Name the gyro that delivered the mail!

[crusty old aviator]

The postman from Florida just wanted to steer Congress' and the public's attention to how corrupt the whole electoral process has become in the USA, due to the amounts of money being spent on elections. Instead, the press, bored with campaign finance reform issues, focused on DC security breaches and a few reporters actually looked into the gyro itself (the mundane press just wrote her off as a "helicopter.") It will be interesting to see if this blip in the press boosts public interest in gyros. I heard one story on NPR that the FAA was going to charge the Postman for flying an unregistered aircraft: pretty heady stuff considering ultralights aren't even considered aircraft by the FAA, thus not required to be registered.

So...based on the photos you've seen, can you name the make and model of the Postman's wee gyro?

Can EAA bring him and his gyro to AirDisney 2015? I'd rather hear what he has to say than listen to Dierks Bentley sing about his bending the FAR that prohibits getting drunk on a plane.

[martymayes]

GyRonimo



The media seemed to embrace the term "gyrocopter" and now many of the taking heads are experts on "gyrocopters"
Gyroplane, that must be some kind of flat greek sandwich

[Jeff Point]

Can EAA bring him and his gyro to AirDisney 2015?

For a public flogging? I'd be all for that.

[Dana]

...I heard one story on NPR that the FAA was going to charge the Postman for flying an unregistered aircraft: pretty heady stuff considering ultralights aren't even considered aircraft by the FAA, thus not required to be registered...

If it doesn't meet the Part 103 limits (speed, weight, fuel capacity) then by definition it's not an ultralight and must be registered.

Someone said it was a 'Gyronimo' which is a GyroBee self build by a guy in SC.

[martymayes]

It definitely doesn't meet the ultralight rules, interestingly the machine was weighed it after it was seized and they came up with a 350# number which was published in several outlets. Flying an unregistered aircraft appears to be the most serious charge, punishable by up to 3 yrs in jail, I doubt they will pursue it.

This was really a great event, nice diversion from the same old drivel out of Washington. Perhaps he and his gyro will be on a stamp one day or at least recognized on Feb. 4, National mail carrier day.

[Dana]

You can be sure they'll hit him with the usual laundry list of civil penalties at $1000 each: unregistered aircraft, unlicensed pilot perhaps, no annual condition inspection recorded, various airspace violations, and the usual proverbial cherry on top, "careless or reckless operation." Then there's trespassing and whatever other rules he broke on the ground. The next few months will no doubt be unpleasant for the pilot...

[dewi8095]

I saw George Stephanopoulos doing a brief interview of the pilot. He (the pilot) seemed very poised and congenial, a man with a cause who was pursuing it. For the pilot, the protest was the important thing, not the flight. For the new media, it was just the opposite.

The Capitol Police report and charge were also online and it only listed two charges, as Dana noted, operating an unregistered aircraft and no pilot's certificate.

Seems that most protestors are arrested, booked, and released and we never hear about any penalties. It will be interesting to see how the authorities handle this case and how public the outcome is made.

Don

[Chris In Marshfield]

I will call it "Steve".

[Dana]

Seems that most protestors are arrested, booked, and released and we never hear about any penalties. It will be interesting to see how the authorities handle this case and how public the outcome is made.


I suspect that in this case, as in many before, the authorities will want it to go away as quietly as possible.

[Pilotbill13]

For a public flogging? I'd be all for that.

I think that he should be given a medal.
He brought a subject out into the open that has caused you and I and all other pilots lots and lots of money over the years.

It, to me, was nothing more than a peaceful demonstration to get the attention of the pols in Washington AND theattention of "we the sheeple" in the US of A to air the shenanigans that the 1%'ers are perpetrating on us. Hopefully this will start the "we the sheeple" to do what is required of them as citizens, and that is to do the homework to find out what a person running for office stands for, and not just listen to the ads that the 1%'ers put that that benefit only the 1%'ers.

[Rotor Rambler]

So...based on the photos you've seen, can you name the make and model of the Postman's wee gyro?


It's a one-of-a-kind gyrocopter built by a fellow in Georgia, modeled after the classic 60s-vintage Bensen, and nicknamed by the builder as Gyronimo.


The media seemed to embrace the term "gyrocopter" and now many of the taking heads are experts on "gyrocopters"

"GyroCopter" was specifically the name that Igor Bensen used for his products and the name has become common for all ultralights or aircraft of this kind; however, the FAA uses "gyroplane" for this category/class of aircraft.

Ira

[Hal Bryan]

Thanks for stepping in to provide the clarity, Ira.

By the way, I love your book!

Best -

Hal

[Rotor Rambler]

Thanks for stepping in to provide the clarity, Ira.

By the way, I love your book!

Best -

Hal

I'm glad you like the book.

I see your in Oshkosh!? How lucky can a guy get!

Ira

[crusty old aviator]

Thank you Dana & Ira for naming the gyroplane! My only experience with gyros was flying with Martin Hollmann in his Sportster and getting to fly his "real ultralight" Bumblebee prototype. With Martin gone, I'm glad we have people like Ira keeping gyros in the public eye, though Martin's widow is still selling Martin's gyroplane books and plans through his AircraftDesigns.com website.

If EAA brings the Postman and his Gyronimo to Wittman Field this summer, we'll have to give Jeff Point some boiled spaghetti strands to go after him with...then he can explain to us why he used such a grossly overweight "ultralight" for his grand entrance.

[hoverlover]

wrong info, it was built by Ron Awad of fort mill s.c. ,this I know as I sold him the Horz. Stab. off my falcon gyro to put on it. he traded me about an hours worth of unofficial Dual time in his 2 place dominator gyro in exchange for the Horz. stab. also it did not start as a Gyro bee, every bit of it was Ron's design. it had wheel barrow wheels from harbor frieght, a fuel tank he bought from jeg's racing. the Prop he bought from a guy on barnstormers. he built it so the mast would fold and he could put it in a camper trailer to take to fly-in's it had a short axel on it so it could fit in the back of a pic up truck. and no instruments.

Ron later admitted it was about 5 pounds over the limit when he built it. he then sold it to Jon Carlton in Ga. who flew it for awhile, then Jon sold it to Billy steward in Tenn. Billy sold it to Rick Martin in Fla. who then sold it to Doug the mail man, Doug added all the other stuff to it and as soon as i saw it i knew he was busted for being over weight. 4725 this is a pic of how it was when first built note how basic it was. but yes it is named the Gyronimo

[planecrazzzy]

GyRonimo



The media seemed to embrace the term "gyrocopter" and now many of the taking heads are experts on "gyrocopters"
Gyroplane, that must be some kind of flat greek sandwich


I guess Marty doesn't get ANY credit for answering the question first...
Sorry Marty.... Don't feel bad... it happens to me a lot too...
,
Gotta Fly...
.
.

[crusty old aviator]

Mystery solved! Thank you for the history of this now-historical gyro, Hoverlover!

PS: I used to live/work at Bob Lee Airport, just down the road from you, back in the mid-80's, and I've dived the cave in the bottom of the spring at the local park (with permission).

[FlyingRon]

You can be sure they'll hit him with the usual laundry list of civil penalties at $1000 each: unregistered aircraft, unlicensed pilot perhaps, no annual condition inspection recorded, various airspace violations, and the usual proverbial cherry on top, "careless or reckless operation." Then there's trespassing and whatever other rules he broke on the ground. The next few months will no doubt be unpleasant for the pilot...

Absent some sort of airworthiness certificate, he won't need an annual. Part 43 doesn't apply to aircraft without airworthiness certifciates. Condition inspections only apply to those with experimental certificates.