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ASRA Chief Flying Instructor Ian Morcombe has been in the Silver City over the last couple of days delivering an instructors training course. Students (L to R) Geoff White from the Larobe Valley VIC, Ross Symes and David French Broken Hill NSW, CFI Ian Morcombe Wahring VIC and John Commerford from Byron Bay NSW are pictured as the group took a break during the training today.
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Thanks very much to Ian for fitting this course into his busy life. I'm sure all that attended got a lot out of it and hopefully a few more instructors are now available in areas that before we're hard to come by.
I had intended on coming out for the course as well but unfortunately circumstances got in the way. -
We worked out that between Ian Morcombe and Ross Symes they have about 13 million hours and a couple of billion years experience at just about everything that relates to Gyrocopters. Ross was refreshing his rating and the insight provided by these two men made the training pretty special. Fantastic mentors and ambassadors for the sport and I am aware there are many more like theml involved at the coal face around the country. Ian is showing off a Sportcopter at the Stephens Creek Airstrip near Broken Hill on Saturday so I will throw in a few pics from that in due course. Anyone interested in learning to fly Gyrocopters and isn't quiet sure should start by contacting an instructor from the list on this website and go and have a look for yourself. You don't know know what you are missing out on until you do. Photo shows some weekend action at Stephens Creek with a variety of aircraft types at the club including Gyros.Comment
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Is Rosco doing his instructors course too ?Comment
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Rosco taught me to fly & I credit his instruction with keeping me alive over the many years of tree top flying. Ross taught in the best machine that should be the " standard" trainer, all Armstrong in a gyro called " Twitchy" . Twirl those heavy skywheels up by hand, drop down into the seat & get taxying to get rotors going ...not too fast, get seat belts on keep getting those rotors up to speed then feed in that power that only a EA 81 could produce, airborne & back off the throttle an umpteenth [ saving the engine] then around @ 250 AGL onto final throttle back to idle & land!
With me Rosco had to do runs along the strip at a few feet off the deck to get me out of over controlling [ FW experience ] Didnt take too many bumpy runs down the strip to get that out of me plus Rosco had a deadly elbow that he used to great affect
. Reckon I still have bruises to prove it ....only joking.
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The fella responsible for keeping you and so many others alive has got to be worth meeting. Next time I'm up your way Chopper I'll have to call in to Broken Hill and say G'day to Ross.Comment
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Yes, he has held the qualification for a long time but did this one as a refresher so he can help a new local instructor David (Dave) French as he takes up the mantle. Dave is in our club, when he told me he was going to become an instructor I proclaimed I would be his first student. True to our word, Dave gets signed off this week and I have completed my BAK.Originally posted by Brian View Post
I picked up a second hand pre 2000 single seat open frame Rosco recently and as part of the final stages of getting her airworthy, Rosco did the final inspection for rego and ownership transfer. Also in his workshop is a 2 seat trainer being prepared for delivery to our new instructor Dave, with me ready and eager for my first lesson.
Won't be long now !
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I did my first solo's in a suby powered rosco machine, I absolutely loved the machine [ I don't know about " twitchy " brian,] it was an absolute dream of a machine. I begged my instructor to sell it to me, but he always said no, so I thought of stealing it but he knew where I lived, [ kidding ].
I have rosco on my list, rick.
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Here is Ian today after doing a few circuits in his Sportcopter which he was showing to some of the locals.Comment
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Its well worth a visit to Rosco's & get to meet Rosco & do a interview . Probably best time is late afternoon & have a chat over a cool drink or two
. Not sure how many new machines have been wheeled out of Rosco's but it would be fairly considerable. I think 330 Mica street is still as it was back in Tim's hey day & I reckon you can see up the drive way the fairly small shed that Tim used. Just enough room for one machine but the shed used to often bulge with a number of bods who would wander into Tim & Liz's, specially friday & saturday nights with a good supply of drinks to keep the whistle wet whilst listening to the many stories from years ago to discussions covering many interesting topics. Time always flew & we usually finished up with a big order of take away pizzas.
Just seeing the amount of engines / rotors / bolts & nuts/ aluminum & things Rosco has ready to go is well worth the visit !Comment
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I recently had a good chat with Tim and Liz about their time in Broken Hill, it must have been a lot of fun in those early days. The trouble is you can only print half the stories or someone could end up in a bit of strife.
Mind you it probably hasn't changed a real lot, on some of the trips I have been on things have happened that............. lets say have been marginal at best.Comment
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An evening as 330 Mica street was always interesting & I was only there a very small part of the time but so much was learnt listening to Tim/ Rosco & a host of others who all had / have so much experience to share. Quite right, nearly need Mark R to go through & change names & places etc for some of the stories which did happen. There was a lot of research & development that happened in that shed as well. Anyway, was a great time, Tim is a master story teller...all true BTW.
Yes, practical experience out there in the wide blue yonder is something not taught in text books nor can be simulated .Spot on Rick,Comment
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