Drifter

Today, I had the opportunity to spend a couple of hours at Hanger 57. Waddles, Muz, Brian, and a few of the locals were holding court. There hanging about on the fringe of the conversation was the Ol fella from Darwin.

For those of you who have met Russ before you'll agree he's no oil painting, and its true that here on the forum, hes somewhat prone to sudden outbursts of gunfire, but lo and behold, he's proved today that he's more than capable of holding a reasonable level of conversation.

The new machine of Allan's looks a treat. Tall and proud ship she be, with plenty of grunt. After a couple of hours of watching the Rafftorr lap the aerodrome, it was decided that Russ and I would slip over to Rod's to see his build. Russ swore he knew where we were going, but I decided that I'd better get some local directions.

Russ said we are looking for Diamond St..... turns out it was Platinum St.
Russ said Rod just lives back of here... with a cursive wave of his hand. 90 degrees left of his direction we found Rod. Actually we weren't meant to turn up until after 1pm..... yet we turned up at 12.30...... Rod was a through gentleman, pulled Russ's build out of the shed, answered numerous questions and even showed us a couple of old rotors from years ago.

Leaving Rod's to go back to the hanger, we came face to face with Russ's magic direction finder. Left turn here he says.... Mate we came from down this way I say.... oh yeah he says I was just testing you..... another right turn, back on to Platinum St.... Now I have to turn left, Russ claims this is what he was really talking about. He's a bloody spi9n doctor.

Back at the hanger there's plenty of jibs about getting lost... Alan is changing blades to a shorter but wider chorded prop. After a few changes to the angle of attack we settle on 14.5 degrees. Righto says Waddles, do you want to come for a run.... Okay, but Muz has to get his bird up too. Too windy says Muz....... and this is only a couple of minutes after he told us its barely 5 knots.

Dressed in his best frog catcher suit, Muz preflights and leads off. Seems like every other aviator has the same idea. Muz leads the way, followed by 2 FW'er and Alan is proudly bringing up the rear as tail end Charlie, all back tracking runway 12.... Muz turns to roll out and stops to hand re start his blades (Dragonwings). No. 2 the Tecnam pulls up short and turns 3/4 into wind to do runups. No.3 a tail wheel Cessna hangs the anchors oout some 50 meters short and Allan decides to give a radio call 'Caboolture traffic, G 747 crossing Runway 12... Its a good move as we suddenly go from last to first. Suddenly its clear that we have a mexican standoff. NO one's moving. I expected a burst of taxi rage but the radios full of some helo calling Redcliffe traffic, and there's at least 2 FW's out there looking to use 12 Caboolture as well

We roll on to the tarmac and its pedal to the floor time. This motor of Allan's has got some serious GRUNT. We are airborne and if someone had said NASA is missing a rocket, I know exactly were it is. Somehow Allan has strapped the damn thing to the gyro. This thing is climbing like a runaway elevator on steriods.

Round we go and look back for Muz. He's still parked at the end of the active runway. Halfway downwind we are now N0.3 in the circuit. The enemy is everywhere. One calls to say he's turning final, another is off to our right doing a wide base turn. Got him sighted calls Capt Waddles. The two FW'ers that we'd jumped are now at circuit height behind us. And Murray is doing his best impression of runway landing lights in his green frog catcher suit....

Briefly touching down we leap into the sky, just like the two fixed wingers in front of us. Now we are no. 5 in the circuit. Round we go again, touch down short of Muz. A quick hand signal and its all systems go. Muz gets airborne behind us. All of a sudden he's turned inside of us and is heading downwind. NO problemo as Waddles turns on the music. We are gaining on Murray very easily but he's got another trick up his sleeve. Just as we are level he again turns inside for a quick base and final, tagging on to the coat tail of a FW... round we go for a touch down. But Muz doesn't touch and go. he simly stays low and slow. We touch down, waste off some speed and then reset to launch. We lap him half way down the strip. Round we go for one more lap.

Finally we touch down for a full stop. This gyro of Allan's is very very impressive. There's a log jam at the Hangers. Eventually we roll to a stop at Hanger 57 and its smiles all round. Murray pulls up soon after and after a quick couple of jibs at Russ its pack up time. All gyros are neatly fitted into the hanger, Brian mercifully takes Russ home. Its not quite dark yet but the concept of a warm milk toddy is making Russ drool.

I thank Allan for his airmanship, even Muz gets a mention. Home is a couple of hours away and the setting sun is into my eyes for a while. The day is a huge success, spend quietly amongst some great ambassadors for the sport. Thanks guys for a wonderful experience.

bones

A good write up Ted, and yep they are a couple of great guys, orr and Russ is well not too bad either i guess, but yes now you know why i flew for about 15 hrs to Raglan only to have about 24 hrs with these fellas, i truely appreciate their company, and well they just got to put up with me while im there

Also you will have to come down in a week or so again and fly with me in the newby

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Good gyroplanes are not cheap, cheap gyroplanes are not necessarily good

mceagle

Agreed, good write up Ted (?) Thats what its all about - friendship and camaraderie.

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Tim McClure

Drifter

Bloody love to, but I hear a whisper that its taken quite some time to get the bird to Australia.

Mitch

Hey Ted,

Didn't they know it was a secret. He He He. I thought all along it was you.

Mitch.

Murray Barker

Ted, Glad you enjoyed your day at caboolture, but you were at hanger 59 not 57. 57 is two doors down and is filled with dangerous fixed wing aircraft.
My delay in taking of was due to the neat pieces of white string I put thru the head springs to stop them going thru the prop if one broke. I had made them too short and while doing the "controls free and full movement" test before takeoff , I found I couldnt get full forward. so off with the strings!.
Also the blades on the Hunchback are Gerry Goodwins, not Dragon Wings. Although the DW's would be nice I'm getting too old to be hand starting those. On your last curcuit with Allan I was doing a lesurely 25 knots along the strip at 5 feet and could see the huge shadow of G747 closing in from above, I now know how a pidgeon feels when an eagle is closing in for the kill..

Drifter

As with any great "Author", I had to "bend' some of the facts so that the innocent could not be identified. I most humbly stand corrected.

bones

Umm well not really just a need to sort out all the bugs in the system as the first one is always the hardest, just need to sort of the air frieght companies now

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http://www.zenogyro.com.au
Good gyroplanes are not cheap, cheap gyroplanes are not necessarily good

russ

hello hello.............looks like russy gota write the REAL story........

yea..........i'm back in gods country........pics coming

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State of origin..........go the maroons

I intend living forever...........so far so good.

rotor

Yeah russ, about time.

Better get Lucy onto those photo's seeing as the office girls have gone home ...

rotor

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Good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment