Sunday, August 9, 2009

Guido's Gyrocopter

Would you fly in this gyrocopter? My son did. When he visited Tamarindo recently we saw this helicopter version of an ultra-light flying around, and it offers rides to tourists. My younger son, Stuart, kept talking about wanting to take a flight, and naturally, my instincts as a parent were to try to discourage him. I thought the zip lines, rapelling, rock climbing, and other activities at the Hacienda Guachepelin Adventure Tour, which I showed on this site in June, was enough excitement for Stuart's 10 days in Tamarindo.  I was wrong.

You can see how successful I was in discouraging Stuart.  My son is 27 and capable of making his own decisions. He was determined to go. I went with him to the little Tamarindo Airport (which I have shown on this site in the past, as you can see in the index tab for "Roads and Infrastructure"). I went with him in part so I could check out the safety of the gyrocopter.

The pilot who we had talked to on the phone was also the owner of the aircraft. His name is Guido.  You can imagine my surprise in meeting Guido to find out that he is a German. That naturally made me feel better about he safety of the aircraft because my experience is that everything in Germany works. (I will leave a little travel story about that experience in Germany in the comments to today's post.)

I asked the pilot, "If you are German, how did you get a name like Guido?" He answered, "My mother liked Italians."

During the next week or so I will post photos about the gyrocoptor flight.
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10 comments:

  1. Leif HagenAugust 9, 2009 at 5:04 AM

    WOW - I've never seen a flying machine like that one before! Fun snap!

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  2. brattcatAugust 9, 2009 at 5:30 AM

    I think I'm going to like this series a lot. I already love Guido and his mother. And Guido's gyrocopter is 'way cool.'

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  3. Dave-CostaRicaDailyPhoto.comAugust 9, 2009 at 6:25 AM

    The increase in my comfort level with the gyrocopter upon learning that Guido was a German is based in part on my experience that when traveling in Germany, everything works. THe proverbial trains run on time.

    The rental car that I drove around Germany for three weeks back in 1992 had one minor flaw. The little cover over the place where the gas is filled would at times flip open. That was more disorder than the German psyche could tolerate. It did not matter if a car was passing us on the auto bahn at 160 km (100 miles) per hour, Germans would gesture and point that the gas cap cover had flipped open.

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  4. SharonAugust 9, 2009 at 8:37 AM

    The adventures you and your sons experienced never seem to end!!

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  5. JudyAugust 9, 2009 at 8:51 AM

    I love the "thumbs up" pose. I could be talked into doing that.

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  6. Julie ScottsdaleDailyPhoto.comAugust 9, 2009 at 9:10 AM

    this is amazing. what a cool adventure

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  7. LowellAugust 9, 2009 at 4:17 PM

    Your son is a brave man! I'd like to meet Guido's mother. And I'm not even Italian. I don't think I am, anyway.

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  8. glendaAugust 9, 2009 at 6:55 PM

    Very funny story, dave. That looks like a great little machine. I can see how Stewart was drawn to it.

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  9. HildaAugust 9, 2009 at 8:57 PM

    "Would you fly in this gyrocopter?"
    YES!

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  10. UnknownAugust 17, 2009 at 3:17 PM

    hey, Im planning to go there and I also would like to fly that gyrocopter. do you have any contact information from that company, which is offering this flights? any airfield or other data?
    Id be very happy, if you reply.
    eicas.warning[at]googlemail[dot]com

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