www.PSFmagazine.com | October-November 2018 | 31 30 | October-November 2018 | Powered Sport Flying by Paul Hollingworth Gyroplane Adventure Ever since I saw Yosemite for the first time, back before I even lived in the usa, I thought how amazing it must be to fly over it. On commercial flights at 30k+ feet, you can just make it out but I wanted to fly close to and just over it. Once I learned to fly a gyro, that became a possibility, but the height restrictions over the park meant that it would involve climbing up to at least 10k feet. I decided during the winter that once the weather got better (but before the midday heat started causing turbulence), I’d give it a go, and in late March I set out to fly over it. The weather was forecast to be very good on the Sunday. I left home at 9am and was ready to fly at 10am. This turned out to be a good decision as there had been fog earlier and it was just burning off as I pushed my open-cockpit Magni M16 out of the hangar at San Martin Airport (E16), south of San Jose. I put a rucksack on the passenger seat with some lunch supplies in it and fastened it in with a seatbelt. After checking the weather once more I donned six of the eight layers of clothing I was planning to take (yes, really) and set off. It was a beautiful day and I enjoyed the early morning light. I climbed up to 3k feet to clear the mountains to the east of the Bay Area, before descending and crossing the California Central Valley. I passed the gigantic Castle airbase at Merced and flew over the 12,000-foot runway, having gotten clearance from atc to go through the classDelta there, then headed into the foothills to land at Mariposa for a break. It was hazy with a few clouds as I got closer but nothing that got in the way. I could now see the Sierras clearly in the near distance. I landed at Mariposa almost exactly an hour after leaving San Martin–not bad for a gyro flying a 90-mile leg. After a quick refreshment stop, I set off fromMariposa, headed for Yosemite Valley and for the climb to it. Mariposa is at 2,200 feet, and the surrounding hills go up to 4k feet or so. I cleared them and set the gyro into a steady further climb. The only time I’d been to Mariposa before, in July of 2016, I had set out to take a look at Yosemite but turned back fairly quickly, as the air around 6k feet was really bumpy and I was already high above the ground. I don’t know if others feel the same, but for me there’s something more alarming about being in turbulent air when you’re a long way up. Soon I was at 6.5k feet and I could see the valley clearly and make out what I thought must be El Capitan, the gigantic cliff face that is so iconic for climbers. The air was calm and it was cold–I was now wearing all eight layers Adventure Over Yosemite Press Pass Tim O’Connor, a gyroplane cfi and Advanced Ground Instructor in collaboration with the Popular Rotorcraft Association (pra) and faasteam (faa Safety Team), is making available a live online ground school for the Sport Pilot/Gyroplane certificate. Here is a chance for those seeking the certificate to complete the preparation for the faa Knowledge Test online. The course will total 30 hours of live virtual classroom instruction, and students will be assigned homework. This is a 10 week course. (30 hours of live training) 2019 Session includes: • faa Gyroplane-Specific Sport Pilot Knowledge Test Prep • Primer for faa Private Pilot Knowledge Test Prep • Cross-Country Flight Planning for Gyroplanes • faa Oral Exam Test Prep • faa Student Solo Knowledge Exam Prep • faa Knowledge Exam Endorsement • faa Ground School Currency Endorsement (aka Biannual Review) • faa wings Safety Team Credits You’ll need a computer with a good internet connection, and headphones with microphone (no speakers please). Students will receive a bundle of materials after they have registered for the class, including exam supplement diagrams, worksheets and practice links. Students achieving a 90% or higher score on test prep will receive a logbook endorsement to take the knowledge test at an faa-authorized testing center. Students completing the course will also receive faa Safety Team educational credits for the faa wings program. Students who already hold a gyroplane pilot license can use the class for recurrent training or remedial training requirements. Required class materials include: Electronic E6B Flight Computer; Sectional Chart Plotter, must be rotating type; a supply of sectional maps, one must be Cincinnati; one or more faa Airport Directories (Chart Supplements), one must cover Ohio; a bound notebook; a copy of faa far/aim; several packs of index cards; Post-It notes (several packs). Next Session Dates • Thursdays, 7pm–10pm Eastern. January 10 – March 14 • Tuition is $250 for pra members. • Tuition is $300 for non-members. • Enrollment Currently Open • To register, contact gyro.pilot@yahoo.com Online Sport Pilot Gyroplane Ground School 2019
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