Any recreational flyers out there?

[OldWiseGuy]

As I get closer to retirement I'm thinking about taking up flying again. I flew fixed wing aircraft for fun many years ago but stopped as it didn't fulfill my desire to fly "low and slow". I did take a ride in a towed two seat autogyro and was impressed by it's stability, but was scared by the "flying lawn chair" look of the Benson gyrocopter, which along with other home-builts was the only such aircraft available at the time. Lately I have been looking at the side-by-side gyrocopters such as the Xenon and Cavalon. They are really nice, with all the bells and whistles of fixed wing aircraft, and fly safely low and slow. Anyone else onto this kind of flying I'd love to hear from you.

I like the Xenon the best as it seems roomier, and the instrument panel leaves more leg and knee room than the others. I also like the twin booms on the rear stabilizer. Also the dealer (and trainer) is only 2 hours away.

 

[david tyler]

WOW THATS A GREAT HOBBY/INTEREST,,UNTIL WE EARN OUR WINGS I GUESS THIS IS THE NEXT BEST THING...IT FEELS PRETTY NEAT EH!!,,DIFFERENT KIND OF FREEDOM,,,I HAD A FRIEND THAT QUIT HIS JOB WHERE WE WERE WORKING,,, AND WENT TO FLY A HELICOPTER(I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY CALL THIS ONE BUT IT IS A BIG HELICOPTER),, TO REMOVE LOGS IN THE FOREST INDUSTRY IN BRITISH COLUMBIA CANADA,VANCOUVER,,,MAN MUST BE NICE HE ONLY HAD TO DO THIS FOR A WHILE AND I THINK STARTED TO FLY AN AMBULANCE HELICOPTER FOR THEM,,,ALL THE PILOTS I KNOW FROM AIR CANADA RETIRE THIER AS WELL,,,YES MUST BE NICE I ALSO HAD A FRIEND IN BANFF ALBERTA WHERE HE LIVED HAD CESNA. (DID I SPELL IT WRITE),,,SADLY TO SAY HIS EYES WENT AND HAD TO GIVE IT UP,,HE TOLD ME MANY STORIES ONE I REMEMBER HE COULD NOT LAND ON THE RUNWAY IN BANFF, BECAUSE IT WAS FULL SOLID OF ELK,,HE KEPT FLYING LOW TO SCARE THEM BUT TO NO AVAIL,,RUNNING OUT OF FUEL,, SOMEONE SAW HIS DILEMA. AND CHASED ALL THE ELK OFF THE RUNWAY,,,AS SOON AS HE LANDED AND COASTED HIS PLANE RAN OUT OF FUEL,,!!! THIS IS ONE HOBBY I COULD I LOVE!!! TAKE CARE, YES GET BACK INTO IT WE MAY REGRET NOT DOING IT..?