| Monday, 27 August 2007 |
|
A remarkable machine
Review and photos: E.D.Gray
In1999 I completed a change over HG to PG course with Godfrey’s team in Manilla. Last year, very sceptically, I strapped a fan on my aged back and went powered. To my surprise, I enjoyed the experience thoroughly. (A good social group as well)
With the impetus of the world championships at Manilla last Feb. My good mate, flying buddy and neighbour Andrew Polidano, CFI planned that we should get it together and be a part of the air display, with the paramotors.
For us to participate in the air display some preparation was required. Endorsements, a flight plan, practise days etc., then disaster struck me in the form of a ruptured ACL. Anterior Cruciate Ligament, to the uninitiated. Usually associated with football, tennis and skiing. Foot launching and landing while do-able is not with out risk of pain. A Knee reconstruction and healing process takes up to 12 months!
Enter the FLYKE. German engineered and manufactured. An enormous amount of R&D has gone into this machine. The Flyke has a very clean 7-speed hub gear set up, hydraulic brakes, weight shift steering, comfy laid back seating, room for a wing and a small amount of gear eg. lightweight camping and you can fly it as well. A XC bivouac adventure is a definite reality. They have literally taken off in Europe and the USA. Andrew has been flying them for a few years and I’ve watched with some amusement and fear- a cross between the flying bicycle scene in ET and those magnificent men…
The main attraction for me (stuffed Knee) was the wheels but its best feature is the pedals. They give the Flyke some legitimacy on the road and enable it to be used in and around towns. Part of my physio routine is light pedal exercise. (It has a motor as well)
Andrew went to Germany for instruction and he convinced me that after learning some technique it was easy to fly. He had taught a 60+year old gentleman to fly the Flyke. He had at best flown a paper plane, and was by no means an athletic type.
Operating the Flyke in the air like all our flying is weather dependant. Still, stable mornings and evenings are magic. Thermaling in rowdy Manilla afternoons can be challenging and rewarding. Taxiing about is straightforward, launching the wing has a few tricks that need some mastery, and flying and landing are a piece of piss. As a bicycle the flyke is very stable and comfortable. There is over 100mm of dampened suspension travel. Taxiing with the motor is very different to having driven wheels it’s a bit like rolling down an endless slope more gas steeper slope. The launch is exacting in the early stages. I practiced it over and over. The wing is laid out down wind then connected to the carrabinas. A thorough pre-flight is carried out. A launch assist line is clipped to the ‘A’ risers this pulls the ‘A’s as in a normal forward inflation once the glider is overhead all tension on this line is off. A wall is built with a short blast of motor. When ready power is applied with controlled forcefulness one doesn’t want to be timid at this point. Control of the wing is all-important at this time it must come up straight. You brake the surge with brake and throttle if it goes wrong kill the motor and start again or it will eat wing ☹ . Once the wing is overhead give it the fat. Roll out is short take off a joy. Flying is a dream. With the Silex wing the flyke has good penetration and speed. It thermals well which is good for fuel consumption. It is equipped with trimmers and a throttle cruise control so hands off for filming and snacking and navigation are a breeze. Landings are easy with the motor to position the flyke low over the LZ or with no motor a few S’s sinks it easily flair as the wheels touch no running. I love it.
The Flyke is the only fully DULV approved flying, recumbent, tricycle and loads of fun – A Remarkable Machine,Labels: Flyke Review |
| posted by flykester @ 07:34 |
|
|
|
| Saturday, 25 August 2007 |
|
Eddie Gray, Profile Born in Tokyo 1954 to a Japanese mother and Australian father. Moved to Melbourne in 1956.
I first became aware of hang gliding at high school after some friends bought one, then totaled it on the first week end, but not until the three of them received bloodied knees arms and faces. I was into dirt bikes at the time but wanted a go at flying. My chance came in 1977 in England. I answered a learn to Hang glide advert. Over the next few months when ever time, money and weather were favorable, I was there running down the hill and trudging back up. Carrying a hang glider. I had no idea that Australia was at the cutting edge of development both in equipment and technique. It was exciting but with the effort and perceived danger outweighing the flying I put my time into other things.
I met Andrew Polidano in 1994. At the local aero modeling club. My son was given a remote controlled and I was to get him started with lessons etc. I was interested in areo modeling having done a bit of control line flying at school but Radio control was a little out of reach then. Modern electronics had changed that and father and son took to it with gusto. Andrew and I became firm friends. It was with this renewed 'aero' interest that I began noticing the local hang gliding scene. The gliders were staying up and soaring rather than 'billy-carting' from top to bottom. On closer inspection the gliders were high tech wings. Andrew and I decided to sign up for a course share a glider and some of the expense. Little knowing that once hooked it would become all consuming for time and funds.
I did my first tandem on new years day 1996 at Lennox Head. I had been itching to be in a hang glider again but my previous experience didn't involve a very experienced pilot harnessed beside, this time I was able to stay up and carve turns, swoop low and get high. I was hooked. Paragliding followed on a few years later. Andrew had started flying the ‘floppies’, I was still skeptical but eventually gave it a go. I enjoyed the simplicity and convenience but I stuck to hang gliding until an incident at Mt Buffalo left me without a hang glider to fly. So with PG kit handy I concentrated on flying my paraglider. Andrew encouraged me to take up backpack motoring. It was more fun than it has a right to be.
Last year Andrew taught me to fly his Flyke. A new and fun addition to my flying experience. I flew it in an air display as part of the opening ceremony of the world paragliding competition. I bought one and started planning to fly 1000km to the 10th annual powered paragliding and hang gliding convention. Andrew thought he had better come along to keep me safe and give me company. So the adventure had begun. Planning and preparing has been alot tougher than I expected. Sourcing and making special bits of the kit has been rewarding. It's the toughest flight I’ve undertaken. There are so many unknowns with route, weather and equipment. Going unsupported by ground crew adds a tingly edge of danger and freedom and the need for resourcefulness. I'm looking forward to it. |
| posted by Flyke Australia @ 00:25 |
|
|
|
| Friday, 24 August 2007 |
|
Andrew's Profile
Born in 1971 Australia. Both Parents had immigrated from Malta in 1965.
My first Aeronautical experience was at age 5 when my family went on an overseas holiday. At the age of 12 I launched a hand made parachute from the roof of the family home and caught a thermal current....i became intrigued with air flow and simple parachute designs.
I was inspired by my cousins interest in radio control and on my 15th birthday my father bought me a four channel radio control set,which I installed into a powered RC plane. It was un flown till I moved up to the far north coast age twenty one.
I first flew powered RC in 1992. I experimented with Scale, Canard wings and 3 D and later slope soaring gliders that I flew at lennox head land. During the modeling years I met Eddie Gray and formed a strong mate ship. We agreed to take up Hang gliding and before I knew it he’d done a tandem while I was on holiday in Melbourne. On return we commenced a course and like 2 children our passion for the sport took over our lives.
In 97 I took up paragliding and for some months flew both hang gliders and paragliders. After an Overseas trip to Europe in 1999 I began my apprenticeship teaching with Sydney Paragliding. In 2001 I learnt how to fly paramotors and I started my own paragliding school, based in Mullumbimby with the intension to specialize in paramotors. I became passionate about paramotoring after being inspired by Graham Sutherland a close friend on the sunshine coast and possibly the most experienced inland pilot to date in Australia. We have continued to inspire each other and we make the trip anualy to the Pico Festival in Milbrilong near Wagga Wagga taking turns driving and flying.
I started flying the Flyke in 2002 being self taught the learning curve was steep. I flew to Germany in 2003 and got some lessons from the Factory however after that flew the flyke seldom.
The opening ceremony of the 2007 Paragliding World Championships was the motivation that I needed to teach Eddie how to flyke. After only a few hours of experience Eddie spoke about Flying to the next paramotor fly-in at Milbrilong 1042 km from Mullumbimby. A typical student, small experience is often coupled with large dreams......it didn’t take him long to convince me to come along. This Flyke Journey rivals all my flying adventures to date as well as being an amazing personal growth experience. |
| posted by Flyke Australia @ 23:45 |
|
|
|
| Saturday, 21 July 2007 |
|
Presenting Andrew Polidano and Eddie Gray , near the Mullumbimby sign at the Heritage Park in Mullumbimby, Northern NSW, Australia. The starting place for the Adventure. |
| posted by Flyke Australia @ 20:20 |
|
|
|
|
|
| About Me |
|
Name: Flyke Australia
Home:
About Me:
See my complete profile
|
| Previous Post |
|
| Archives |
|
|
| Shoutbox |
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Duis ligula lorem, consequat eget, tristique nec, auctor quis, purus. Vivamus ut sem. Fusce aliquam nunc vitae purus. |
| Links |
- link 1
- link 2
- link 3
- link 4
|
| Powered by |
 |
|
