I apologise, apologise, apologise.....

[asra]

Some people will be happy..... ASRA, who are supposed to look after sport gyroplane peoples interests and administer on behalf of the Authorities, have seen fit to suspend all my gyroplane flight privileges as well as my technical inspection privileges. Ah well, such is life. They turn a blind eye to some regulations and persecute others. Quite hypocritical really. Oh yes, I make my share of mistakes with paperwork. As I have told investigators, if the day is suitable for the students activities, I will fly and fill in the paperwork after the wind has blown up and it is unsuitable to fly.There are approx 300 gyros in Oz that are illegal everytime they fly. I don't care, as the rule is a silly one, BUT when I get into trouble over technical rules such as being 21 days late with membership dues I get fined $1650.[:0] Hypocritical again.To the people who have used some comon sense over this I appreciate it. To the people who have never trained a student, never test flown a students machine, and in some cases never flown, shame on you.[V] My livelihood is now gone, for how long I don't really care as I have to admit than I have been well and truly beaten.[:I] It is 3.00 am in the morning and I am a little stunned to say the least. I have not been spoken to about the events, just guilty until proven innocent. Apparently ASRA have been told that a modification that I conducted on the rotor head to stop the tail being hit by the rotor is the possible the cause of the accident. No investigation, no phone calls, just an email at midnight informing of this decision by the ASRA Operations Manager, who I don't see eye to eye with on a number if issues.The machine had no teeter what so ever and the head angle was not set up as per the plans!!!!! I fix all of this to make the machine fly safely. I then have a cable swage fail, do my damdest to try and save the machine, and end up like this!!![:0]I now have to have a hard look at whether I want to be part of helping people to get into gyroplanes (my passion), or just fade away and go play golf!!!! [!]You can probably see that this has had a marked effect on me and I need to get some of it off my chest!!! [] I would have trained as many people and possibly set up and tested as many machines as anyone in Oz. Actually I probably lead the way considerably over my 22 years of powered gyroplane flying. [^] I started flying gyrogliders in 1961, and powered in 1982. I have bent a few bits and pieces in that time, but I also have gained an enormous amount of knowledge that can only be gained by having ones hand on the stick. You cannot buy that expeience, it is earned.[^] I have been so lucky to have been in that position. [] Sorry for the epilogue, but I feel that there are many more out there supporting me than there are damning me. To those supporters I offer my gratitude. [^] I am sure that the EAA or PRA would support their member, even if they are not perfect.Not so perfect Aussie Paul, in deeper s**t than usual. [8] www.firebirdgyros.com

[NiqueNaque]

Paul,I'm game enough to venture that ASRA offered more than one reason for the suspension, and the fine, but you don't state what these are, we can only speculate. I take it this is not a permanent suspension, that you've been sin binned for kicking, gouging and scratching? What do you have to do to redeem yourself?Seems that if you make money out of anything (or try to) these days you'll get fined so you make even less money out of it, sadly there is more than one tax man for every business these days, more like about ten, and if you want to do something unusual, it will really cost you. I don't doubt you'll be back Paul, maybe with a more conformist approach.Cheers,Nick.

[PTKay]

I really don't care about all this mud slinging and bashing.I want to learn something and fly safely.SO, if somebody lies about the real reason of the accident,to save his but, he makes himself responsible for anyfuture accident comming from the same reason he covered up,or was trying to cover up.Have this in mind Paul B....just my two cents...

[Tim]

quote:Originally posted by Firebird Paulwhen I get into trouble over technical rules such as being 21 days late with membership dues I get fined $1650. Hypocritical again.www.firebirdgyros.comAs this is a direct accusation aimed at the ASRA Board, of which I am a member, I feel that I must ask you to elaborate for the readers on this forum.Who exactly fined you $1650 for being late with membership dues and when did this happen?Tim McClure

[asra]

Sorry Tim, that was aimed at the Authorities. My appologies, I should have been more clear.Aussie Paul.[8]www.firebirdgyros.com

[NiqueNaque]

A valid point Mr Kay...What would have happened if Paul got through the test flight unscathed and the 'swages' held out for a few months, only to let go with student on board doing hops or soloing his first circuit?What would the consequences have been with someone as inexperienced at the helm, especially with the outcome as it was with Paul's experience?I think Paul, unlucky as he was, was fortunate enough to have been the pilot in control at the time of failure, so in a sense he has saved someone at his own great expense.Nick.

[asra]

Paul, The only thing i'm wrong about is I said that last post would BE MY LAST.I have seen all the photo's.In my mock accident report i stated "Damage, Broken Rudder Cable"There is indeed a broken rudder cable.The Gyro has hit the ground so hard that the undercarige has folded up flat with the fusilage.The rotor has demolished the tail,and quite possibly the rudder cable.The fusilage is badly bent forward of the tail.I have unfortunatly seen too many gyro crashes and rollovers.I know what a gyro looks like that has hit the ground HARD.This crash is consitant with a high speed vertical impact.I have seen rudder bars bent and broken rudder cables by pilots bracing themselves before impact and in some cases death.Believe it or not I'm glad you are safe. Dont you Paul or anyone else out there bull**** to me about how this was a "Pulled out swage during a gentle landing" accident.M Barker

[asra]

Sorry Murray, WRONG, I was in it, and I know what happened. Who said anything about a gentle landing? It WAS going to be a gentle landing until all hell broke loose as I reported. Yes, it hit the ground hard. I have the bruises.Please explain why my left foot went to the floor and the machine yawed severely to the right? Thanks for you concern re my health, I do appreciate that, BUT you are so WRONG about the accident. Aussie Paul. [8]www.firebirdgyros.com

[asra]

Whatever Paul. I'm no longer interested .I've decided to do somthing to try and salvage this mess.Those that are interested please go to the "Wanted" section.M Barker

[asra]

Thanks for wiseing me up Murray.The problem with being honest is you expect everyone else to be honest and face up to their crisis'as you would. Not squirm around and try to cover up.The ageless fact is, "The truth will always out"Looking forward to knowing about it.Fish.

[asra]

From what I've read so far on both this and the US forum, there's not one shred of evidence that would stand up in court which actually contradicts Paul's version of events. Lots of insinuation, and statements attributed to witnesses who haven't actually posted themselves.Also comments damage done to the A/C, alledgedly causative, which almost certainly happened as result of the crash.But there's been a hell of a lot of people willing to stick the boot in.

[asra]

Now is the time for the ASRA board to show some quality and leadership worthy of their elected position.Look at the larger picture and do what is right for the benefit of the association and all members.Support your members, to penalise will not only effect one but potentially tens or hundreds in the future.Is this what the board really wants?If yes,Why?

[PTKay]

For the reason of safety ???

[NiqueNaque]

Camel,In their defence I'm quite certain the board is doing what it thinks is in the best interests of the members of the association.Before I get assailed for what I am about to say I will remind those intending that I have supported Paul on this site prior and referred people to him for training. His services are required and he is from all referees who have been to him for training good value, keen and caring.Now, the dry facts of this matter are that the TA / Pilot in this incident did not check the quality of the work on some fundamentally vital components in the aircraft, he himself tells us that the gyro crashed because the swages were not made to the required quality. We know that the pilot in question is a helpful and keen contributor, but all that is to no avail if he kills himself (He nearly did) or the future pilot of an aircraft that he has inspected by not detecting and then signing off the latent faults on such fundamentally important componentry as rudder cables, as prior, what if he got through the test and it failed 3 months later, in someone else's hands, with less experience? What then? CASA investigate the crash and discover the death of an aviator occurred due to the failure of cable swages - who signed the aircraft off - the TA - did he check their quality - no - he's at fault - sue him... What if it was your turn to fly this aircraft next?I do not know but I would tend to think that there wasn't employed in this commissioning a written "commissioning check list" which would have given rise to a proof of the cables, as I pointed out prior it could have been as easy as standing on both pedals as hard as you can to see if anything breaks, the controls should easily accomodate this proof of strength and it would have detected a problem, as would lifting the shrink wrap off the cable connections to check a vital component, but, and I emphasise, "it wasn't done", and it nearly cost a man his life. I know I've got 20/20 hind sight as does everyone else and it is easy to comment on what should have been done after the event, but you have to put yourself in the shoes of your board and see it from their point of view, they have a duty of care, as do you and I - how would you deal with an operator under your jursidiction who breached regulations, flew on expired instruments, has had a few crashes lately and doesn't seem to act upon the knowledge that he is a common factor to all of them...? I know PB has a heart of gold and is always full of good intentions, he is maybe a little too 'gung ho' ... but there are some moments when he needs to take a little more care, this has unfortunately been one of them, CASA would certainly make mince of him if ASRA did nothing about it, and then it would turn around and make mince out of ASRA, and ASRA is you, you, you, me, the board and anyone else who flies or wants to fly a gyro,now and in the future, remember this the next time and be supportive of the board, they do their level best to keep you and I in the air in lieu of being banned from flying in 'those dangerous gyroplanes'. It would only take a number of incidences for CASA to ground us, we need to act with care and not have people working against us, despite their good intentions and kindly nature.Hope this helps,Nick.

[asra]

Hang on....hang on...Firstly I am not taking sides here, be sure of that.[] There would be bugger all gyros flying out there that have not been altered in some way from their original construction,design etc, do we remove their owners licenses too????? I don't believe for 1 minute that paul or any of those other owners would change a machine without being bloody sure that what they were doing was OK....an improvement, trying to sort out a problem etc etc.Fortunately to date as far as I know we have not had a problem with this. Now do you, for 1 minute, think that paul would do his mods and then go for a test fly if he thought he would CRASH it, NO BLOODY WAY. I for one have been the test pilot on a few gyros over the years, and I don't like it, not a bit.You give the machine a good check over, ask all the questions etc etc from the builder, who probably has never flown one, then you try it out. Mate I'm telling you, that first liftoff, straight and level and touchdown is STRESSFULL. The gyro after that moment is a known machine to me, I can now start to test it out, report my findings to the proud owner. Now do you think it would be better for the new builder/owner to do it all by himself?????? while we stood on the runway edge and watched. In closing ....we all make a bad call sometimes, but don't hang us out to dry because of it. Anyway that's my view.....Russ[]RDC