Powered Shute

[Compulsion]

I was at a friends house in Hewit (Gawler) on Sunday. We where in the backyard having a red and enjoying watching the aircraft flying out of Gawler. We heard a motor approaching from the front of his house and flying over the roof. To our horror a trike with a shute flew over the roof and nearly took the tv aerial off. This guy was flying feet above the roof tops. The pilot continued on down into the built up area feet above the houses and at one stage dropped between houses obviously into a park area. I have never seen such a dangerous display of poor airmanship. The guy did a low pass of the houses and then flew off. He did not come from Gawler. He came over the fields from the north. it looked like a brand new shute.

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

Sounds like a daredevil Compulsion. Can I ask what is a 'trike with a shute' - BRS?

 

 

[Compulsion]

Please excuse my ignorance. It was a parachute with a go kart hanging underneath it. I have no idea how best to describe it and I am sure there is a correct term for it. Again excuse my ignorance.

 

 

[turboplanner]

I was at a friends house in Hewit (Gawler) on Sunday. We where in the backyard having a red and enjoying watching the aircraft flying out of Gawler. We heard a motor approaching from the front of his house and flying over the roof. To our horror a trike with a shute flew over the roof and nearly took the tv aerial off. This guy was flying feet above the roof tops. The pilot continued on down into the built up area feet above the houses and at one stage dropped between houses obviously into a park area. I have never seen such a dangerous display of poor airmanship. The guy did a low pass of the houses and then flew off. He did not come from Gawler. He came over the fields from the north. it looked like a brand new shute.

You should get straight on to SAJabiruflyer, Compulsion, he's been doing work to preserve flying at Goolwa in the face of some strong agitation, particularly by a resident near the airport, so this would be the last thing you guys need. From what SA Jab was saying the Goolwa Airport Aerochute guys are good, but they can be disadvantaged by someone blowing in over the paddocks from a farm.

 

Things don't always pan out at those low levels either. One guy decided to fly out of out RC Model strip, taking the President up for a joy ride, and caught a crosswind, hooking a wheel in the fence for a moment, which must have given the President something to think about.

 

 

[Guernsey]

Didn't think they had powered parachutes at Gawler but they do have Trikes.

 

Alan.

 

 

[Compulsion]

I saw a trike just before and he had come from gawler. I am sure this launched from the hill to the north east of Gawler. Bloody crazy if you ask me. No room for error or fan failure.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Sorry Compulsion - major brain fade, I was thinking of Goolwa, where SAJ is - apologies.

 

 

[Guest Andys@coffs]

The guys flying trikes from Gawler wont, in general, be over Gawler low or otherwise at all except as necessary to fly the circuit. more of an issue when landing to the West:-

 

1) Its against the regs for 95.10 and 95.32 machines

 

2) Why would you when there are so many unpopulated areas with better outlanding options in almost every other direction.

 

3) The CFI at Gawler who teaches Trikes is likely to find you and apply "behind the hangar percussive maintenance" so as to prevent further occurences.

 

The hills to the North East while thay might appear high to SA' folk, (anything's high compared to the plains) are not high and there is heaps of room between the control step and the top of the hills giving heaps of options for an outloanding providing that we are talking about the hills between gawler and say Truro in fact the CTA steps create more of an issue arround the barrosa valley than the hills NE of them. In the Valley the biggest risk to trike or 3 axis is that many of the open spaces.......when actually looked at close to the ground are anything but open containing lots of grape trellises.....anyone for an arrestor landing.

 

Its been a while since I was based there but given the historical general grumbles about trikes flying out of gawler (neighbours and non trikers) I can't imagine anyone allowing a powered parachute to operate their on a regular basis..... Trikes were percieved to be slow and as such teh engine noise, no more annoying of itself than a regular 3 axis aircraft (due tot he fact that the engines are all teh same as regular 3 axis) seemed to persist for longer than 3 axis aircraft....clearly those complaining hadn't seen PPC's in action.....

 

Andy

 

 

[Compulsion]

I just hope i dont meet up with who ever it was now I am solo. Make a mess on the hood of the 170. LOL

 

 

[Guest SAJabiruflyer]

Sorry Compulsion - major brain fade, I was thinking of Goolwa, where SAJ is - apologies.

Thanks for that. I sure would be interested to know if it happened at Goolwa, as anything that has the potential to affect MY flying enjoyment is of serious concern to me. However, even though this occured at Gawler, any type of behaviour like this should concern all of us, as only together can we fight the people who would take away or restrict our flying freedoms. We certainly dont need anyone misbehaving and bringing us into disrepute.

 

Of course, if the powered chute in question had engine problems and had to be low, then that's fine..