For the Tomahawk Leader
LINCOLN COUNTY – A Lincoln County Sheriff’s deputy recently lent a hand to the pilot of a unique aircraft after an emergency landing.
On Friday, Sept. 16, the Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center received a call of a gyrocopter in need of assistance on U.S. Highway 51, near County Hwy. S southeast of Tomahawk.
A gyrocopter is a type of rotorcraft that uses an unpowered rotor in free autorotation to develop lift, with forward thrust provided independently by an engine-driven propeller.
The pilot of the gyrocopter reported to the Sheriff’s Office that the aircraft was experiencing low fuel problems, and out of precaution, he set the aircraft down along U.S. Hwy. 51. The pilot said that the gyrocopter was new, with only about 17 flight hours on it, and there seemed to be a discrepancy in the amount of fuel on board compared to what the gauge was showing.
The gyrocopter used regular, unleaded fuel, so a deputy gave the pilot a ride to a nearby gas station, where he bought 10 gallons of fuel before continuing his flight.
There were no injuries as a result of the incident, the Sheriff’s Office said.
