Stability augmentation promises to give you even less control

On 2010-08-06, Jim Logajan wrote:
Dudley Henriques wrote:
My most interesting Usenet experience occurred when someone accused me
of NOT being Dudley Henriques as he knew Dudley Henriques and I wasn't
him.

Maybe you have an evil twin you don't know about?

My wife promptly answered his private email to me stating that if he
knew the real Dudley Henriques, would he be kind enough to ask him to
come home immediately as the impostor she had been living with for
over 40 years didn't like to do yard work.

While I'm not a fan of weeding or watering, I do take a certain
satisfaction in mowing the yard with our riding mower.

There's something about the riding mower that I enjoy. Not
sure what it is. I'd have to agree that mowing is acceptable
when a riding type is used. Especially if its got a big
2 or 3 bag catcher strapped to the back.

z

"Stephen!" wrote:
Gemini wrote in
:

There's something about the riding mower that I enjoy. Not
sure what it is. I'd have to agree that mowing is acceptable
when a riding type is used. Especially if its got a big
2 or 3 bag catcher strapped to the back.

Bah... To hell with bags. Full Mulch is the only way to go.

We bought a 3 bag catcher a few years back, and while I find bagging makes
for a nicer result, I bought a mulcher kit for the lawn tractor a couple
months ago. Still haven't used it yet (Oregon has a dry summer climate, so
as the summer wears on mowing isn't needed as much. And when it does need
mowing there is no need to bag or mulch.)

With regard to aviation and this thread:

I will need to increase the size of the blades (currently only 48 inch
width) and engine horsepower (currently just 20 HP) on my lawn tractor to
make it a hovering mower. Instead of a lever to adjust the height of the
mower blades, I'll need some way to adjust the height of the tractor above
ground (maybe replace the mower attachment lever with a collective?)
Haven't figured out how I'll handle slopes. Clearly a stability
augmentation system of some kind will be needed.

I'm pretty sure it'll weigh more than allowed for ultralights, so I may
need to get a helicopter license to legally mow. Will I need to equip it
with two seats to allow CFIs do BFRs? Or can they simply observe from a
safe distance while I show I can safely perform cross-wind mows, collision
avoidance of trees, flowers, and fences; simulated emergencies such as
mowing over things that make it go "kerchunk!"?

"Jim Logajan" wrote in message
.. .
"Stephen!" wrote:
Gemini wrote in
:

There's something about the riding mower that I enjoy. Not
sure what it is. I'd have to agree that mowing is acceptable
when a riding type is used. Especially if its got a big
2 or 3 bag catcher strapped to the back.

Bah... To hell with bags. Full Mulch is the only way to go.

We bought a 3 bag catcher a few years back, and while I find bagging makes
for a nicer result, I bought a mulcher kit for the lawn tractor a couple
months ago. Still haven't used it yet (Oregon has a dry summer climate, so
as the summer wears on mowing isn't needed as much. And when it does need
mowing there is no need to bag or mulch.)

With regard to aviation and this thread:

I will need to increase the size of the blades (currently only 48 inch
width) and engine horsepower (currently just 20 HP) on my lawn tractor to
make it a hovering mower. Instead of a lever to adjust the height of the
mower blades, I'll need some way to adjust the height of the tractor above
ground (maybe replace the mower attachment lever with a collective?)
Haven't figured out how I'll handle slopes. Clearly a stability
augmentation system of some kind will be needed.

I'm pretty sure it'll weigh more than allowed for ultralights, so I may
need to get a helicopter license to legally mow. Will I need to equip it
with two seats to allow CFIs do BFRs? Or can they simply observe from a
safe distance while I show I can safely perform cross-wind mows, collision
avoidance of trees, flowers, and fences; simulated emergencies such as
mowing over things that make it go "kerchunk!"?

I've heard that a/c which are not routinely capable of achieving altitude
above a certain low limit are exempt from requlation by the FAA.

But, that stability augmentation might still be a good idea on the slopes!

Peter ;-))))))))))))

On Aug 8, 5:11*pm, Jim Logajan wrote:
"Stephen!" wrote:
Gemini wrote in
n:

There's something about the riding mower that I enjoy. Not
sure what it is. I'd have to agree that mowing is acceptable
when a riding type is used. Especially if its got a big
2 or 3 bag catcher strapped to the back.

* Bah... *To hell with bags. *Full Mulch is the only way to go.

We bought a 3 bag catcher a few years back, and while I find bagging makes
for a nicer result, I bought a mulcher kit for the lawn tractor a couple
months ago. Still haven't used it yet (Oregon has a dry summer climate, so
as the summer wears on mowing isn't needed as much. And when it does need
mowing there is no need to bag or mulch.)

With regard to aviation and this thread:

I will need to increase the size of the blades (currently only 48 inch
width) and engine horsepower (currently just 20 HP) on my lawn tractor to
make it a hovering mower. Instead of a lever to adjust the height of the
mower blades, I'll need some way to adjust the height of the tractor above
ground (maybe replace the mower attachment lever with a collective?)
Haven't figured out how I'll handle slopes. Clearly a stability
augmentation system of some kind will be needed.

I'm pretty sure it'll weigh more than allowed for ultralights, so I may
need to get a helicopter license to legally mow. Will I need to equip it
with two seats to allow CFIs do BFRs? Or can they simply observe from a
safe distance while I show I can safely perform cross-wind mows, collision
avoidance of trees, flowers, and fences; simulated emergencies such as
mowing over things that make it go "kerchunk!"?

From my yard work handbook; Rider Mower ABS, GOOD.............Rider
Mower
Stabaug..........Good..............Kerchunk....... .........BAD!! :-))
D

On Aug 8, 5:43*pm, Dudley Henriques wrote:
On Aug 8, 5:11*pm, Jim Logajan wrote:



"Stephen!" wrote:
Gemini wrote in
n:

There's something about the riding mower that I enjoy. Not
sure what it is. I'd have to agree that mowing is acceptable
when a riding type is used. Especially if its got a big
2 or 3 bag catcher strapped to the back.

* Bah... *To hell with bags. *Full Mulch is the only way to go.

We bought a 3 bag catcher a few years back, and while I find bagging makes
for a nicer result, I bought a mulcher kit for the lawn tractor a couple
months ago. Still haven't used it yet (Oregon has a dry summer climate, so
as the summer wears on mowing isn't needed as much. And when it does need
mowing there is no need to bag or mulch.)

With regard to aviation and this thread:

I will need to increase the size of the blades (currently only 48 inch
width) and engine horsepower (currently just 20 HP) on my lawn tractor to
make it a hovering mower. Instead of a lever to adjust the height of the
mower blades, I'll need some way to adjust the height of the tractor above
ground (maybe replace the mower attachment lever with a collective?)
Haven't figured out how I'll handle slopes. Clearly a stability
augmentation system of some kind will be needed.

I'm pretty sure it'll weigh more than allowed for ultralights, so I may
need to get a helicopter license to legally mow. Will I need to equip it
with two seats to allow CFIs do BFRs? Or can they simply observe from a
safe distance while I show I can safely perform cross-wind mows, collision
avoidance of trees, flowers, and fences; simulated emergencies such as
mowing over things that make it go "kerchunk!"?

From my yard work handbook; Rider Mower ABS, GOOD.............Rider
Mower
Stabaug..........Good..............Kerchunk....... .........BAD!! *:-))
D

Mr Dudley, should you achieve lift from your mower blades you;d
probably have to be inverted -- remember the blades are designed to
create an updraft around the grass, so you best get a full harness
rather than just a seat belt. I suspected inverted flight close over
the lawn violates a regulation or two as well.

I'm not sure how you'd get enough speed to go inverted -- you may need
a launch ramp and half a snap roll. I'll be looking for this on you
tube,

On Aug 8, 6:20*pm, a wrote:
On Aug 8, 5:43*pm, Dudley Henriques wrote:



On Aug 8, 5:11*pm, Jim Logajan wrote:

"Stephen!" wrote:
Gemini wrote in
n:

There's something about the riding mower that I enjoy. Not
sure what it is. I'd have to agree that mowing is acceptable
when a riding type is used. Especially if its got a big
2 or 3 bag catcher strapped to the back.

* Bah... *To hell with bags. *Full Mulch is the only way to go.

We bought a 3 bag catcher a few years back, and while I find bagging makes
for a nicer result, I bought a mulcher kit for the lawn tractor a couple
months ago. Still haven't used it yet (Oregon has a dry summer climate, so
as the summer wears on mowing isn't needed as much. And when it does need
mowing there is no need to bag or mulch.)

With regard to aviation and this thread:

I will need to increase the size of the blades (currently only 48 inch
width) and engine horsepower (currently just 20 HP) on my lawn tractor to
make it a hovering mower. Instead of a lever to adjust the height of the
mower blades, I'll need some way to adjust the height of the tractor above
ground (maybe replace the mower attachment lever with a collective?)
Haven't figured out how I'll handle slopes. Clearly a stability
augmentation system of some kind will be needed.

I'm pretty sure it'll weigh more than allowed for ultralights, so I may
need to get a helicopter license to legally mow. Will I need to equip it
with two seats to allow CFIs do BFRs? Or can they simply observe from a
safe distance while I show I can safely perform cross-wind mows, collision
avoidance of trees, flowers, and fences; simulated emergencies such as
mowing over things that make it go "kerchunk!"?

From my yard work handbook; Rider Mower ABS, GOOD.............Rider
Mower
Stabaug..........Good..............Kerchunk....... .........BAD!! *:-))
D

Mr Dudley, should you achieve lift from your mower blades you;d
probably have to be inverted -- remember the blades are designed to
create an updraft around the grass, so you best get a full harness
rather than just a seat belt. I suspected inverted flight close over
the lawn violates a regulation or two as well.

I'm not sure how you'd get enough speed to go inverted -- you may need
a launch ramp and half a snap roll. I'll be looking for this on you
tube,

Sounds like a good plan to me. A 1/2 snap sounds like the way to go.
Somehow I get the feeling that I'll have to be inverted in the seat
with the mower right side up however for the blades to work
properly.:-))
DH

Dudley Henriques wrote:
From my yard work handbook; Rider Mower ABS, GOOD.............Rider
Mower
Stabaug..........Good..............Kerchunk....... .........BAD!! :-))
D

Hmmm - does it say how bad? Is it considered Controlled Flight into Terrain
(CFIT) or Controlled Mow into Things (CMIT)? Would it help if I filed a
ASRS after such an incident? It's not like it is intentional or anything.
Sure, I may let the grass get a tad high before mowing it, causing me to
mow under marginal visual mowing conditions, but there are always
extenuating circumstances.

On Aug 8, 8:10*pm, Jim Logajan wrote:
Dudley Henriques wrote:
From my yard work handbook; Rider Mower ABS, GOOD.............Rider
Mower
Stabaug..........Good..............Kerchunk....... .........BAD!! *:-))
D

Hmmm - does it say how bad? Is it considered Controlled Flight into Terrain
(CFIT) or Controlled Mow into Things (CMIT)? Would it help if I filed a
ASRS after such an incident? It's not like it is intentional or anything.
Sure, I may let the grass get a tad high before mowing it, causing me to
mow under marginal visual mowing conditions, but there are always
extenuating circumstances.

My lifelong dream is to get one of those mowers that mows
automatically while I sit up on the porch in air conditioned comfort
with a Jack Daniels in one mitt and a remote control joystick for the
mower in the other. :-)
DH

On Aug 8, 8:17*pm, Dudley Henriques wrote:
On Aug 8, 8:10*pm, Jim Logajan wrote:

Dudley Henriques wrote:
From my yard work handbook; Rider Mower ABS, GOOD.............Rider
Mower
Stabaug..........Good..............Kerchunk....... .........BAD!! *:-))
D

Hmmm - does it say how bad? Is it considered Controlled Flight into Terrain
(CFIT) or Controlled Mow into Things (CMIT)? Would it help if I filed a
ASRS after such an incident? It's not like it is intentional or anything.
Sure, I may let the grass get a tad high before mowing it, causing me to
mow under marginal visual mowing conditions, but there are always
extenuating circumstances.

My lifelong dream is to get one of those mowers that mows
automatically while I sit up on the porch in air conditioned comfort
with a Jack Daniels in one mitt and a remote control joystick for the
mower in the other. :-)
DH

With a suitably modified GPS enabled autopilot (some tractors are
large farms actually have these) you could be spared the labor of
working the joystick. Once programmed it would fly (well, taxi) a
suitable pattern, upwind, crosswind, downwind, base, and upwind again
and mow down those blades that intrude into a bug's airspace.

I claim extra credit for aviation content in the above.

On Aug 8, 9:54*pm, a wrote:
On Aug 8, 8:17*pm, Dudley Henriques wrote:



On Aug 8, 8:10*pm, Jim Logajan wrote:

Dudley Henriques wrote:
From my yard work handbook; Rider Mower ABS, GOOD.............Rider
Mower
Stabaug..........Good..............Kerchunk....... .........BAD!! *:-))
D

Hmmm - does it say how bad? Is it considered Controlled Flight into Terrain
(CFIT) or Controlled Mow into Things (CMIT)? Would it help if I filed a
ASRS after such an incident? It's not like it is intentional or anything.
Sure, I may let the grass get a tad high before mowing it, causing me to
mow under marginal visual mowing conditions, but there are always
extenuating circumstances.

My lifelong dream is to get one of those mowers that mows
automatically while I sit up on the porch in air conditioned comfort
with a Jack Daniels in one mitt and a remote control joystick for the
mower in the other. :-)
DH

With a suitably modified GPS enabled autopilot (some tractors are
large farms actually have these) you could be spared the labor of
working the joystick. Once programmed it would fly (well, taxi) a
suitable pattern, upwind, crosswind, downwind, base, and upwind again
and mow down those blades that intrude into a bug's airspace.

I claim extra credit for aviation content in the above.

5 Atta Boys and no "Oh ****s" to you for aviation related
content :-)))

:-))
DH