Microlighters

Let's play a fun game on the forum !

This is not 'sommer so 'n game!' It could be the most entertaining , on going , educational game you have played in a long time.
The rules are simple. You submit a single line of something that has happened to you in your flying experiences from which others can learn . You are not permitted to write more than a sentence to ask your " have you ever..."question and one to clarify the question and it must be a genuine experience which gave you a at one time or another and which you would honestly like to share with other gyro pilots.
Your sentence must start with " Have you ever ...? "
Let's see how far this one can go ...
I will place the first sentence just to get the ball rolling and let's see how far we get.

HAVE YOU EVER... turned off the active runway after landing with your rotors still spinning like hell and the wind blowing 20 kts right on the nose? If the wind suddenly hits the rotors from the side while they are still furiously spinning and you are turning off the runway you may 'dop your gyro om !'

HAVE YOU EVER ... loaded pax and fuel , not bothering to do a weight calculation and discovered after take off that you only just- just cleared the trees at the end of the runway? Some of us do not worry or know what our useful load is and do not always think of doing the math after filling up and tightening the seatbelt on your pax before each flight.

Good one Flynote. Keep them coming.

HAVE YOU EVER... taken off from a runway, and loosing power shortly after take off due to a loose connection on the ignition system, doing everything possible to have a safe emergency landing in a open field with cows as obstacles?

Have you ever done your pre-flight, going over the usual things you check out as a matter of habit but while you are at it you take it for granted that all will be well because it was on your last flight? You check out your machine , touch here and there, feel this or that without really noticing a problem that may have popped up?

Have you ever take off in a trike on a cold winters morning with the wing covered with frost? ............................................................BEEEEG mistake. You take off normal til about 30ft agl and then the one side of the wing stall and drop which cause you to turn away from the runway, when you pull it back the other side stall and you "plunge" back to the ground, I survived it without severe damage, but it was no pleasure!

Have you ever - Finished a late afternoon flight, packed and covered the plane, walked into the bar and the beer is warm... OR you left your wallet in the plane

??

Have you ever - had your wallet slip out of your jacket pocket whilst you're flying and fall out the back of the gyro without you knowing. And upon landing at your destination have a voice-mail message on your phone from the SAPS to say that one of their patrol vans spotted your wallet lying next to the road (you were flying over) and that they'll drop it off at your hangar (still with the cash in it!)

Learjet wrote:Have you ever - had your wallet slip out of your jacket pocket whilst you're flying and fall out the back of the gyro without you knowing. And upon landing at your destination have a voice-mail message on your phone from the SAPS to say that one of their patrol vans spotted your wallet lying next to the road (you were flying over) and that they'll drop it off at your hangar (still with the cash in it!)

You can be glad it was the SAPS that picked up your wallet, otherwise then your credit card would have misused properly by the time you find out!

Have you ever......strapped in and realised the sock is still on the rotor?

HAVE YOU EVER flown your gyro wearing a cap and the wind grabs it when you turn in your seat to point out something to your passanger ? Your headset can get ripped out of the socket and join the cap through the prop!

weedy wrote:Have you ever......strapped in and realised the sock is still on the rotor?

Many, Many times!!!!!!!!!!!

Have you ever - thought that you are about to run out of fuel, then been forced to do the very rough precautionary landing, then to see that there is still 25 litres of fuel in tank ? Well, this is why I designed the Optifuel fuel computer and I won't try to brake my gyro unnecessarily again !

Have you ever...
had to sit in the back seat, been given the GPS to read as a "troosprys" and then lost it overboard because you were also taking pictures. Ours is somewhere between Rhino Park and Middelburg if you find it...

Have you ever...
taken off in a strong cross wind because you had just passed your flight test and was now too embarrassed to radio and ask what the correct runway number was. Yes, I know!!!

Have you ever...

got your pax seated and strapped in

got yourself seated and strapped in

started the engine & warmed up

checked your T's&P's etc

done a radio check

broadcast your taxiing intentions

gently opened the throttle...

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and cursed those darn wheel chocks that you forgot to remove!