Fama Kiss flight

Flying the Fama KISS with Nino - Aldina Hadzic in background

Yesterday, I flew with one of my former students to Bologna to fly the small turbine helicopter the Fama KISS. The student, John Heath, is interested in buying one and in becoming the British distributor. He is working with the CAA to see how possible this might be.
I had an interesting flight. At first the KISS would not start, owing to the ignition breaker having been left out. Then we got a hung start because the battery charge was too low. However, all these things were overcome and we took off to fly up to the hover area.
I was happy in the hover. There is more lateral travel than I'm used to, but the machine was nice and responsive and I enjoyed hovering it. However, when we took off the vibration was awful - I looked in amazement at Nino, and he looked annoyed with the machine. The blades must need tracking, he said. We flew for a while, but the vibration was getting worse, so we came back and landed, Nino still muttering about tracking.
When we landed, however, and Nino had a look around the machine he found it was not the tracking that was lacking, but that a bolt in the head had sheared off! Considering we had no back pitch it flew pretty well!
His mechanics rushed out and in a few moments (half an hour) the fault was fixed.
John then went flying and commented how smooth it was. I think I will fly it again and see what the full KISS is like!

Hradec Kralove Art Gallery

Ballerina 

This is a really special art gallery - The Museum of Modern Art - in Hradec Kralove and I thought it was completely wonderful and worth travelling to HK for.

Concepts from the artists included a woman encased in her own thoughts and fears, a picture that could be viewed from both sides using a mirror, a sculpture of a Dandy, made from pieces of bicycle, an artist eating his palette, because, presumably, he would not make any art that would give him the money to eat and many other thought-provoking pieces. I loved it.

Artists eating his palette

EHS Air Display day three

Fly-by of 13 helicopters

Day three at the European Helicopter Show ended with a fabulous air display. It started with a fly-by of thirteen helicopters - something of a record in itself. This was followed by fire-fighting, a medical rescue, new light helicopter display by the FAMA Kiss helicopter, a Stampe air display, an Extra showing its paces, the Red Bull Cobra and many other wonderful and extraordinary delights. It was a brilliant end to the show.

Bike Garage Hradec Kralove

Bike garage

Hradec Kravlove's bike garage. Bike are taken up the ramp on the left hand side and put in to the lift, whence they can be taken up do whichever floor is desired, pushed out and secured in the bike spaces. Just like a multistorey car park.

Six to Six robot

Six to Six is an interesting flying robot which can carry a still or video camera for use by a ground handler. The handler can see what the robot camera sees either on the computer monitor or through special viewing spectacles.

Flooding resistant barrier bags

Before water

Other interesting booths included the LECRA Barrier Bag. This is a Japanese invention, marketed by the Swedes. It is a small packable bag weighing 300 grams and made of polymers. When the bag is soaked in water it grows and becomes a 23 kilo block forming a barrier to further intrusion from water. This can be used in flood and best of all easily carried to the site - perhaps by helicopter.

After water has been added

Day Two part two EHS

Day Two at the European Helicopter Show, started with about twenty students rushing through the gate - we got very excited seeing this as a tide of visitors, but actually they were on their way somewhere else and never even entered the show hangar.
Apart from that early rush, day two had about the same amount of people as day one, and consequently I spent most of the day talking to exhibitors and taking photos.
Left is the Astar, Squirrel or AS350 practicing its display for tomorrow. We are hoping the weather will get better - it started raining this evening and has kept up a long slow drizzle ever since - and that tomorrow will bring a host of enthusiasts and pilots.

Nice barbecue this evening with, perhaps, wild boar meat.

David Herbert, HL subscriber, with the Cobra