Sounds like a good starting place would be Oshkosh, Wisconsin to see 
what others have done as a starting point. Unfortunately the annual 
affair just ended. :(
http://www.airventure.org/

AGSCalabrese wrote:
> Thanks for all the responses.
>
> I would like to clarify some of my thoughts .......
>
> #1   My mention of the balloon was misleading.  I don't want a ballon  
> for floating ..... I want a parachute that opens and deploys in one  
> second.  It seemed to me that in order for this to happen, the  
> parachute must be opened with gas pressure.
>   
The Cirrus chute is opened with a rocket, but there is still a period of 
time to slow an aircraft that could be doing more than 200 mph forward, 
not to mention the downward vector.
> #2  I can see that flying between mountains that have not been sussed  
> out ahead of time could be scary.  I want to autogiro where the  
> obstacles have all been cataloged.   I want to create an autogiro  
> corridor between Denver ( near Denver ) and Pueblo, Colorado .   I  
> don't want to fly more than 500 feet off the ground.  My understanding  
> of the glide characteristics ( which may be incorrect ) of an autogiro  
> make it possible to pick short landing spaces and do a "flare landing".
>   
I have flown several times between Denver and Pueblo. Other than the 
congested area, it's relatively flat with sagebrush and other somewhat 
sparse vegetation. Autogiro's have small wheels and expect a smooth 
surface for a safe landing. The flare landing, which in general would be 
a normal full stall landing, is still going to roll out at least 50 
feet. On anything less than pavement, mowed grass or smooth dirt, expect 
a forward rollover. I would not want to be near with those blades 
rotating just above my head. :( Even a larger plane, meant for rough 
landings including Piper Super Cubs and Otters and Beavers would be 
difficult to make an unscheduled landing in that terrain. A retractable 
landing gear plane would probably be safer bellying in with gear up. The 
area is about a mile high, and the density altitude will reduce 
performance by very roughly 50%, or twice landing takeoff distances, 1/2 
rate of climb, and one may find impossible to get off the ground at all 
if the service ceiling (maximum altitude possible) is less than the 
density altitude.

After taking a mountain flying class out of Colorado Springs, I took the 
wife for a ride down toward Pueblo, around Pikes Peak, and down the 
valley by Woodland Park. Flying the Western mountains is different than 
the Eastern mountains. The West has generally wide flat bottomed valleys 
where a reasonably safe landing can be accomplished under control. The 
East usually has heavily wooded, steep sided valleys with a narrow 
stream. There may not be anywhere within miles to even pick as a good 
landing site, even with a helicopter.
> #3  By adding a second engine perhaps I can reduce failure to a 50%  
> loss of power and the ability to choose a "safe" landing.
>   
Autogiros are very light weight, and a 2nd engine will be a 
considerable  performance penalty
> #4  My intention is to make autogiro with a crash cage that survives  
> 40 mph with 4 point support for the inhabitants plus a seat that is "  
> locked " into the crash cage.  I would want to protect for pieces of  
> the autogiro flying around chaotically.
>   
More weight
> #5  I want the autogiro to be able to shift to fixed wing flight in  
> the air  ( and back again ) and go from 80 mph ( 129 kph ) in autogiro  
> mode to 140 mph ( 225 kph ).   All of this this may be an unattainable  
> dream ....
>   
Yep, look what the government has tried, the Harrier, Osprey, and with 
all the homebuilts, there is nothing, and there are some very sharp 
aeronautical engineers out there.
> #6  I want a dual ( or triple ) redundant virtual instrument panel , I  
> want GPS terrain maps digitally displayed , I want the rotor and stuff  
> that could fall apart instrumented to a extreme degree.
>   
More weight and now big money.
> #7   Super dream ......   I want flat packs strapped to the chest and  
> back of the passengers that activate in free fall or manually to  
> create a "fall ball" around the user that slows their descent to the  
> ground and then provides adequate cushioning to stop them safely.     
> Maybe a new sport.
>   
Need altitude for safe landing, need way to exit the plane safely.
> Best
>
> Gus
>
>
>   
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