Low flying over Sanparks

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FLYNOTE
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Low flying over Sanparks

Postby FLYNOTE » Mon Apr 15, 2013 1:00 pm

[b"Good day Elsa,

I do not have Johan Stemmet’s e-mail address and therefore take the liberty of contacting you:

A group of gyrocopters flew over Mapungubwe National Park and Botswana’s Pitsani Game Reserve at low level on the 10th April 2013. Flying at low level over national parks is prohibited. It is suspected that Johan might be involved, as I know he flew the same route some years ago.

Could you please pass this communication on to him?

Kind regards, and God bless,

Martin


From: Martin Engelbrecht
Sent: 15 April 2013 11:54 AM
To: 'Pitsani Game Reserve'
Subject: RE: Gyrocopters

Good day Bruce,

Information received this morning indicates that a group of six gyrocopters is in the process of circumnavigating the whole country in a fund-raising drive to conserve rhinos. They refuelled at Swartwater on the same day as the incident. It is suspected that it might be Johan Stemmet, from TV2’s Noot-vir-Noot fame, as I am aware that they flew the same route some years ago. I will contact him in this regard.

Kind regards,

Martin"
Last edited by FLYNOTE on Mon Apr 15, 2013 3:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Splinter
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Re: Low flying over Sanparks

Postby Splinter » Mon Apr 15, 2013 1:31 pm

Hoogste bome Johan......
Hul sien jou as die gesig van Gyro`s in SA so vat dit as n kompliment, verder as dit wys vir hulle die vinger en laat die manne maar op die rooi tapyt kom loop as hul skuldig is!

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mak
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Re: Low flying over Sanparks

Postby mak » Mon Apr 15, 2013 1:32 pm

Johan, I suspect it is a case that Sanpark's left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. I am sure you are aware that they are on the Gyros for Rhinos fundraising trip sanctioned by Sanparks and would have been told how and where to fly.

You can get their names and route here on the Sanparks website.
http://www.sanparksvolunteers.org/gyrosforrhinos
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FLYNOTE
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Re: Low flying over Sanparks

Postby FLYNOTE » Mon Apr 15, 2013 3:24 pm

I From: Pitsani Game Reserve [mailto:PGR@xlim.co.za]
Sent: 12 April 2013 03:04 PM
To: Martin Engelbrecht
Subject: RE: Gyrocopters

Hi Martin

I saw them fly over one of which did a large loop into Botswana territory. I did not see any registration on the craft so could not identify them.
They came from the Musina direction. Sorry I can’t give you more info.

Bruce

I have deleted my previous post and opinion as I do not wish to get involved in another low flying tiff....Flynote
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FLYNOTE
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Re: Low flying over Sanparks

Postby FLYNOTE » Mon Apr 15, 2013 6:36 pm

Just for the record as I am being questioned about the incident by the authorities and numerous fraternity members...I know nothing, I saw nothing, I did nothing,I am not part of the group, I am not on the trip and have not had anything to do with the planning of the trip. Why shoot me...? :shock: Im only the piano player! :(
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Pieter Smith
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Re: Low flying over Sanparks

Postby Pieter Smith » Mon Apr 15, 2013 9:38 pm

mak wrote:Johan, I suspect it is a case that Sanpark's left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. I am sure you are aware that they are on the Gyros for Rhinos fundraising trip sanctioned by Sanparks and would have been told how and where to fly.

You can get their names and route here on the Sanparks website.
http://www.sanparksvolunteers.org/gyrosforrhinos

Jy sien! Mak weet alles! (^^)
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Re: Low flying over Sanparks

Postby nicow » Tue Apr 16, 2013 7:49 am

Pieter Smith wrote:
mak wrote:Johan, I suspect it is a case that Sanpark's left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. I am sure you are aware that they are on the Gyros for Rhinos fundraising trip sanctioned by Sanparks and would have been told how and where to fly.

You can get their names and route here on the Sanparks website.
http://www.sanparksvolunteers.org/gyrosforrhinos

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($$) ($$) ($$) (^^) :lol: (^^)
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Re: Low flying over Sanparks

Postby FO Gyro » Tue Apr 16, 2013 5:26 pm

One gyro went down yesterday due to an alleged rudder failure near Pofadder: http://m.looklocal.co.za/looklocal/cont ... ot-escapes

Pilot ok.
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Re: Low flying over Sanparks

Postby Gyronaut » Tue Apr 16, 2013 6:38 pm

Next time I fly low over a national park I am going to say it was Flynote. He has the PR machine to take care of it. :lol:
Siestog Johan, nou is dit sommer jou skuld en hulle het jou nie eers saamgenooi nie! Dit was 'n fout.

I don't wish to speculate as I am hoping that the pilot concerned will share his experience, but I doubt rudder control failure need result in it 'spinning around' ?
It will only spin around if there is torque. (or its behind the power curve in an uncontrolled hover) ... Prerotator engaged during flight may possibly do that.

From this picture found elsewhere, the rudder is still in tact after the accident so unless it was jammed at an acute angle, the worst that will happen is a roll which should be correctable with stick. No?
MTOSRudder.jpg
Pity this happened but thankfully nobody was hurt or worse!
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Re: Low flying over Sanparks

Postby THI » Tue Apr 16, 2013 7:08 pm

Len, you how how bad reporting is these days...
:-(

Glad the pilot is ok. Looking forward to his side of the story.
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FLYNOTE
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Re: Low flying over Sanparks

Postby FLYNOTE » Tue Apr 16, 2013 8:50 pm

Oh no!!! This is so sad! We also had a " man down" on our trip back then due to fuel starvation when the fuel filter clogged up due to dirty fuel taken in along the way. It really hurts but the show must go on and the guys will make a plan and carry on. No hard feelings bout the misplaced identity. Im only hurt that the authorities mistook me for Len Klopper. He is the bliksem they must go for if any gyro in SA shows up somewhere unexpectedly. Arrest Len Klopper I say! Confiscate his gyro licence, his drivers license, his dog, gun and wedding license but get the bliksem I say! ...(is this how you spell license?)
:lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: Low flying over Sanparks

Postby nicow » Wed Apr 17, 2013 7:21 am

FO Gyro wrote:One gyro went down yesterday due to an alleged rudder failure near Pofadder: http://m.looklocal.co.za/looklocal/cont ... ot-escapes

Pilot ok.
:shock: :shock: :shock:
Glad they are ok :shock: (^^) .
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Re: Low flying over Sanparks

Postby Gyronaut » Wed Apr 17, 2013 7:35 am

FLYNOTE wrote:...Confiscate his gyro licence, his drivers license, his dog, gun and wedding license but get the bliksem I say! ...(is this how you spell license?)
:lol: :lol: :lol:
:lol: :lol: :lol:
...my wedding licence has been confiscated a few times... :lol:
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Re: Low flying over Sanparks

Postby PieterKotze » Wed Apr 17, 2013 8:18 am

Len,

I know this is probably not the right place for a post like this, but in the interest of continuity and for my own growth (and I am sure lots of other Gyro Pilots), what would be the typical indication and counter measure in the 2 x situations as described above:

1. Loss of a rudder - what will tell me that? Taking into consideration that some of us cant see our rudders :shock: , and what do I do to counter that grave situation and get down to terra firma, hopefully in 1 piece;

2. Pre-rotator engages in flight - Again what are the indications and same for above.

I remember in April 2012 my instructor at Springs took out a student to the GF in an Ela and the prerotator engaged in flight. He described it as such a strong yaw and wanting to roll over that he asked the student just to concentrate on rudder input while he had to use all his strength the handle the stick and get the gyro landed! Scary stuff!

Regards

Pieter

Very glad our fellow Gyro Pilot survived :!: . There is a tread going on Avcom with the normal idiots posting cr*p about the awful gyro accident ratio's in SA. Recall a post by Len some time ago regarding this very matter, maybe you can help the monkeys there right again please!
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Re: Low flying over Sanparks

Postby PieterKotze » Wed Apr 17, 2013 8:21 am

Sorry and just for the record, I believe if anyone knows Martin Engelbrecht, Bruce and Elsa, I suggest they get contacted and post a written apology to Johan!

Pieter
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