Gyrate Blog

May Be

Sat, 19 May 2012 00:16:00 GMT

Maybe it is the effect of the moon being closer than usual.We have noticed the very low tides around Tauranga recently have left larger than normal areas of flat beach available for that unexpected landing. However, it is not just the water disappearing - so are the visitors to this beautiful part of Godzone. The Summer crowds have returned home, the cruise liners have left port and even the Rena recovery operation is now low key. Maybe its just an illusion Those of you who read the last newsletter will know that things are not always what they seem. For the others, do have a look at the last item on this blog. It is relevant to all flyers and indeed drivers!

However, our regular students are doing well. Heinz Kitzhoeffer is now the proud owner of a Calidus, the second German in New Zealand to
have one!! The Tauranga controllers are getting used to the accent and Heinz is doing well with Kiwi ATC clearances which can sound like a foreign language to all students. Trevor Jeffris is training on the Eagle
as preparation for delivery of his own single seat Dominator fitted with

Subaru engine. This aircraft is being painted in a Blue finish and Trevor is now fully equipped with blue coveralls and helmet to match. Trevor has been extending his two seat training period to fit the delivery date of his aircraft and judging by his current progress he should be more than ready to get going on the Dominator when it arrives.

The Tauranga weather is holding up well despite news of gales and snow from some parts. Today we were flying with sunshine and 17C on the ground, the wind chill requires respect but when dressed correctly it is very comfortable in the open machines.
We did find a rather chilly Stephen Holmes in Raglan recently when
several of us headed that way for Sunday lunch. From Tauranga we took three gyroplanes in formation up into Christchurch controlled airspace for a direct track to Te Kowhai where Stephen's partner was waiting to join me in the Calidus for her first taste of gyro flying. Another wonderful blue-sky day and with transponders squawking, our transit over Hamilton City was both painless and scenic. We joined overhead to fit in with four other aircraft in the Te Kowhai circuit. Upon landing I collected Bridget and soon we were airborne for the short hop to Raglan where Steve was waiting for us, dressed for summer and shivering to prove that it can be chilly on the first day of the Duck Shooting season!
Hub Hall and Susie flew their Eagle in from their own airstrip. The tail showed evidence that this is located on a deer farm!
Raglan was its usual laid back self and as a group of Harley bikers
were enjoying the front deck at the local hotel we took over the rear garden and ordered the last of the famous seafood chowder. With pilots, passengers and local relatives we made a very social party. Maybe this is what fun flying is all about. I had a skype call from Paul Newman this week. No not that one - this Paul Newman - flew with us a couple of years ago when he was visiting from the UK. He went back and qualified for his UK licence and is now coming to live near Christchurch and bring with him his Rotax powered VPM 16 gyroplane of 1990's vintage. As Paul hails from the same part of the UK as myself this may be the opportunity I have been waiting for to bring my own VPM 16 out in a shared container. FINALLY:-

This is frightening! It works exactly like it says, and is one major reason people in cars can look right at you (when you're on a motorcycle or bicycle)---AND NOT SEE YOU. From a former Naval Aviator. This is a great illustration of what we were taught about scanning outside the cockpit when I went through training back in the '50s. We were told to scan the horizon for a short distance, stop momentarily, and repeat the process. I can remember being told why this was the most effective technique to locate other aircraft. It was emphasized (repeatedly) to NOT fix your gaze for more than a couple of seconds on any single object. The instructors, some of whom were WWII veterans with years of experience, instructed us to continually "keep our eyes moving and our head on a swivel" because this was the best way to survive, not only in combat, but from peacetime hazards (like a midair collision) as well. We basically had to take the advice on faith (until we could experience for ourselves) because the technology to demonstrate it didn't exist at that time.Click on the link below for a demonstration ...http://www.msf-usa.org/motion.html

April Showers

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 07:58:00 GMT

This title is normally used in the Northern Hemisphere but it applies well to Tauranga at the moment where the unsettled Summer weather continues to make aviation 'interesting'. The picture shows some incredible wave cloud (the long white cloud) over the inner harbour taken from our deck!
Following the superb day at the Matamata airshow we had great hopes for the one at Whitianga which is located on the East coast of the spectacular Coromandel peninsular. By Calidus it took just 45 minutes from Tauranga early on the Saturday morning but the cloud base reduced throughout the flight and we arrived to a dismal and damp scene.
Organisers positioned catering outlets and aircraft to welcome crowds of spectators but only a hardy few seemed to have turned up. Two Harvards performed a short routine having given up hope of the rest of the team arriving, I followed with the usual five minute routine in the Calidus and then beat a hasty retreat to have brunch at Pauanui Beach followed by a dash home before the rain closed in.

Back to training in Tauranga where I am now hiring back an Eagle, RGG for trial flights and more, this was the first Gyrate training aircraft way back in 2006. I have been doing demonstration flying in the Calidus MZM but now that has been reserved for purchase by a new student from our local area and will shortly only be available to me on a hire-back basis as well. To make sure that we have at least one machine in stock for next year I have ordered another 914 powered Cavalon to arrive in November, it would be nice to have three machines in the container so we are open to offers to fill the space!

Getting another Cavalon would be challenging as the order book is filling up fast but both the Calidus and Eagle have shorter lead times so could be fitted in nicely. If all else fails I may well bring my old Subaru powered VPM back from the UK.

Just a little diversion from flying occurred when Sue and I took advantage of a grab-one offer and headed away for two days in a nice sounding resort that turned out to be in Huntley. Well for those that don't know any one who has heard of Huntly will have just two words to say about it - Power Station! Despite this I can recommend the Hillside Hotel which is
perched some 400ft up on the top of a steep hill overlooking State Highway One and the Waikato river.

Brilliant views through 360 degrees and not a power station in sight. We took a drive West into glorious unspoilt countryside where the Kingfishers abound and farmers live in beautiful houses - a good way from the supermarket! In the middle of nowhere is a caving establishment offering serious exploration under the limestone but also a fine Cafe! We returned via a town that dates back to early
European settlement when British Gun ships steamed up the Waikato to Newcastle forcing the Maori King to vacate to what today is known as 'King Country'. Today, with a name change, Ngaruawahia is more peaceful although the State Highway and the Waikato river dominate the area, the latter proving its domination by flooding the whole area at 20year intervals!
No sooner had we returned than we were into negotiations with Insurance Companies to try to get a policy agreed that would cover third party liability to
attend the Airshow at Ohakea. Thanks to good work by Phil Hooker we were able to secure cover for one machine to perform a display routine for one day, this cost more than most microlights pay for a year's coverage! However now it was game on for the show. David Church in Xenon XEN and myself and Sue in the 100hp Calidus MZM left Tauranga on Friday afternoon to meet up with Hub Hall in his Eagle MTO in Taupo, this went according to plan so the three of us headed South for Ohakea.
I did the radio calls and the transponder identification for the formation and we were positioned to left base
for runway 09. Seeing but not hearing traffic on the runway I queried the situation with Tower and was informed that this was an Australian F18 and that there were two more on finals, continue approach! We landed adjacent to our turn-off point and at a conservative distance, followed behind the jet pipes of one of the worlds most lethal fighting machines. On shut down it is necessary for ground crew to 'wipe clean' these aircraft with a static wand to remove the potential static charge which can amount to thousands of volts.

With smooth efficiency both the aircraft and ourselves were processed and billeted for the night and pointed towards a briefing at 8.30 on Saturday morning. Again smooth clarification of the timetable and frequencies for the day and off to wait our turn. The show went well despite some slippage to the schedule which seemed to be happening just before our slot. This caused me to try to out guess the timing and have the rotors at half speed when the whistle to go finally came through! Oh well no worries just a longer than planned ground roll! The five minute slot was squeezed just a tad to try to help the program catch-up but in general the display was well received and without incident. David Church did a sterling job of commentary and he and Hub both fielded questions from a continuous stream of potential gyronaughts, thanks again Guys that was great. Amongst the crowds we found, or were found by, several gyro pilots including Mike Norton, Gary Belton, Sybe Haakma, Oscar Stilau and Paul
Scherrer. To be invited to this event was a special privilege and my thanks go to Squadron Leader Jim Rankin for his enthusiasm for promoting our small but growing sector of aviation. Many people do not realise that the Royal Air Force had a number of squadrons of Gryroplanes in service at the beginning of WW2 and that this is type of aircraft is now in revival and has become the fastest expanding arm of general aviation.
Hub and I stayed overnight at Ohakia but David flew out to Palmerston North. On Sunday Hub and I chose to fly via Wanganui and Taumanarui for a scenic delight while David returned up the desert road. Another box successfully ticked and another good advertisement for our sport.
We have been asked to add content to an instructors' gathering at Te Kowhai at the end of this month and will endeavour to provide an incentive for experienced microlight instructors to consider a safer and more stable form of flight!
In the unlikely event that you missed the recent news item on personal transport the following link may be of interest! http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SgHSaNtAMjs

Marching On

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 20:23:00 GMT

March finds us pretty busy with flight training and three Airshows scheduled. The first show took place at Matamata on Sunday the 4th and the weather was superb! We positioned two MTO Eagles over the Kaimai hills at 2500ft to join Hub Hall with MOR, for the morning briefing. Phil Hooker was Airshow director and he describes getting pilots to a briefing as herding cats. We had an early slot and three gyros did a similar formation routine as that performed at Tauranga. This is a very relaxed event and I was sorry that we had to leave early to carry out some flight training for Tony Marsden and a Biannual Flight Review for Hub.
Just eight miles South lies a rural airstrip at Henuera which was ideal for a picnic for some and quiet circuits for Tony Marsden and myself. This was my first visit but not my last, the remote location amongst a potato crop and standing maize ensures little complaint as we circle time and again. A change of aircraft and I inflict engine failure practice and the like on Hub Hall which I hope may influence his aviation choices in the months ahead. Having passed this hurdle we return to a loose formation and head for Hub's own field where we find some loose deer at one end of the strip. Land long comes the radio call from Hub, not a problem with the prevailing tailwind!

Time for tea surrounded by trophy heads from years of hunting and fishing not to mention the sheep shearing competitions that laid the foundation for the deer farm. Hub's strip is about 500metres long, almost flat and quite wide. Not bad you might think but with cables and obstructions at one end and some swirly winds it still requires respect! With a fresh breeze from the Southwest, Bruce Watson in RGG followed Tony Marsden and myself in KIW back to Tauranga in about 40 minutes.

After a busy weekend there was no time to relax before Rusty Russell arrived by scheduled flight from Whangarei to take a conversion course onto the MTO Eagle that he had decided to buy.

KIW was serviced and polished up and we got down to some serious and intense aviation. As I had no knowledge of Rusty's flying I decided to try and cover as much of the basic syllabus as possible to best prepare him to manage his own machine without further hands-on support from Tauranga. The weather co-operated and we had some concentrated cross-wind circuits off the tarmac runway beating away mental gremlins! On day three we headed to Matamata for a quiet environment to consolidate the solo work before fueling up and heading North. Rusty dropped me off at North Shore where he felt comfortable in his own local area, he then continued on to Whangarei where a fog bank rolled in to coincide with his arrival. They agreed to allow each other space over the field and so a successful outcome was achieved. I had arranged for Cliff McChesney.
to pick me up in his Pulsar microlight KFC and whisk me back home, what a great way to close the day!

Next Day I received confirmation of an order for a new Cavalon for delivery in November, just in time for next Summer's brilliant weather. Due to the popularity of the Cavalon design AutoGyro Europe are currently scheduling six months ahead for production but steps are in hand to try to improve on this. There is currently some space forming in our hangar at Tauranga but I suspect the next container will soon sort that out.
Wow, Dance the Skies - Gyrate!!

The Annual Pilgrimage

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 07:32:00 GMT

The annual gathering of gyronaughts at Dannevirke took place on Waitangi weekend, a week later than usual to avoid a clash with the Airshow at Tauranga. The flight down provided an ideal opportunity to spread the wings of our most recently qualified 'Advanced Intermediate' pilot. Dieter Dallmeier is currently operating his Calidus from Wairoa, a quiet airfield with a great tarmac runway, on the East Coast of North Island. He has controlled airspace to contend with for flights either North past Gisborne or to the South at Napier. Given that he lives on a remote farm and uses his native German language for day to day conversation, air traffic procedures have been a major challenge despite achieving 100% in his radio Exam.

To make Dieter's journey less stressful I arranged to meet him at Hastings airfield on the Saturday morning and to accompany him on the unknown sector South to Dannevirke. As the weather forecast was pesimistic I positioned over the hills on the Friday evening having met up with Hub Hall at Taupo. Hub and I followed the Taupo to Napier road through hostile terrain with a descending cloudbase and were pleased to cross the final pass down to the coastal plain. Our wives drove over an hour later through mist and rain! What a bonus to find the club bar at Hastings alive with a Friday night buffet and as warm a welcome as you could ask for. Make a note, Hastings for a night stop on Fridays is great.

On Saturday Dieter was with us by 11.00, a perfect landing after dealing with the Napier control zone! So onwards as a threesome to Dannevirke, not a special day with solid cloud around 1500 feet but the journey was uneventful and the fresh wind was both behind us in the cruise and straight down the long 02 runway at NZDV.

On the ground things were quiet but Sybe Haakma had just arrived in his ELA direct from Matamata, a great achievement given the conditions and worthy of the prize for longest flight to the meeting. 'Mich' Michell may have travelled further towing his two-place Dominator; Paul Scherrer had the shortest journey as he keeps his home built 'Kermit' RKK at Dannevirke. The only other arrivals by air were, John Rochfort in his Xenon and Mike Ross in his Magni M24. Turnout this year was very low, interesting to note that of those who flew in all but one had been trained at Gyrate.

On Sunday the AGM of the Rotorcraft association was held and Dieter left us to fly non-stop to Wairoa and back to his farm. Monday dawned with heavy cloud low to the North and encompassing the hills to the East. Sybe, Hub and I headed out for the Manawatu gorge hoping to find a clear passage through the hills and up the high desert road. This turned out to be the case and before long we were descending from a chilly 4500 feet into Taupo where we split up to fly the final legs to our home bases. The annual pilgimage to Dannevirke is both expensive and time consuming and this may be the cause of the poor turnout, maybe a review of the location and the format is necessary to make it more attractive in the future.

In Taupo resides another past student who operates a very smart two-tone Xenon which lives in its own individual hangar created from a 40ft shipping container. This aircraft has been put up for sale and offers a rare opportunity to own a 'pre-loved' enclosed side by side gyroplane for the price of a new Eagle. Fully equipped with noise cancelling headsets, radio, intercom and mode S transponder this machine is almost new but with resent upgrades to both engine and airframe. Interested ?, then do contact Jared Thomas or myself for full details.

Tauranga Airshow 2012

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:52:00 GMT

Gyrate is a stakeholder in this bi-annual event in three different ways. Firstly as a full-time operator on the Airfield paying rent, Airways charges and landing fees. Secondly as a display feature, launching a 'world first' formation of five gyroplanes at a major Airshow. Thirdly I also find myself part of the Rotary club that is responsible for the trade stands and entertainment items that make for a great family day out. The organising team's input covers months of preparation and days of hard slog to sell trade stands, prepare the site and ensure a smooth running event to entertain and enjoy. The spin off is a supply of funds for Rotary to distribute to local charities.
Gyrate was granted a seven minute slot on each day and chose to display a formation of five gyroplanes which required some practice. On the day we managed to start in unison, taxi in a semblance of order and spin our rotors while holding a pattern on the runway. Take-off with a cross-wind caused some wobbles but by the time we reached the crowd-line an arrowhead was developing which we held through a close-in circuit at 200ft. Following the second pass of the crowd the lead three climbed away to circle in line astern at 500 feet while the outer wing men came low past the crowd and into a steep banked 720 degree circle at 100 feet, the break from this was into a steep climb and hover. Number 2 then broke away to leave room for some more extreme manoeuvres by the Calidus before the whole team streamed in to land in the original formation and vacate in sequence. Amazingly we managed to repeat the whole thing on the Sunday and picked up some really positive feedback! Well done guys, think about the seven ship next time!

Having achieved in the air we now had an audience to entertain on the ground and full marks to Brian Murphy and Bruce Watson for talking constantly for hours while people swarmed over the Gyrate stand drooling over the beautiful new Cavalon while discussing the safety features inherent in all modern gyroplanes. German certification of the Cavalon has created a waiting list of several months although total production at AutoGyro now exceeds 8 machines a week. This truly is the fastest expanding sector of aviation and a sign of future development.
We have started to issue a regular newsletter alongside the blog articles and so I would commend you to consider returning to our home page where you can scroll down and register to receive news on a monthly basis. C U There!

New Year's Revolution

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:35:00 GMT

Its that time of year again but not as we know it Jim! New Zealand starts its summer holiday season with Christmas and New Year and it is traditionally all about sun, sand and aviation. Well not this year, a tropical Low Pressure Air Mass created torrential rain and mist more typical of Singapore or the Philippines than God's Zone.

Fortunately normal service resumed once all the fireworks and concerts had been cancelled and now surfing competitions and beach volleyball are full-on again. Back at the hangar we have also been full-on with six Gyrate aircraft making it to North Shore for some social activity and flying with the Aero Club, a great inter-club activity which helped to further spread the understanding of flying windmills.

More pictures at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?
fbid=174868705947773&set=oa.254302881309901&type=1&theater

No sooner had we returned from North Shore than the Cavalon Demonstrator arrived in Tauranga, This is clearly more than 'Eye Candy'. A fine piece of engineering with a solid base similar in construction to the well proven Calidus. A metallic paint finish that would look at home on a quality car encloses comfortable leather upholstery, the panel display is a Garmin Sky View which provides flight and engine instruments combined with GPS mapping and a pilot's eye view of the terrain ahead. I flew this model in Germany in August since when it has been certified and the waiting list is growing longer. The Martian design team have created some graphics to enhance the fine lines of the machine in time for the Tauranga Air Show this coming weekend, do come and take a look.
Talking of signage, we have upgraded the look of some of the displays around the Airport so finding your way to the Gyrate hangar should be easier, do phone first to ensure we are on hand to greet you.
Just to see how things have moved on, or not, do take a look at this 1938 film and see what was achieved then! http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=l8JQZHCM6k0

Happy New Year

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 10:22:00 GMT

The weather is playing with us in New Zealand, the North Island has a tropical air mass with 100% humidity producing precipitation and low visibility throughout the Bay of Plenty. Torrential rain has caused extensive flooding with the worst hit area being Nelson at the top of South Island. The New Year celebration concerts in the Coromandel have more the look of a soggy Glastonbury event in the UK rather than a sizzling summer.
Flying is on hold at Tauranga but due to the hard sealed runway and grass ones based on a sandy soil we will be back to normal operations after the weekend. The new web site is working well and those of you who have subscribed to the News Letter will be getting the first issue for your approval. Maybe a hint to add your details!
A Cavalon left the UK in November and arrives in Tauranga mid January in time to star at the Tauranga Airshow at the end of the month, see you there!

Revamped and Revitalised

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 08:27:00 GMT

By now regular readers will have noticed that the new format for the web site is up and running and I hope that you approve of the changes that have been made. Register for the newsletter and I will endeavour to keep you informed of current news and upcoming events.
Updating a web-site is a time consuming and demanding operation and maybe I should mention our behind the scenes designers,  www.martian.co.nz, who have made this project possible and who also handle all our artwork on adverts, posters, banners, brochures and business cards. Thanks guys, good job, I hope you enjoyed your time on board the Calidus!

Spin off from our appearance at the Flair event mentioned in the last blog was a HD video from the Historic Aviation Film Unit which now appears on the Gyrate home page. Thanks guys this is a wonderful showcase for gyroplane flying in New Zealand. http://www.aviationfilm.com/

We enjoyed the company of a French gyro pilot, who is working in Malaysia, and decided to visit us for a week to tour our beautiful Country by gyroplane while also learning some aerobatics with our friends at Classic Flyers. We had some great weather and I think he ticked all the boxes.

Talking of boxes, that well known gyronaught, Sid Lane, turned up at the office in a very flash red box. A wonderful restoration of a Willis Jeep that he imported from America and prepared to concours condition, note the personal plate and the matching Nike trainers! Sid was camping at Tauranga in a matching red black and yellow low-line caravan which makes the perfect home for this dynamic personality.

Amongst all this, training has continued and I was delighted to send Dieter Dallmeier solo in his Calidus ZK-MDD as a major step towards his flying on the East Coast. Following some consolidation this aircraft will move from Tauranga to be based at Wairoa or Gisborne.

Last weekend we had another major exploit, we were invited to display at Big Boys Toys in Auckland. This is a gathering of cars, bikes, gadgets and gismos that have testosterone appeal. To ensure success in their efforts the organisers added scantily dressed young ladies to the mix not to mention a very appealing Calidus Gyroplane!
From the Gyrate viewpoint we had a logistical challenge to dismantle rotor blades and trailer a Calidus gyro 200 kilometres to Auckland, get on to  a stand that we were sharing with an aircraft from North Shore Aero Club, and man a public exhibition item for up to 11 hours a day. A huge thanks must go to the team of Brian Murphy, Ray Bond, Bruce Watson, Barry Winslade and of course the long suffering Sue Unwin. Well done guys, a great way to promote your passion!

Gyrate Back with Flair

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 04:19:00 GMT

Well, after a break in Europe where I checked out the open day at the German AutoGyro Factory, visited the Arrowcopter assembly line and flew the Spanish Phenix it was a full speed return to service in NZ.
The Malaysian Airways flight came in on time at Auckland, 23.00 hrs Thursday the 6th October, to await a flight to Tauranga, Sue and I checked into the car park where the brand new Novotel now stands. Wow was this touch of civilisation welcome after 26hours on the move from Heathrow. On Saturday the 8th I was being flown to Opotiki by Brian Murphy in his ELA07, a real nice experience now that he has fitted a pilot seat from an Eagle which protects the passenger from the elements very well. Bruce Watson flew me back in his Eagle and it was great to see these two guys established in their own machines again.
On Wednesday the 12th jet lag was fading but the rain was increasing, I sneaked between showers to get 30 minutes of stick time in the brand new Calidus Fern MZM. This was crucial to me as having not flown for over 2 months I needed to refresh myself before heading to Te Kowhai to display the machine on the Thursday. Flair was an event sponsored by NZ Trade and Industry to promote Kiwi aircraft and innovation, they agreed to let me have a stand in return for a demo flight on the basis that we are a unique facility in NZ and do much to promote grass roots aviation. On that Thursday with rain clouds heavy overhead and mud heavy on the gum boots they were very pleased to see the Calidus sneak in through the Waihi gap and across the Waikato plain. Three days and five display slots later I was pleased to make it back to Tauranga dodging through heavy showers in time to watch the rugby WC semi-final. Sorry Wales I was wearing red and my sunburnt head was glowing your colour!!

Three Musketeers Tilting at Windmills

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 04:57:00 GMT

Yes, the well read amongst you will have noted the mixed 'metaphor in the title but all will become clear! In my search for all-things gyro I arranged to meet up with the makers of Europe's only tractor gyroplane. That is one with the engine pulling the aircraft rather than the more familiar pushing variety.The Phenix had been displayed at Aero Friedrichshafen in 2009 but little more was known. I tracked the aircraft down to Alicante in Southern Spain and arranged to meet up with the project director, Carlos Figuero, who had offered to take me flying. Spain was not only home to Don Quixote of windmill tilting fame but also Jaun de la Cierva, designer of the first Autogiro. In Madrid in 1923 the first successful rotary aircraft took to the sky with a tractor configuration. In Alicante in 2011 three Spanish engineers are building on that tradition convinced that this is the way of the future.
These three are not newcomers but a team of survivors who previously took the Futura gyroplane to market.
There is much emotion and sacrifice involved in going there again with a totally new machine. Since its first appearance the Phenix has been developed into the second prototype in which Carlos took me flying. My first impression was of a well finished all carbon fibre body with a Rotax 914 turbo neatly housed up front giving the appearance of a conventional LSA. The detail is interesting, tucked in the tail is a ballistic parachute which in theory will provide a safe descent in the case of catastrophic failure. Its more mundane and vital role is to provide ballast to achieve the desired c of g!

The rotor system and pre-rotator originated in South Africa and has some unique features including a hydraulic system utilising engine oil. Before take-off this quickly achieved 250rpm and despite a temperature of 33c and still air we were airborne in not much more than 100metres. The efficiency of the propeller in clean air may have been the reason but with an empty weight of 320kgs this performance is impressive.Once airborne we cruised around 130kph and I tried a few gentle manoeuvres well aware that this was a prototype with very little time in the air.
Stick shake was present and made the experience less impressive that the German production machines I had recently flown. On the plus side the visibility was good, maybe the best I have experienced in a side by side configuration. The aircraft is heavy on the nose and flair for landing is limited, these are features that we discussed and although there can be some change, mast position and c of g are limiting factors. One must remember that the aircraft is the result of three people who have dedicated much to achieve the prototype that we see today.
This machine is bound for South Africa and layup starts soon on the next airframe which already has a buyer. With each machine an individual, progress of the fleet will be slow but as experience and cash flow allow production can be increased to meet what I believe will be an increasing demand. Convention has a place. Let me finish by saying that the welcome received by myself and 'Big Jon' Erskine was just fabulous, Carlos and his friends did everything possible to make the two day trip worthwhile. With Tapas and cool beer interspersed with gyro activity we felt amongst friends, good ambassadors for the spirit of Cierva.

Some Aviation is Foreign to Me

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 04:22:00 GMT

I drove from the ever expanding Auto-Gyro factory at Hildesheim to Munich, six hours along an Autobahn system undergoing much repair. Traffic speed varied from those flashing past at 2oo kph to standing stationery for what seemed like hours. Fortunately it was Sunday and under European law almost all trucks are off the road at weekends.
Every service area was being used as a parking lot for truckies and dozens of 44 ton monsters were lined up waiting for the off as soon as it was legal to proceed.
Next day it was onward to Austria and the old city of Linz, I was on track to the new assembly building of Arrowcopter to check on progress since I was last there two years ago. The original prototype that I had seen flying has been replaced with a production model made from carbon fibre which provides a very strong double skin.
Somewhat disappointingly this has not produced a light machine and the empty weight is said to be around 320Kgs. The turbo charged 914 is standard! Approval is still awaited from the Austrian aviation authority but flight testing has been conducted and the machines are being exported. The fuel capacity is now approaching 70 litres but with European microlight limits standing at 460 Kgs payload is a major issue. The rotor system has been changed and now comprises 28ft Dragon Wings, very light and very efficient in flight. My visit co-incided with a 35 degree heat wave and I was very pleased to return to the car for air-conditioning.
Back in Munich I met up with a pilot friend who had been working for Saudi Arabian Airlines at the same time as me but our aviation careers diverted in the late 80s. Bruno now has a retirement job as a guide in what must be the premier Museum in Germany and I was to get a personal tour. The exterior is just another large old building dating from 1903. Inside it is state of the art fantastic. A mixture of Disneyland and industry has produced a wealth of technical exhibition that I found enthralling. I will say no more but this is the web site and if you can make plenty of time treat your self to a visit. http://www.deutsches-museum.de/en/exhibitions/
The Aviation section has expanded so much it is now housed 20kms North of the City centre on the edge of a general aviation airfield in a glass palace built for purpose. For a tour of either location in English ask for Bruno!
Onward now west of Munich to find a remote grass Airfield and locate one of Europe’s best kept aviation secrets – Tannkosh! There is a policy of no local publicity and not a sign or poster could be found to guide us. Remote it is but the aviation community descends en mass and wow is it worth finding.
Variable weather forecasts detered few, hundreds of light aircraft and hundreds of cars homed in to a large grass strip now displaying aircraft and accessories showcasing the thriving world of low-weight flying machines.
I was honoured to be presented with the very fist copy of the newly published DVD produced by Andy and Melanie Stutz showing their flying in Australia and their 2010 New Zealand Gyro Safari with us.
I thoroughly recommend the product, particuly to members of the Tony Unwin fan club. I do seem to hog the camera a bit but the NZ scenery is even more attractive! Buy your copy at http://www.weltflug.com/
Like so many of today’s airshows the evening entertainment is as attractive as the flying. Music beer and wine flowed freely but not until we had been privileged to watch a fabulous display of flying with pyrotechnics. Skydivers, gliders and aerobatic machines using the deepening shadows to perform stunning manoeuvres whilst spreading trails of ’fireworks’. Seems strange that European Elf and Safety haven’t spoilt this item yet!

News from Gyrate and Around the World - August 2011

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 04:48:00 GMT

AutoGyro I am typing in Hildeshiem, Germany, home of AutoGyro. Each year the Company holds an open day for staff, family and friends and I am here to fly the new side-by-side Cavalon Cloud. At the present time imports to the USA have to be in kit form due to FAA regulation, much effort continues to change this situation. The standard of finish from the factory is what you have come to expect from top of the range cars and it is in nobody’s interest to detract from that quality by producing kits. Flight Review Regrettably the queue for Cavalon flights was so long on Saturday I had a very limited experience, on Sunday the promise of a detailed flight test disappeared into the blur that was the morning after the night before! Not for me, I had a six hour drive scheduled, but for the staff pilots who took full advantage of the Company’s hospitality bar! My first impression was that this is a superbly made aircraft designed with good ergonomics and attention to detail. The doors which are held in place by quick release hinges, raise themselves on gas struts, the rake of the seat back is easily adjustable as are the rudder pedals so the pilots can relax in whichever position they find most comfortable.

The aircraft is spacious!! There is plenty of headroom for the tall, there is width for the wide and there is space for his and hers weekend bags behind the seats. There is also a large area behind the pilot’s head but clearly anything located there would need to be well restrained. Start up and taxi are straight forward with a smooth quiet ride and a small turning circle. This particular aircraft had a ‘Fly Map LS’ display which clearly showed glass cockpit flight and engine instruments together with moving map position data. The engine and rotor rpm gauges were depicted in easy read analogue (old fashioned) format clearly colour coded for their operating ranges. Take-off involved line-up with the rotors still braked and then, with the brake released and the pr-rotator engaged, the friction clutch drove the rotor to 250rpm in a flash.

The wheel brake is then released, the stick brought fully aft and full power applied. This aircraft had the 100hp Rotax 912s engine and it moved forward smoothly with no significant yaw to the point where the nose lifted and the aircraft left the ground in one movement. This feature is due in part to a redistribution of weight which has made the nose wheel significantly heavier than on previous models. I need more time to make valid comment but my instinct is to be concerned about rough field operation.
Once airborne the comfort is emphasised again with no perceivable cabin or stick vibration, impressive! Auto gyro have introduced a taller rotorhead assembly together with a new hub-bar and modified rotorblades, this combined with the nylon bushes in the mast assembly has removed what gyronaughts have thought of as standard issue airframe resonance. In short the feeling is very like a well made fixed wing LSA aircraft but with the gyro benefits of weather tolerance, incredible manoeuvrability, no stall or spin issues and forced landings to walk away from. How good can it get.

Moving on, next Tuesday I have an appointment in Linz, Austria, with the manufacturers of the Arrowcopter and then West some 400Kms to attend to the invitation below. This comes from friends who flew the NZ Safari in a Gyrate Eagle last year.

Dear Tony Unwin, we would like to invite you and your friends to visit our film premiere of Weltflug.tv 3 in Australia & New Zealand during Europe's biggest Fly-In: Tannkosh, near Tannheim from August 26th-28th. The movie contains spectacular low level flying scenes in crystal clear Full HD resolution. Dramatic tension in the battle with the New Zealand forces of nature in combination with unearthly beautiful scenery make the ca. 60 entertaining minutes a unique document of the first gyrocopter world tour. Get your personal Weltflug.tv 3 in Australia & New Zealand Blu-ray or DVD now! Enjoy the flight and all the best, Melanie and Andreas Stütz Visit us during Europe's biggest Fly-in: August, 26th-28th.

Finally The Gyrate web-site is about to be re-launched in a revamped format, it will continue to have blog content and by the time we are back to normal flight operations, in October, I hope to have a flight review of yet another new machine! Watch this space please.

Straight from Oshkosh 2011

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 04:24:00 GMT

Germany's AutoGyro enters U.S. market Story and photo by MARINO BORIC
AutoGyro’s Cavalon makes its U.S. debut.Just weeks after the unveiling of the AutoGyro’s two-seater at AERO 2011, the Cavalon debuted in the United States at Oshkosh this year. The German company has one of the most complete autogyro portfolios on the market, ranging from the classic open-tandem, two-seat MTOsport to the elegant and fully enclosed tandem Calidus, and now the fully enclosed, side-by-side Cavalon. Autogyro as a category is braving the general economic downturn and not only holding market share but also growing in popularity.AutoGyro was established in 1999 and has already delivered more than 1,000 gyroplanes, manufactured at a rate of 10 per week in Hildesheim, Germany. According to Guido Scheidt and Tim Adelmann, CEO AutoGyro U.S., it is impossible to stall and spin the autogyro, and they report the machines have spectacular takeoff distances (10 to 70 yards) and can land almost like a helicopter. The ability to fly at extremely low speeds, easy ground handling and storage, plus low operational costs make these desirable recreational vehicles.Currently, there is a strong interest worldwide in autogyros, especially from military operations and public safety departments. Since 2006, the U.S. Department of Justice has been operating an aviation technology program to evaluate low-cost aviation assets for law enforcement, and after initial interest in powered parachutes and fixed-wing airplanes, it’s now examining autogyros. The MTOsport has been in field evaluation since 2010.AutoGyro manufactures and delivers ready-to-fly aircraft all over the world, but the U.S. market will be served initially with a kit version. Currently, ASTM standards for light-sport aircraft do not allow for ready-to-fly autogyros, but discussions between FAA and the LSA standards committee are ongoing.

Bruce is Back and Calidus goes Farming

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 04:16:00 GMT

How good it felt for me to see my first training aircraft back in the air after many months, for the owner, well the grin say’s it all! ZK-RGG suffered a slow speed roll-over after landing some months ago and has taken what seems like an age to get back in the air. SoloWings released the aircraft and I did a little test flying to iron out any handling issues, with the usual minor snags sorted Bruce was back in the front seat and coming to grips with aviation after his forced lay-off. Despite a typical Tauranga cross-wind all went well and for RGG it is back to normal operation.

Brian Murphy has now qualified as an advanced local pilot and his ELA 07 is making its way to all the airfields within a 50 miles radius, watch out New Zealand he will be going National very shortly! I have moved down to Wairoa for 10 days, this is a small town on the East Coast with tidy airfield boasting a tarmac runway and very little traffic. There is a regular air-taxi flight bringing staff from Hastings to man the town hospital and an Air Ambulance comes in when patients need to travel away for treatment.

My sojourn in this quite backwater is aimed at training a local farmer who has recently purchased a Calidus with a Rotax 914 turbo. The long term plan is for him to operate it from his own land, 14k from a sealed road, way down on the Mahia peninsular. Dieter had travelled five hours each way to Tauranga for many months taking sporadic lessons on the Eagle but to reach a satisfactory standard on his new machine he clearly required more intense training. I positioned his aircraft last week and enjoyed one of those clear but cool winter days where the sky is clear blue and the air was so still that ground mist still hung around the valleys at 10.00am.

I had set a gps course that lead me through the wild ’Tiger Country’ East of Galatea and West of Lake Waikaremoana . There is a long, deep river course that runs through the bush and I was hopeful that it would provide a route through when the hill tops were shrouded in cloud. No better day to check it out than when its calm and sunny. At 500ft agl the hills towered up on either side and the river twisted through the deep gourge around outcrops that demanded concentrated navigation and tight flying. Wow was I surprised when out of nowhere appeared a large white helicopter darting underneath me to check the registration! A police spotter I believe but not hunting gyros!

Wairoa sits on the East Coast halfway between Napier and Gisborne, and the town straddles a river just inland from the estuary. I was interested to note that the Queen had opened the new town bridge in 1990, the previous one had been destroyed by some particularly wild weather! Training here works well with little local traffic but controlled airspace only 30 minutes away for formal radio procedures. The Mahia peninsular is rugged with little space for aircraft operations but it is photogenic and Calidus can be seen cruising at 4500rpm and 100mph.

Mid Winter – 18c and Sunny in the Bay

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 06:06:00 GMT

What a great year this has been for flying, I know there is no snow for the skiers but it was their turn last year. Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty has been an oasis for aviators with any weather or cloud backed up West of the Kaimai hills leaving the coastal area clear.

In recent days I was able to sign-off Brian Murphy for his advanced local rating now that his well fettled ELA 7 is carrying him reliably around the local airfields. Brian is honing his map reading skills before investing in the comfort of a GPS. It has been a bit of a haul to reach this point with initial training on a MT03 Eagle followed by early solo on a two-place dominator before obtaining the ELA. A word of caution to those who might leave an aircraft standing, this machine had been parked up for some 4 or 5 years prior to its arrival in NZ and although it started perfectly we have had some issues. In particular it came to light that the coolant had crystallised in the pipes limiting the flow around the engine and causing mild overheating in one cylinder-head.

I was very pleased to be back in the air with ZK-RGG which is the MT03 with which Gyrate started training. It now boasts the latest ‘sport’ frame and bodyshell over its original working parts. Final rotor adjustment and some electrical work is in hand and Bruce Watson should be up and away again this week.

ZK-ZMM has been re-registered as ZK-MDD and I will be taking this 914 turbo powered Calidus over to Wairoa in the Hawkes Bay on Sunday. It has been bought by Deiter Dallmeier and I will train him and a potential instructor on the machine from Wairoa for the following ten days.