Ullswater & the NE Lake District

After departing from the wonderful Troutbeck/Keswick field, we flew south via the eastern Fells and over Ullswater, considered the most beautiful of all the lakes in the English Lake District - and in this perfect summer light, I rather agree.
Continued sound problems remain whilst I’m waiting on a replacement passenger helmet.
#gyrocopteruk #gyrocopter #gyroplane #autogyro #stuwithaview

[@dennisrichards2540]

Brilliant video as always.

[@StuWithAView]

Thank you Dennis 😊

[@stephencameron4032]

Stu, good to see you back, last year, I started taking Gyro copter lesson, ( my aim is to eventually qualify as an instructor), unfortunately, the lock down grounded me, along with everyone else, but I resume my training next week, and I am more determined than ever to succeed, I'm learning on an M.T.O Sport, the other choice was a Cavalon,( air-con, heated seats, the works), but I prefer the open cockpit, although, if i'm going to be an instructor, I'll probably need to do time on the Cavalon as well, ( you can never have too much experience). there are only two instructors in Scotland, I intend to be number 3, so I'm going to be busy, anyway stay safe, all the best, Stephen.

[@StuWithAView]

Thanks for your comments Stephen. I too prefer the open cockpit; to me it’s a big part of the gyro experience. I wish you well with your training and instructor plans; Scotland is a beautiful place to fly.

[@peterclark4685]

Mankind Aloft. When lofted eyes view Earth's disguise, Of form and colour and pattern, The mind should soar, with those from before, Whose works made the craft you sat in. Newton would smile, his brethren too, Number Spaniards, and Yanks, and now you. Thanks for the inspiration to write Stu.

[@lagyro]

This is some picturesque backyard you have out there...

[@StuWithAView]

When the sun is shining; which happens occasionally...

[@lagyro]

StuWithAView well, imagine it was like here in California and the sun was always shining... you would be bored in no time... 😜😜😜

[@StuWithAView]

Oh I think I could get used to it 😂

[@lagyro]

StuWithAView isn’t it amazing the extent of human flexibility... all joking aside, those green fields are fascinating.

[@scott135]

Beautiful and awe-inspiring scenery - and a reminder of what those tops can look like when not covered in cloud! Thanks again for a wonderful ride!

[@john3Lee]

I have a lot of catching up to do, as I have only recently found you.... I have binge watched about 12 so far from the back catalogue, all are excellent content... I'm loving the new 360 camera work... Thanks for posting - Cheers.

[@StuWithAView]

Thanks John 😊 I love the different angles the 360 cameras allow; but the editing takes forever....

[@john3Lee]

@@StuWithAView I can imagine it would. Does it require special software, or can it be edited in Premier Pro ? Thanks.

[@StuWithAView]

The GoPro Max can only be initially edited (converted from 360 to 1080p) on the GoPro app if, like me, you’re a PC user; there is no Windows app available. That’s required the purchase of an iPhone 11 Pro Max to provide enough power! The GarminVirb has its own Windows app to do the same job, but stitching is an overnight process. Once done I use CyberLink Power Director to do the full edit, mixing in the other cameras; Premiere Pro is very powerful but I find it difficult to use and it struggles with Multicam, which is a big part of what I do.

[@john3Lee]

@@StuWithAView Oh, okay thanks for all that... I have often wondered what people are using nowadays.... It's very impressive & adds so much to the production value... Thanks again

[@johnheffernan2180]

Great video. You mentioned prior to takeoff uphill: "Full tanks, max takeoff weight, hardly any wind, hot day, uphill takeoff". Your gyro seemed to have no problem handling the uphill takeoff. May I ask why not a downhill takeoff at Troutbeck given that the runway seems to have a considerable gradient? Many thanks for any comments shared. JH

[@StuWithAView]

Great question. I was always taught to take off uphill wherever possible if there is a slope. Taking off downhill brings a risk of the gyro accelerating (due to the assistance of gravity) faster than the rotors have time to build speed, with the result that you eat up runway and may not get the rotors to flying speed. In view of the gradient you’ll notice that I pre-rotate to a higher than usual speed (260 vs 200 RPM); as you say the gyro had no problem lifting off with runway to spare.

[@johnheffernan2180]

@@StuWithAView Hi Stu, Many thanks for the insight. Have been looking at using a 250m runway for my ELA07S gyro. The runway has a gradient of 4%. Runway orientation is roughly 03/21 with the downhill slope on 21. This setup seems to work well for canyon and mountain fixed wing pilots, even with a tailwind. However, your comment about the gyro outrunning the rotors before they reach flying rpm gives me a lot of concern. Taking off and gradually building rotor speed on a short downhill runway, on a calm day might be too risky. Any feedback gratefully received. JH

[@StuWithAView]

Hi John. I’m not an instructor, and that’s a short runway. I’m not sure where you’re based from your use of ‘canyon’ I guess possibly the USA? If so, summer heat and a downhill slope with only 250m available sounds challenging. I can only suggest speaking to an instructor who is familiar with your gyro and the local conditions.

[@johnheffernan2180]

@@StuWithAView Hi Stu, I'm based in Ireland and our local runway is 500m. I have been studying the rules of thumb used by USA canyon and mountain pilots for uphill/downhill takeoff. There are many videos on this topic with reference to fixed-wing pilot technique. For example, using the fixed-wing rule of thumb for downhill takeoff, the proposed runway of 250m with 4% gradient would give an equivalent runway length of 350m with the help of gravity. The slope would allow take off in less than 180m of the actual runway length of 250m at MTOW of 450kg in calm wind conditions, in theory. Taking off uphill would need a longer runway to overcome gravity associated with uphill takeoff. The unknown factor in my theory is will rotor rpm also accelerate in tandem with the acceleration boost given by the downhill gradient. The video of your Troutbeck takeoff was the only uphill landing and takeoff for a gyro that I could find with an explanation of the local conditions to see if the same rule of thumb for fixed wings might also work for a gyro, maybe with some modification in technique. I have not found any other gyro videos with explanations and advice on the problems and or advantages of a downhill/uphill take off on a gyro on KZbin. Now that you are flying the Eurofox fixed wing as well as your gyro, it would be great to have some comparison and discussion of the fixed-wing downhill takeoff rule of thumb to see if it could be also applicable to gyros on short runways. Many thanks for your thoughts and stimulating videos. JH

[@StuWithAView]

John I would be careful of applying fixed wing rules of thumb to gyros. If flying fixed wing I’d definitely take the down slope unless the tailwind was significant. The gyro is different because you don’t want the ground speed to accelerate ahead of the rotors. The Troutbeck runway is around 500m, I was at MAUW and it was around 26 degrees. 250 m would have been insufficient.