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Dennis.Kirby(at)kirtland.
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 Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 12:42 pm Post subject: Flying into Dust Devils |
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<< This Sunday we all flew to a small airport and while filming some
ultralights on the way back I ran into a clear air dust devil. >>
Will -
Glad to hear you are OK! Clear air dust devils can be lethal to our
lightweight Kolbs.
You all may recall the story I posted last fall about my flying buddy
who's Challenger was destroyed after flying into a clear air dust devil
shortly after takeoff from our home airport. He had very little
available energy to tradeoff for airspeed - he was slow (climbing out),
and was not very high (maybe a couple of hundred feet AGL). The
instantaneous "crosswind" he found himself in had an insufficient
component of airflow coming at the wings from the front, and so he
subsequently lost lift and started dropping.
He pancaked onto the planet in a flat attitude, with almost no forward
speed. He was lucky to come out with only bruises and scrapes.
What makes this weather phenomena so insidious, is that they are
invisible. Of course, we would never intentionally fly into a dust
devil that we could see. But if it hasn't touched down yet, there is no
dust to see in the dust devil.
Will - how high were you? Sounds like you reacted in exactly the RIGHT
way, by instantly lowering the nose.
Dennis Kirby
Mark-3, 912ul, N93DK
Cedar Crest, NM
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Dave Rains
Joined: 24 Apr 2007
Posts: 47
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| Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 3:17 pm Post subject: Re: Flying into Dust Devils |
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Will - how high were you? Sounds like you reacted in exactly the RIGHT
way, by instantly lowering the nose.
Yes he is! Has kept me out of trouble on many occasions. He wears the FireStar ll like an extension of his body!
Dave.
PS, This helicopter stuff has me so confused!
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Dave Rains
N8086T |
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pj.ladd(at)btinternet.com
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| Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 1:34 am Post subject: Flying into Dust Devils |
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PS, This helicopter stuff has me so confused!
Me too. I sat through 5 minutes waiting for it to fall on its side or do
something else exciting, and when the pilot got out and left it running I
rather hoped it would fly away.
Pat
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WillUribe(at)aol.com
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| Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 3:49 am Post subject: Flying into Dust Devils |
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Hi Pat,
Don't you remember the first time you started the engine on your Kolb after all those long hours of building? That in it's self is exciting. Well we were excited to see it run up for the first time. Not quite ready for it to fly, waiting on a new tach and other items.
Regards,
Will Uribe
FireStar II
El Paso, TX
do not archive
--
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JetPilot
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 1246
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 8:53 am Post subject: Re: Flying into Dust Devils |
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When I saw him get out of the helicopter with the engine and rotor RPM high, I thought it was going to be one of those incredible accident videos like you see on TV.
I don't fly helicopters, but it just seems like really bad judgment to just get out and have no one at the controls with the Rotor RPM that high...
Mike
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"NO FEAR" - If you have no fear you did not go as fast as you could have !!!
Kolb MK-III Xtra, 912-S |
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John Hauck
Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 4639
Location: Titus, Alabama (hauck's holler)
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:49 am Post subject: Flying into Dust Devils |
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> I don't fly helicopters, but it just seems like really bad judgment to
just get out and have no one at the controls with the Rotor RPM that high...
Mike B:
I'm a little rusty with rotary wing procedures. I got out of my last one 32
years ago.
However, normal procedure is friction down the cyclic and collective, after
the throttle is rolled off to flight idle and the tip path plane (main
rotor) is leveled, I think, with the terrain. Learned that 40 years ago,
and can't remember what I had for breakfast this morning.
john h
mkIII
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John Hauck
MKIII/912ULS
hauck's holler
Titus, Alabama |
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pj.ladd(at)btinternet.com
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| Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 2:44 am Post subject: Flying into Dust Devils |
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Well we were excited to see it run up for the first time.>>
Hi Will,
Indeed I do. I also remember what I did with it next. I drove it into a barn and had to start all over again. Luckily the 50% rule doesn`t apply to repairs so I was able to throw the job at someone else and let the insurance pay.
Better luck
Pat.
[quote][b]
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Dave Rains
Joined: 24 Apr 2007
Posts: 47
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| Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 4:00 am Post subject: Re: Flying into Dust Devils |
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| John Hauck wrote: | > I don't fly helicopters, but it just seems like really bad judgment to
just get out and have no one at the controls with the Rotor RPM that high...
Mike B:
I'm a little rusty with rotary wing procedures. I got out of my last one 32
years ago.
However, normal procedure is friction down the cyclic and collective, after
the throttle is rolled off to flight idle and the tip path plane (main
rotor) is leveled, I think, with the terrain. Learned that 40 years ago,
and can't remember what I had for breakfast this morning.
john h
mkIII |
The rotor RPM was quite low at this point, the collective down and locked, with my hand on the cyclic. Having said that, the thing scares me too, just so different. We have decided that for our next project we are going to fit a gyrocopter head on a MK III. 
Skeeter
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Dave Rains
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