small horizontal stabilizer in the
prop wash on the rudder. Among some of the modifications is a modification
of a modification, the pre-rotator. It's half Wunderlich, half Bauderlich. This
wedding of two components works very well.
For more information see the Yankee Rotors'
July 2010 newsletter.
Aviation icon visits San Manuel Airport, proves great mentor for young
aspiring pilot Lucinda Hughes-Juan (Special to the San Manuel Miner)
Britta helps Marion prepare for their flight
On a sunny Arizona spring day a small crowd of people
gathered at the San Manuel Airport. They traveled from as far away as
Colorado and California to attend a two-day event – a Gyrocopter “Fly-in.”
The event was held on April 17 and 18.
Most people are not familiar with a Gyrocopter or Gyroplane. At first sight
it looks like a cross between a go-cart and a mini-helicopter. It is a home
built Rotorcraft with a propeller that allows it to take flight. There is a
growing interest in the specialized area of Rotorcrafts among aviation
enthusiasts. The low cost, built-your-own sport craft, first invented in the
1920s, has definitely taken flight in the market today.
On this extra special day, a “historical” day, the “Gyrocopter Queen,”
81-year old Marion Springer, one of the pioneers in the Rotorcraft industry,
is in attendance. The first female certified flight instructor, she has been
flying Gyrocopters since the late 1960s.
Marion is unique in many ways: she is not only an expert in Gyrocopters, one
of the top women who hold the most hours in a pilot’s seat – she is also
Native American (Choctaw Indian).
Marion waves to a crowd of onlookers at the Gryroplane
fly-in
On that sunny Arizona spring day she flew with fellow
Gyro Pilot, Britta Penca, a San Manuel area resident and licensed Gyroplane
pilot. Springer and Penca are among only 20 women in the world to have
earned this specialized aviation license and they took flight together in a
tandem aircraft, as the crowd watched in awe. The two went up for a
20-minute flight and returned safely.
Marion Springer has become a role model for many women (as women account for
only seven percent of licensed pilots in America). But on that sunny Arizona
spring day, a very special meeting was planned – on that day a young Tohono
O’odham girl, Emma Juan, a 16-year-old who is also interested in becoming a
pilot, came to meet Marion in person. Finding other Native women pilot has
been a challenge. Emma was encouraged as Marion shared a motivating message
with her about her own future in flying.
“She (Marion) has inspired me in many ways, as a strong woman,” said Penca,
who was also inspired and touched by the older woman. “She can really hold
her own in what is traditionally a man’s world of aviation.” Penca, who met
Springer three years ago, said, “She welcomed me [to the Gyro world] with
open arms.”
Marion and Young Emma share a private moment after lunch.
Springer began flying as a young wife and mother in the mid
1960s, after she shared with her husband, the late Alden “Docko” Springer
that she had always wanted to fly. He supported her dreams and arranged
flying lessons for her. She and her husband ran a flight school in these
specialized aircrafts. She admits she fell in love with the Gyroplane after
her husband first built one and soon had to have one of her own.
“It is such a sense of freedom, being up in the air in one,” Marion said
with true passion in her voice. “It’s very different from a fixed wing,
closed in aircraft.”
She returned to flying just four years ago, after a 12 and half year
retirement after the loss of her husband. She said that without her Docko,
it was just too painful. Her return to the Gyro community was met with a
large crowd of supporters and Gyrocopter enthusiasts, as she flew again for
the first time in the 2007, at the Annual Ken Brock, Gyroplane fly-in in El
Mirage.
“It was so amazing to see her return to flight,” said Penca, choking back a
tear. Truly she has become an icon for many in the field.
For anyone who wants to be inspired and amazed, you can read more about
Marion’s life in her autobiography, published in 2004, “Born Free - My Life
in Gyrocopters”, where she shares her life experiences. She is a woman of
many talents; her writing style is uplifting and entertaining.
Adventurer re-starts attempt to be first around the world by gyrocopter
Piloted
by Norman Surplus,the
autogyro will cross 26 countries, flying over 27,000 miles / 43,000
kilometers, crossing deserts, mountains and oceans. Expected to take four
months. Photo right shows Norman at a Buddhist Temple Thailand seeking
divine intervention!
An adventure sportsman will restart his attempt to be the first to fly an
gyrocopter around the globe to achieve a world record. He will depart
Thailand on Sunday (1st August 2010) at 7am (local time). In the first phase
of his endeavour N. Ireland pilot Norman Surplus faced extreme heat and
cold, fuel shortages, exceptional high altitude and traversed forest fires,
desert and wide wide sea. He has already flown 8,000 miles through Europe,
the Middle East and much of Asia and he faces twice that distance through 12
countries in SE Asia, America and the perils North Atlantic autumn. With the
pilot open to the elements, this endeavor combines danger, adventure and a
compelling story about the pilot – entrepreneur and cancer survivor. Norman
will be departing from Thailand today and he will continue to raise
awareness and funding for cancer.
The next phase of the adventure is expected to take
approximately 50 days and it will be crossing SE Asia, North America and the
North Atlantic stopping in Malaysia, the Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, the
Russian Far East, North America, Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands,
Scotland and home to N. Ireland. This will cover a distance of 19,000 miles
approximately. Normans stop in Thailand was complicated and lengthened by
bureaucratic, administrative, procedural and logistical delays all
contributed to turn a 2 week technical aircraft repair into a 3 month wait.
________________ BACKGROUND (of this story
)_________________________________
Gyro Goes Global !
Norman (in route from Ireland) flying over Nongprue, Thailand - Ian Gilks
See Norman from Northern Ireland talking to camera, doing pre-flight checks
and then nearly being attacked by rapid ducks - and you thought flying across
the globe was dangerous ! Please follow Norm's adventure and should he
come your way it would be great to offer him assistance and a warm welcome!
Many gyro pilots transitioned from airplane
pilots. So picture your gyro with wings, two counter-rotating rotors and
infinitely more complex. Picture it so much more complex that it takes three
fly-by-wire computers to enable the pilot and co-pilot to fly it. For
more on the gyro to V22 comparison ,
including more video.
Pelican State Rotorcraft Club Has Fun
This was taken at a PRA Chapter 20 meeting in September
2009. The location: Bastrop, Louisiana, USA. What a nice group of
gyros and their pilots!
Check them out.
Best Gyro (in concept) at the EAA Airventure 2009
Carter
Aviation Technologies released details on its new personal air vehicle (PAV)
during a briefing Sunday night in the EAA Welcome Center. This
second-generation concept aircraft looks like a standard but giant
gyroplane, but it takes off and lands vertically. Four companies have
apparently shown serious interest in manufacturing the aircraft: VX
Aerospace, Dynamic Composites, Eagle Aviation Technologies Inc., and Liberty
Aerospace Inc.
Click on these photos on the left to zoom in.
Steve Madsin Has Finished His Hornet
Hi, I'm Steve Madsen and I have a Hornet gyro completed.
It is pre-rotator and taxi tested. I am looking for an instructor that I
can get some dual time with. This gyro is located in Hartford,
Wisconsin, USA. There is also a recently completed RAF 2000 on the field
with its owner looking for instruction as well.
Any help finding an instructor in my area would be
greatly appreciated. Please
email
stevorotor@yahoo.com
Paul Patterson CFI - SPG
Paul is a Sport Pilot - Gyroplane Certified Flight Instructor
He is a Vietnam-era helicopter pilot and is now enjoying
his RAF, an enjoyment that he loves to share. He will train you in
your gyro or in his RAF2000.
He is located in Edmond, Oklahoma, USA. Feel free to
email him.
John Miller died Monday on June 23, 2008
John Miller is shown in 1938 during the test
flight period with Kellett KD-1 autogiro, the precursor to the helicopter.
Miller died Monday on June 23, 2008 at the age of 102 years.
(Photo courtesy of John Miller)
Robin Moore remembers the last words his grandfather, John Miller, said
to him Sunday night. "I guess my flying days are over," recalled Moore.
If you are a Gyronation member or are part of a newsletter-contributing
group, or an RAF Pilot member, read more in and view videos in the
Chapters area.
Miller's loss would be felt throughout the aviation world.
From ultimate freedom to incarceration
Although this article is not about a gyro flight and although it didn't
turn out the way any pilot would like it to. This is a testimony to
the reality of what can happen giving rides in the USA. Stearman
pilots enjoy making similar flights to what gyro pilots enjoy. In the
USA, as in many countries, there are legal issues not often considered.
This pilot faced an international pattern of criminalizing aviation
accidents.
Read more if your stomach can handle it.
SparrowHawk Operation Looking for Buyer
Want a SparrowHawk?
Buy the whole factory, if you want.
Groen Brothers has
announced it hopes to sell its SparrowHawk kit-built gyroplane program to
a third party buyer, saying the civilian aircraft doesn't fit with its business model.
Learn More.
USA
FAA Proposes 22 Changes to Sport Pilot Rule
In the almost four
years since the sport pilot rule was implemented, the pilot community and
the FAA have gained a lot of practical experience. Now the FAA has used that
experience to develop 22 proposed changes to the rule that would affect
aircraft, pilots, and procedures.
Some of the proposed
changes, which were published April 15, 2008 already are drawing pilot
comment. Among them is the plan to alter altitude limitations—now set at a
maximum of 10,000 feet msl—to include an agl limitation. This would increase
the operating window for pilots who live in mountainous terrain. Another
change to the rule would allow the use of light sport aircraft (LSAs) in
Part 141 flight training programs.
Other changes would
replace proficiency checks currently done by flight instructors with checks
done by pilot examiners, retroactively require sport pilots to receive one
hour of flight training on the control and maneuvering of an airplane solely
by reference to instruments, and replace category and class logbook
endorsements with ratings on the pilot’s certificate, eliminating the need
for pilots to carry their logbooks when they fly.
The FAA is allowing
120 days to file comments, and AOPA is carefully reviewing the proposed
changes and their possible effects on members. You can review the full
notice of proposed rulemaking online.
Shasta Valley Gyroplanes Over Northern
California
The above photos were taken in May, 2008 at my hanger of myself and my
flying partner Hans Peters with our respective gyrocopters. We chased each
other around Shasta Valley, the weather was perfect! Mt. Shasta is in the
background, it's elevation is 14,132 feet . Hope you like the photos. I am
in the yellow shirt. Take Care, Ed Medlin
These two fellows are Mike Johnson on the left (owner) and Jerry Stresser at
our airport in Shasta Valley in Northern California
next to the Oregon border.
There are several gyros on the field, which is a great place to be based out
of. I fly a Sport Copter which is pictured on
another page of this website. Ed Medlin
Auto Gyro Trip from Blackbush to
Popham in RAF 2000 for a Fly-In Event
Based at Blackbushe
airport in Hampshire, England, I fly the RAF2000 as much as the lousy
weather over here allows. Martyn Love
Click here for more photos of his ship.
News 8 TV Article WFAA.com
(Look closely, there is a motorcycle license on that
gyro.)
How much time did you spend stuck in traffic on your way home from work
tonight? There may be a solution. Flying and driving to work as a
combination. A North Texas, USA has patented a flying motorcycle. Bridgeport
Wise County has a whole new way to think of a motorcycle.
From a small aeronautics lab, comes a transportation break through, the
sky cycle. The top half is a gyroplane; the bottom half is a three-wheeled
motorcycle. It's able to leap stacked traffic in a single bound. Larry call
this a fly/drive vehicle. The un-powered rotor creates enough lift for it to
fly. The propeller on the back pushes it through the air.
The rotor folds up and the vehicle becomes a motorcycle. The company is
called Butterfly, LLC.
Photos by Jon Hayden of Clint Martindale's Pitbull
About the Pitbull from Rotorwerks
Minimum Speed 22 mph
Cruise Speed 65 mph
Top Speed 80 mph
Empty Weight 260 lbs.
Useful Load 240 lbs.
Gross Weight 500 lbs
The Aircraft above belongs to Clint Martindale (Old Red), Jon is his
brother-in-law and took the pictures for us. Actually Old Red has Two Pitbull's,
one in pieces and this one in which he had the engine cowling off at the time
the pictures were taken. This Pitbull has been flown only about 1 hour. Clint
was starting to put some improvements on it, including Electric Start, Electric
Pre-rotator and Hydraulic Individual brakes. The cowling was off so he could
mount the brake pedals behind the firewall.
Besides this Pitbull, Clint has a Fisher 404 biplane and another Pitbull
Gyroplane (the one taken apart and not in these pictures). He also works on
other people's aircraft from time to time. Fun stuff!
RAF Closes
Its Doors in Canada & Operation Moved to South Africa
An Aviation icon, Rotary Air Force
Marketing, Inc. (RAF) has withdrawn form the sport gyroplane marketplace. Their
announcement has come as a shock to many of us. The company has produced
over 700 kits during the last 20 years and was viewed as a positive and driving
force in an industry where few survive and fewer still produce enclosed-cabin,
high-performance machines.
Over the years, they have strived to
encourage gyro pilots, a fringe group of aviation aficionados' to be sure, to
work towards safety and operate within the regulations of the aviation
community. They provided training and guidance to the aviation community
around the globe. They tested many engine types and finally settled on the
Subaru engines, with modifications and tweaks, as the power plant of choice.
That engine has become a choice for many homebuilt aircraft in the experimental
category.
RAF Pilots, not associated with RAF
Marketing, has indicated that they will remain online as a support vehicle for all RAF pilot
members. Expect them
to continue providing their internet-based service.
The RAF is available through
Rotary Air Force South Africa - " A 2 place gyro plane". The company has a
distribution network in both South Africa and Canada.
Rua Juan de la Cierva - One of Many Streets in His Honor
Juan de La Cierva is immortalized!
The GPS reading at the location where I am standing is S 22 32.383 and W
049 11.611. Somebody, among the local politicians, is (or was) a fan of
gyros
Roberto Zancaner
and his gyro at his farm in Bauru - SP, Brazil.
Paul Patterson, center in picture, has had a great October. Paul successfully
added sport pilot gyroplane privileges to his private pilot certificate on
October 7th in his RAF-2000 by completing a proficiency check. On October 22nd,
Paul received the first Repairman (LSA) Inspection certificate issued by the FAA
from Inspector Edsel Ford, on right, from the Light Sport Aviation Branch. Paul
completed FUN AIR, LLC’s repairman inspection course for gyroplanes after 16
hours of academic training and practical exercises. Upon receiving his repairman
certificate Paul will now be able to conduct annual condition inspections on his
ELSA RAF-2000. Martin Weaver, left and Kelly Teague, not pictured, are the
instructors for the FAA accepted repairman course. This is the first course
conducted since the advent of the national LSA program.
Almost 800 individuals visit the
Gyro Nation website each month. And they return to the website, on
average, over 5 times each month. That is great!
The numbers below were taken from
our server statistical reports the last night of each month.
An incredible number of pages (around 4,000) are accessed
or clicked to each
month. It really isn't so surprising when you realize that
GYROS RULE! We currently have readers in over 23 countries.
If you are visiting the site and
like it, you are encouraged to let our
webmaster know.
Visit statistics as of the last night of each month at 24:00 CDT
Marion waves to a crowd of onlookers at the Gryroplane
fly-in
Carter
Aviation Technologies released details on its new personal air vehicle (PAV)
during a briefing Sunday night in the EAA Welcome Center. This
second-generation concept aircraft looks like a standard but giant
gyroplane, but it takes off and lands vertically. Four companies have
apparently shown serious interest in manufacturing the aircraft: VX
Aerospace, Dynamic Composites, Eagle Aviation Technologies Inc., and Liberty
Aerospace Inc.
John Miller is shown in 1938 during the test
flight period with Kellett KD-1 autogiro, the precursor to the helicopter.
Miller died Monday on June 23, 2008 at the age of 102 years.
(Photo courtesy of John Miller)
