Calling all pilots....
- Thread starter irvingj
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irvingj
Elite Member
Excellent point, V1. I was thinking I could get an LSA ticket at a nearby grass strip where there are a number of ultralights and instructors. Guess I'm going to drop back & regroup....
Ray, Kyle just likes floats, I guess. Here's a shot he sent me while on vacation in the Maldives; guess he just couldn't leave those floatplanes alone! (He really knows how to make me drool....:laughing
Ray, Kyle just likes floats, I guess. Here's a shot he sent me while on vacation in the Maldives; guess he just couldn't leave those floatplanes alone! (He really knows how to make me drool....:laughing
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KYDan
Platinum Member
Excellent point, V1. I was thinking I could get an LSA ticket at a nearby grass strip where there are a number of ultralights and instructors. Guess I'm going to drop back & regroup....
Ray, Kyle just likes floats, I guess. Here's a shot he sent me while on vacation in the Maldives; guess he just couldn't leave those floatplanes alone! (He really knows how to make me drool....:laughing
There is nothing like landing on the water! Until the economy tanked I was planning on building a Sea Rey, but that's life. I could put my little Zenith 701 on floats, but then I would not be able to use it on my short strip effectively. There are a lot of great LSA planes available at very reasonable prices. I am a light plane aficianado, but I will never turn down the opportunity to fly some heavy iron if it is offered. Like many pilots I cut my aviation teeth flying in a 172F many years ago and it was great and may be the best general aviation plane ever built. That said, I was thrilled when I soloed and got my ticket, but the first time a sexy little Swift showed up my love affair with the Cessna departed as quickly as the Swift! Reminded me of driving the family wagon when I was 16, it was great until one of my buddies showed up in a 'vette! Flying is all about whatever yanks your chain. If you cruise once and awhile a 172 is OK, and it is a good solid airplane. But, at my age I enjoy the journey a whole lot more than most of my destinations. And, flying with the Rotax 912S powerplant I burn less than 5 GPH and cruise about 90 this time of year and can get into and out of a 300' strip or patch of ground. Lot's of fun, I also like to fly flexwings, and just about anything else. Check out the Aerotrek if you want a nifty little cruiser. My father-in-law and I delivered one to a customer in Kingman, Arizona from Bloomfield, Indiana. Great little airplane based on the Avid flyer. We averaged 100 nmph cruise and burned about 4.2 gph. Fun to fly and it has quick fold wings. New ones go for about 75 to 80K ready to fly with a LSA ticket. I have flown a lot of planes over the years and have never found one that I did not like something about it. Some are much harder to fly than others, but they are all fun. I like UL's as well. Life is an adventure. I do not enjoy the build process as for me it is too long and tedious, but it is a great way to really know about aircraft and the least expensive way to get a new plane! Plus you get to say, I built it!"
tungularafishcamp
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Any of you fly boys have any experience with gyrocopters?? Was thinking that might be better than a ultralight for our conditions here in Kodiak.
KYDan
Platinum Member
No, one of my buddies built one and I never got to fly in it with him. He lost the engine (Subaru) and was auto-rotating to land and didn't see some power lines until it was too late. My first ride in a helicopter was on the end of a rope beneath a Cobra in 1971. Sort of soured me on whirlybirds.
scoutcub
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Yea, I would say that's a good reason not to like em.
I flew Cobra's for 4 years (in the 80's) and it's still my favorite machine to fly. Been flying helo's since 85.....and unfortunately will never be able to afford my own chopper. Don't even have 1 hour of starch wing time.....
:laughing:beppington
Elite Member
I would love to do it all over again, and fly heli's on the government payroll.
Would not even mind the being shot at part, ..maybe.
That's probably easier to say while you're not being shot at :shocked:
:laughing:
tungularafishcamp
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gyrocopters arent helicopters, they cant hover or vertical take off n land they have to have forward air speed. Some of the better units have a powered main rotor for shorter take offs then it is your airspeed through the rotor that keeps you aloft. More like an ultra light except they can supposedly take more wind.
KYDan
Platinum Member
Some of the newer and more refined gyros can sort of do a bouncing takeoff that is just short of vertical. The Rotax 914 is a great engine for them. I don't have anything against anything that flies and have taken many heli rides since the service. We are planning on a cruise vacation to Alaska next summer and I hope to get some right seat time on a Beaver with floats. Also plan the heli ride to a glacier. We are then heading up via the RR to Denali then on to Fairbanks. I am anxious to see what has changed at Eilson since 1973, the last time I was there.