Aerial Seeder

[Brinard]

Hi all, Does anyone have/seen/used or know of a simple aerial seeder that I could get some design ideas from. I have a two place side by side machine with a cab.(optional doors) It would be great to see some photos or chat to anyone that has done some seeding.

[Justin]

G"day.There"s a bloke up in Theodore that does aerial seeding.Think his name is Arthur some1.His gyro name was supagrunt.He used a steel tube that was besides his mast and just had a trap door on the bottom of it.He even dropped condoms out of it for a B&s up there

[Brinard]

Thanks Justin,I"m hoping to some how use a hopper so I can carry a large volume and be able to govern the output as well! I have some ideas, I"ll see how it goes.

[gyroo]

Hi guys,Sorry to rain on your parade, but dropping seeds from an aircraft is legally called "aerial application" and "aerial application" is specifically prohibited by law in gyroplanes.Mark ReganBoard member and ASRA Tech MgrMELBOURNE

[tonydenton]

what about those other things that prevent seeds mark???

[blakemorem]

Interesting that there is 4 posts and 204 gagged readers of this topic. While we are on this topic is mustering an aerial application and do we have a legitimate endorsement for this commercial activity. I"ve heard comments like no body cares what you do on your own property. I can"t see much credibility in this comment. I promised a friend in Central NSW I"ll take him up one day he replied "Let me know when your heading over I"ll grab a bag of super and some grass seed". On a hypothetical approach there is I believe an easy way to deploy seed or fertilizer from a gyro copter by means of positive air displacement through a hopper to flex conduits attached to main wheel frame. You would have to consider the vortex of the rear prop cause this stuff won"t be real good for it. I can"t see why this has not been considered for agricultural application as the boys outback would be an a good wicket. There"s a lot of use for a gyro copter out there Mustering, rounding up goats feral pest control i have heard of trials on spray booms. The potential of Aerial application endorsement or certification could benefit gyro copters enormously. Are we treading on toes here CASA. The obvious considerations of max loads air density and design of the equipment shouldn"t be too difficult. I"m curious why any creativity seems to stamped out with mandatory legislation to me it reeks of over legislation. My favorite bedtime story is the Eureka Stockade,the birth of Democracy and miners right apparently. I"d be interested to see what the 204 readers think about this taboo subject. Is there any consideration for agricultural aerial applications.

[Brinard]

Thanks Mark, I was not aware that seeding is prohibited! And thanks Blake, some interesting points to think about.

[RickE]

I know Magni have a version of the M16 which has a boom spray set up. The more commercial uses for gyros the better I reckon as it reinforces the fact that they are legitimate aircraft and not just toys.

[birdy]

Blake, welcome to the new ostra"ya. I could go on for pages bout the regulation, priecidents, certification bla bla bla.Generaly speaking, if it involves common sence, logic, commercial gain, viability or simply a good idea, you"ll hit Nuthn but brick walls everywhere you turn.Trouble is, intelligent productive people in this country are outnumbered by unproductive wankers who"s sole aim is to make productive peoples lives as hard as possible.All I can say is, just do it.

[mad max]

Good on"ya Birdy. Australia was made by people who bent rules in their favour! (Rules are designed for fools)

[birdy]

I don"t bend the rules Max, I just help lead the way for positive, intelligent change.

[blakemorem]

Thinking about Aerial applications I thought of three aircraft Gyro copter, Helicopter and Fixed wing.I know which aircraft id prefer to be in at 300ft with E.O. It"s not the two aircraft that has Aerial application certification. Fixed wind needs a good runway to land and the Helicopter needs to get their rotors in to auto rotation to land. GYRO COPTER is auto rotation flight. If we full back stick we vertical descend ugly landing but likely to walk away short of a gyro copter. probably the only option in tiger country so i prefer this situation in a gyro copter. Carrying a hopper full of seed would be no heavier than an average passenger our max weight is 240 KG from memory and keeping in mind air density temperature.Yes refer to flight manual manufactures recommendations an common sense. Oh and about AUTHORITY i was watching two C.A.S.A officials in action at the Great Easter Fly in. At the pilot briefing it was left up to the pilots to sort out traffic for themselves as is the usual procedure in non C.T.A.F R aerodromes. The wind update was predominately a Moderate 10/15 knot S.E. i.e favoring runway 18 pretty much all day. The casa officials seemed to make a TRAFFIC ADVISORY DIRECTIVE and not radio to enter at 36 threshold and no back track from the taxi way. YES down wind take off. One Gyro copter was grounded for following correct upwind take procedure and traffic via radio CTAF 124.2. I could see the CASA objective was for all traffic to go in same direction i e 36 but very flat takeoff in a downwind 36 with passenger. Exit point was far end of 18 and taxi back on grass strip. Air traffic was very busy that day and I could see casa objective but compromised air traffic procedure and no radio directive either. If you CTAFR an aerodrome you need to do this on a radio no such comm"s was heard. If an incident occurred would the two casa officials air directives had been recorded or do they run for cover, and were they following aerodrome procedure. In summery aerodrome and flight procedures were compromised in order to maximize traffic flow. A Gyro copter was grounded for engaging air traffic on radio and short take off from taxi way 18 direction. Upwind. Other aircraft went around 18 and joined down wind leg of 36. The spectators were at 36 end of runway that"s why the runway direction was used nothing to do with wind direction. "I also asked the pilot if he had heard this directive on radio No nothing but i had already talked with the other pilots and it was ok". That was the briefing in the pilot meeting Pilots to work out air traffic for themselves as the aerodrome is not CTAF R. So I guess CASA Inspectors have the AUTHORITY to be air traffic controllers in non CTAF R aerodromes too. IF so may need to get a radio next time could save some confusion and possible grief. Did the pilot need to be grounded like one strike and your out or maybe just a quick brief on your new procedure or maybe all pilots on radio easy acknowledge, copy, done.

[Waddles]

Gidday Blake,You CAN go mustering and conduct aerial applications with a gyro. You just need a Commercial Gyroplane Licence, and Certified Gyroplane and an Air Operators Certificate. Too easy!!!!Waddles.

[blakemorem]

Thank"s Waddles I"ll have a chat to a

[Brian]

Blake & others, ASRA would be iresponsible if we didnt inform you of the legalities of what you are thinking of doing or thinking of doing. We are extremely fortunate enough to have people such as the calibre of Mark Regan, a senior defence counsel that is prepared to give his busy time to help others in the gyro world. I guess waddles doesnt need any introducing, a now retired 747 captain with a CV longer than my arm and again, a passionate gyro supporter as is our president, Dr Paul Campell who is right at home messing with senior CASA officials.I know some of you out there see ASRA as a pupet of CASA, jumping to their tune but I can inform you that this is definately not the case, in fact, thanks to those named & other"s, we are pro active in our ongoing relations with CASA.To those who say, let CAS jump, ask RAA Aus what happens when a sports organization failed their audit. ASRA is not interested in being a policeman, nor is our job to be such, we are here to keep you flying with increased privalages, working away in the background all the time.The way I see this seeder thing is that if you get some plans etc & put a proposal into ASRA so that we can put this to CASA & see how we go. Who know"s, might happen to get a approval . If we dont, we will keep chipping away. Dont get discouraged, get organized.Hope this helps !