ROC 1999

	Rotors Over Carolina 1999

	Members of the Georgia-Carolina Rotorcraft Club, having produced two successful Rotors Over Carolina fly-ins, were determined to use their newly acquired fly-in skills to make the 1999 Rotors Over Carolina -- ROC -- an outstanding example of what a small club could accomplish. Planning began soon after the 1998 *ROC*. Club members analyzed problems and snafus in the 1997 and 1998 fly-ins and developed solutions. During the three months prior to the 1999 ROC all the pieces started falling into place. PRA Chapter 13 president, Ernest Jackson, Jr., led the club members in addressing all the facets of the fly-in. Work at the Barnwell, South Carolina, airport was at a near feverish pitch. A new water pipe from the airport terminal was installed by the members. Club members also set up outside wiring so that motor homes could have electricity. Safety problems were addressed so that no pilot could take the field without having a briefing. The club set up the areas for gyros, motor homes, automobiles, tents, food preparation, eating, registration and runway/taxiway use and closure. For the last item, runway/taxiway use, club officers met with the airport manager several times, the last one being a week before the fly-in, to make sure that the taxiway and a runway were available for the fly-in activities as it had been in the two prior years. Wendall Gibson, the FBO operator who said that he was also the airport manager, assured the club officers that the fly-in would have full use of the taxiway in front of the hangar and one runway and that the airport would effectively be closed to all but occasional outside traffic.
		The fly-in guests arrived earlier than in the past. Although *ROC* was advertised as running from Friday, October 8th through Sunday, October 10th, with Thursday being the "early bird day," the first fly-in participants came on Tuesday. On that day Ernie Boyette, Carl Sullivan and two or three others became the real "early birds" by arriving and setting up their motor homes. On Wednesday Floyd Brown, Chuck Beaty and Dave DeWinter set up camp. John Sanders, Ken Carlton, Steve McGowan and several others arrived on Thursday. At dawn on Friday there were already nineteen gyros in the hangar! On Friday Pat Fitzpatrick, Bo Collins and Greg Abbot flew in from Macon, Georgia. It looked as though this fly-in had a promising start to exceed all Chapter 13's expectations.
	On Thursday the finale to an "inside joke" about polished rotor blades was accomplished. Throughout the past several months before the fly-in, Jamie Bodie and Mike Gibson had been communicating with Dave DeWinter through the Rotorcraft Conferencing on the Internet and by e-mail (with a couple dozen people receiving copies) about Jamie Bodie, the PRA Chapter 13 WebMaster, using some new polishing technique he and Mike Gibson (Chapter 13 Vice-President) had developed. It seems that Jamie promised to polish Dave DeWinter's rotorblades at *ROC. Dave had written "Put me first on the list for the blade polishing by Jamie." and "Jamie ‑ When you polish my blades, just don't do a 'half-baked' job LOL." to which Jamie replied "I will be polishing rotorblades at ROC*, with Dave DeWinter ‑ literally I am going to pick him up and use him as a polishing rag LOL." Well, Jamie did polish Dave's blades (and not with Dave!). It's this kind of camaraderie that makes the gyro folks a group that is fun to be with. And all those that came, newbies, as well as old-timers, enjoyed the hangar talk deep into the nights.
		On Friday Chuck Beaty had an opportunity to demonstrate the center of gravity (CG) method he had discussed in the Rotorcraft Conferencing forum. Chuck had written "Graeme Jury in NZ wrote a spreadsheet program based on the Sept. '99 Rotorcraft article by Antonio Alvarez for determining CG by weighing a gyro at two different angles." Chuck showed the two dozen or so people present how to use the three scales under the gyro's wheels and record the measurements and then to place the main wheels on concrete blocks (with scales on top of the blocks) and record the weights again. The numbers are entered in a spreadsheet program and the results are both the vertical and horizontal CGs. He determined the CGs of Carl Schneider's, Ora Cook's and a third gyro at *ROC*. This unplanned "forum" was very informative and led to hours of discussion.
	At *ROC* there were at least 33 gyros present. Also on the field was one lone helicopter, a Scorpion, which had some problem with v-belts and although several attempts were made, never hovered more than a couple of inches. The changing face of gyros and engines could be seen on the flight line. There were few Mac engines. The Subaru engine seemed to be the favorite. There were also not as many Bensens and Brocks, percentage wise, as have been at previous fly-ins around the country. The Mad Max gyro series was quite visible in its many variations. Ernie Boyette's Dominator gyros were also well represented. There were Air Commands and Parsons and also Carl Schneider's Gyro Cycle. Ernie Boyette and Steve McGowan were in the air much of the time doing flight trainin g or giving new pilot orientation rides. Mini-logbooks were available for newcomers who wanted to have a signed log of their first gyro instruction.
		The registration table was very well organized by Cammie McIntosh, JoAnn Pierce and Deloris Jackson aided by Club President Ernest Jackson, Jr., Treasurer Mark Slone, Secretary John Magnan, Jason Jackson and others. They had all visitors sign the entry log and fill out a waiver. The registrars also sold soft drinks, handed out numbered registration badges, and sold raffle tickets. The raffle, for two of the Wal-Mart gift cards, was won by a club member who is on active duty flying an Apache helicopter in Kuwait, Rusty Nance. The third Wal-Mart gift card was won by Mary Oxnam of the Sunstate Club..
	The weather was not as balmy as it had been the first two Rotors Over Carolina. Although it did not rain during the fly-in, the winds were somewhat brisk so only the more experienced pilots flew on Friday. But another occurrence put a damper on the event. The airport manager, without prior notice to the club officers, told pilots that he had not closed the runway or converted the taxiway and that all flying had to be "by the book" -- that is, the pilots had to use the taxiway only as a taxiway, the runways to just take off and land, and could not do any flying demonstrations over the airfield at low altitudes. All flying around the airport had to follow the advertised pattern directions and altitudes. Any other type of flying would have to be away from the airport. Club President Ernest Jackson, Jr., Vice-president Mike Gibson and Safety Officer Herman Yates met with Wendall Gibson (no relation to the club Vice-president) several times and finally arranged that the taxiway would be closed and the large area between it and one of the runways open to demonstration flying but only on Saturday for just two hours. The reasons behind Wendall Gibson's sudden change of mind are unknown. His actions and decisions at the *ROC* fly-in caused it to close a day early -- Saturday evening rather than Sunday afternoon.
		But the disappointment and frustration caused at this third *ROC* did not cause the participants to lose their sense of togetherness. Saturday evening, in front of at least 100 people, Jamie Bodie gave his fiancée Liz Tanner an engagement ring. Then the tents came down and many motor homes and gyros departed at the invitation of Maxie Wildes to come to his private airport near Savannah and enjoy some flying the following day. Those who remained at the Barnwell airport enjoyed themselves around a bonfire near the hangar that evening.
	Although the visitors and the club members were disappointed at the way things turned out there is a positive note: There will be a *ROC* next year, though at a different airport, more friendly to gyros.
		Article written by: John Magnan Secretary of PRA Chapter 13 Photos By Jamie Bodie Vice-President PRA Chapter 13