ASRA at air shows????

[RickE]

Just wondering what the members think about ASRA attending air shows around the country. Our membership numbers have been pretty stagnant for a few years now and I was thinking that with the help of our members around the country we could start attending air shows putting our machines on display, talking to the public and promoting the sport.
The general public need to see and appreciate the work involved in building a gyro, or alternatively what is available off the shelf if your prepared to pay for it.
In a perfect world I would like to see the full range of gyros at all air shows from basic home builts right through to the top of the range factory built machines.
I would be interested in knowing what you all think?

[RossM]

To save me searching Rick. post a ASRA flyer.
What do they say? I know there are some, as they are at Wondai.

What is a newbie going to ask you at a flying.
Should not just say, go look at the web site (or forum)
Need inf on where instructors are, how to go about a TIF. Cost of learning.
What gyros are for. I know you will disagree, but not a touring or long distance flying machine.
That need to be licensed, how much that will cost a year. Cost of flying compared to ultra light or GA.

What I am getting at is, need some brochures to give out at air shows.
The local fling group here at Biloela recently had their bi-annual air show. I was working that weekend, so could not take my Gyro. Would have otherwise.

Regards, Ross

[RickE]

G'day Ross,
Part of what we intend doing is to get some promotional material together, as you say brochures etc. What we really need though is people that are interested in supporting ASRA at air shows in their general area. ASRA will provide promotional flags and brochures coordinated by one of our committee members in your area.
Without support from members it will not work!
There was a dozen or so gyros at a recent Airshow at Narromine and were the most popular exhibit.
And your right, I disagree that gyros are no good for touring, Two trips from Sydney to the Kimberley and back was without a doubt a couple of the most amazing trips I have ever done.
Cheers. Rick

[Russell]

Rick Ol son......yip, plenty of room for 2 toothbrushes, 2,spare jocks, 1 camera , 1 missis, water bottle, charts....forgot..credit card, ph, thongs....that's it, packed to the roof 😉😉

seriously tho....my main grype with the gyro....regular fuel points enroute, most gyros cruise 60ish, endurance 4 hrs max, that's a piddly 240miles, and you better be at a fuel point by then. Doable...for sure, but can be a real pain. Having the ability to drop into roadhouses etc etc ( cough, cough......on the road out front ) 😳 Sure helps tho. But we don't do that coz Its "illegal" .......yea right.😇. Christ...bashing away here on the iPad , I'm missing a gyro, big time...again.

[mad max]

We have an un-official fly in once a year here at a WW2 strip. Last year a chopper pilot approached me and said "I didn't realise how quick a gyro could turn" as I did a couple of zero airspeed rudder turns. This year an old bloke with a beard walked up and asked - "what brand of gyro and did you build from a kit"? I said "No kit, I just hung a subaru engine in my veranda and each day bolted some alloy to it. Planned as I went from my head". He walked off shaking his head. Most gyronuts do their little bit of publicity in their own corner of AU.

[Russell]

I'll get nailed to the stake for this........
yrs ago, home builds were all you could get, and it was accepted for gyros to be a tad "agricultural", not that pretty etc etc.
But now......we see Micky mouse factory build machines, absolute gems. This......is now more "norm" .....lookers love them. Place a homebuild alongside them, and watch the looks. Yes homebuilds can fly ok, but public now look at a factory job, looks great, so must be safe etc. So what I'm saying, too often home builds degrade the profile of gyros. Gyros have always battled low regard by the general public, unfairly mostly, but this new generation of machines has the goods to change all that. ( so.....keep the home builds away from shows. )....

Now the fight begins....

[mad max]

Dissagree. The average 'digger' loves to see ingenuity. It's the heart of being Ausie (and Kiwi) Some even look beautiful also. The European rich boy (and girls) toys are very sexy. Relatively easy to fly, but if you ding one it breaks the bank. If you make it to your destination in a home built you achieve a lot more satisfaction because you made it with your bare hands. I displayed one of my old Higgans / Benson machines at the TC show once. Even flew it in. The NT chief minister wouldn't stay away from it. (Marshall Peron) It was the rugged factor he loved. Even loved my elect. operated 'bomb doors'. There should be two catorgories. Soft coc and hard coc machines! Like a Harley verses a honda!

[RickE]

I'll get nailed to the stake for this........
yrs ago, home builds were all you could get, and it was accepted for gyros to be a tad "agricultural", not that pretty etc etc.
But now......we see Micky mouse factory build machines, absolute gems. This......is now more "norm" .....lookers love them. Place a homebuild alongside them, and watch the looks. Yes homebuilds can fly ok, but public now look at a factory job, looks great, so must be safe etc. So what I'm saying, too often home builds degrade the profile of gyros. Gyros have always battled low regard by the general public, unfairly mostly, but this new generation of machines has the goods to change all that. ( so.....keep the home builds away from shows. )....

Now the fight begins....

Personally I think it is a good idea to have home builts on display as it shows the full range of what is available. One of the big problems we have with the new generation machines is that there is no cheap entry level options, with even second hand gyros selling for 50 -60K.
I have found that there a lot of people that get as much satisfaction out of building machines as flying them.
As Max says some people also appreciate the engineering aspect of the machines which is kept pretty much covered up on the Eurogyros.
One of my most enjoyable flights was in a Rosco flying along at 30-40 knots, not real good for X country but great for local flights, I guess that makes me a fan of both styles.

[Russell]

Bring homebuilds out under the cloak of darkness....😊😊😊 ( no moonlight, no nuthin )

[mad max]

Adventure loving people love open frame gyro's. They fly slow. (Speed kills) High drag, good for mustering. No false sense of security therefore scary for thrillseakers who search for 'rushes'. Easy to preflight check. Cheep to fix if you 'ding'. Women have more orgasims in gyro's than on Harleys. I've had old hairy legged grandmothers ten years into menopause ask to 'turn about' on an early morning flight as they wish to 'wake up their husband!

[tonydenton]

laughing my friggen ass off max, god where do you come up with this stuff.

[Russell]

Max Ol son....this orgasmic stuff you're on about....Maaate I'm thinkin your medications might need changing, it's a scientific fact, women are masters at deception, and some guys are gullible to believe the ouwh arrrrhs.
As a saying goes......sex for a woman is all about the journey, sex for a guy is all about the destination.😊😊
Geezus........here we go, the thread has gotten onto sex. Pathetic bunch aren't we....

[tonydenton]

such wise words russ. ever thought of putting it all in a book . could make a fortune. .

[RossM]

http://www.asra.org.au/assets/ASRA-Brochure.pdf

[Brian]

The gyros Eric Hoskins builds look fairly professional just judging by the photos I have seen of them although I hear he is no longer building. Rosco's despite looking a agricultural comparing to a Euro are possibly better put together and if you care to have look behind the dash of his latest gyros you will see the care to detail etc is awesome.

So I reckon its okay to have the better finished homebuilts with the smart looking tubs.

You seem to be getting wiser with age Russ .