Good stuff Henry! I miss flying gyros some of the most fun flying you will ever do (and also gliders). While yes, in many ways gyroplanes/gyrocopters are “safer”….some argue in other ways is also sort of a misnomer. Yes, the original reason they were developed by Juan de la Cierva was to design a safer aircraft that couldn’t stall and could fly very slow and perform short takeoffs & landings in a small area. You couldn’t quite hover but “almost”. They used them to deliver the mail and other tasks where they could land on rooftops (1930’s-40’s)and certain areas, and one even landed on the White House lawn! So, it was a pretty cool novel idea...UNTIL the helicopter was developed and then sadly the good ole gyro got kicked to the curb. They made a comeback in the 60s and 70s with the Benson’s but then those were very dangerous. The last 15 years or so they made another comeback with the Cavalon and similar more safer models. As for stalls: while yes, it can’t stall as in the way in airplane stalls because it was designed for that safety feature. But The wings of a gyro can stall (the wings being rotorblades) some accelerate too fast on take off and stall the rotorblades some call it flapping , others call it blade sailing. If you catch it quick enough you will avoid damage to the rotor head etc, if you are slow to react then it will be expensive. But your instructor will run through all that with you when you take lessons So, yes it is possible to stall a gyro wing (rotorblades) and you can wreck your machine without ever leaving the ground. There is quite a bit of training involved in the take off, Taking off in a gyro is unlike taking off in any other flying machine, it's a completely new skill set unique to gyroplanes. Also many Statistics show that they are far more fatal than most other recreational aircraft as there often still is a high fatality rate with them. Which leads into final comment of why it’s dangerous…is because of what we call “bunting over” which is invariably fatal and there’s no recovery. Almost all gyroplane fatalities involve some combination of rotor strikes and tumbling. While you don’t need to worry about stalls or spins in a gyro, unloading your blades is just as deadly as a low-altitude stall in a fixed-wing aircraft, and it could happen at any altitude. gyrocopters involve much flight instruction to ensure you avoid the fatal bunting over. But with proper training and a good Gyro aircraft such as a Cavalon and a good competent instructor like Henry you should be more than OK and Safe. They are easier to fly than airplanes and much easier than helicopters, and much cheaper to operate. They can do some pretty cool stuff and plus they just look so darn cool and sleek! Happy flying!
Man... What a great salesman. I've always wanted to own one since I was a kid looking at them in Popular Science magazine. If I wasn't so far away, I'd be on my way there.
You mention that in a power out situation, you can get it down to within an area the size of a tennis court. Is that with no wind? With about what height of obstacles surrounding the tennis court LZ? With what glide airspeed/glide angle could you maintain to a spot that size? I understand that you can drop vertically and then readjust nose attitude at the right moment to regain some glide speed to gain energy to flare for a soft touchdown like we do in helicopters. Typical demonstrations on You Tube always show the gyros regaining airspeed back up to about 60 kts after the vertical descent to land, but that would possibly seem problematic in clearing any obstacles on the approach into that kind of a spot over say downtown Pomona in amongst the trees and wires, unless one were to come in just about vertical. Will it handle a vertical descent to touchdown without breaking the landing gear too badly, or your back? Or are you having get back to at least say 20 or 30 kts before touchdown and hope for the best? Us helicopter pilots have collective pitch to help us out in those kind of scenarios, and even then, we are likely gonna break something, especially with no wind and heavier gross weights, higher density altitudes........
The gyro planes manufactured throughout Europe are all certified aircraft, if my memory serves. Until recently, we had to build them here as experimental. ( recently changed but, I don’t think for all gyros ) Maybe, that will change soon. I too think they are one of the safest aircraft. ( if flown properly, I think all aircraft can be safe. One primary rule in an emergency is fly the plane. That comes first. )
The only type certified gyroplanes in the USA are AutoGyro, which are also available in experimental kit form. All other gyroplanes in the USA are classified experimental.
Thank you for all gyro plane information here, i have gyro my self , but haven't flown her yet. other than taxing on run way many times , with rotor running .,..... i am curious how much do you charge on hourly rate ... i mean wet rate ... for training/flying gyros ?
Hello Henry! Great videos and every subscriber well deserved! Obviously hours needed to obtain a license varies from person to person but what would usually be the time-frame to do it if going full-time and full-on ? Thanks!
FAA minimum requirement for sport pilot gyro is 20 hours total. Consider an average of 30 hours for proficiency to check ride. At 3 hours average of flying a day, about 10 days... Would still need to take written knowledge exam and schedule check ride with DPE.
HI Henry , i am a big guy 6'4" 255 lbs , what is the useful load and can i fit , i fly fix wing now and how much time does it take to transition and be able to fly it solo and or to take a friend , thanks . great job on the presentation
At 6'4", you'll fit in a Cavalon or MTO fine. The maximum seat weight for these aircraft is about 248 lbs. If you can get your flying weight down to 245, you'll be fine. We've had students get their add on rating in as little as 5 hours but expect 10-15.
Thanks, Henry. What about insurance coverage? How much would a person need and what is the approx. cost? What about storage and storage costs? Can it be transported on a flatbed trailer? If a person has the land for a small area to take off and land a gyroplane, is that okay to do? Or, do you need to take off and land at an airport?
Ooooooohhhh stay tuned! We're working on a video where we compare it to something else!! These are all great questions and we will definitely include answers to your questions in the video!
@@AdventureAir Another huge advantage of a large engine, especially at 8,000 ft in the mountains is the increased rate of climb a larger engine gives you. Do you have an estimate of the rate of climb with a 915 at 8000 ft density altitude at Max takeoff weight, and also light with only one person onboard? Hopefully you can answer in your next video😊
@@AdventureAir Thank you for the prompt response, the instructor (director and lead instructor) at Gulf Shores, AL told me their rule of thumb is hours required time age, 67 hours! I'm a healthy active 67 year old man and quiet frankly, that seemed absurd, many more hours than it took for my private. You may not want to respond and I would understand but I would very much be interested in your take on that.
@@douglasrobbins856 If you're current with your PPL I don't see why it would take you almost 70 hours to pass a checkride for a gyroplane add-on. The FAA only requires a minimum of 20 hours, including 5 hours of solo flight to get your sport pilot- gyroplane rating without a PPL. If you ever find yourself out in southern California, swing by and take a discovery flight with us and we can evaluate you and give you more insight in what time you could expect.
Are there 4 seat models and do they have any climate control heat and or ac? I assume not rated for IFR? By the way thank you for all the great content on this channel! I’ve learned a great deal!
If a company were to produce a 4 seat model, it would remove it from the light sport category and require at least a PPL instead of the Sport Pilot rating. No gyroplanes have been rated for IFR, although they can have the equipment for IFR in the aircraft.
@@AdventureAir thank you so much for answering my questions! If I’m ever on your side of the country I’m gonna take you up on that let’s go flying thing!
Just curious. I've always wanted to learn to fly one of these and perhaps even become a CFI and help others get into it. I get that a CFI doesn't get rich, but can they make a livable wage doing this type of work?
It really depends on where you live and how you market yourself. If it's easy for prospective students to get to your airport and you have good flying weather most of the year, you have a better chance.
It really depends on what type of gyroplane you're looking for. In your area, you can look for Sportcopter. We also offer brokerage services and can help you find a new or used gyro that fits your needs.
Awesome presentation! Cheers from Siberia :-)
Great and informative video
Good stuff Henry! I miss flying gyros some of the most fun flying you will ever do (and also gliders). While yes, in many ways gyroplanes/gyrocopters are “safer”….some argue in other ways is also sort of a misnomer. Yes, the original reason they were developed by Juan de la Cierva was to design a safer aircraft that couldn’t stall and could fly very slow and perform short takeoffs & landings in a small area. You couldn’t quite hover but “almost”. They used them to deliver the mail and other tasks where they could land on rooftops (1930’s-40’s)and certain areas, and one even landed on the White House lawn! So, it was a pretty cool novel idea...UNTIL the helicopter was developed and then sadly the good ole gyro got kicked to the curb.
They made a comeback in the 60s and 70s with the Benson’s but then those were very dangerous. The last 15 years or so they made another comeback with the Cavalon and similar more safer models.
As for stalls: while yes, it can’t stall as in the way in airplane stalls because it was designed for that safety feature. But The wings of a gyro can stall
(the wings being rotorblades)
some accelerate too fast on take off and stall the rotorblades some call it flapping , others call it blade sailing.
If you catch it quick enough you will avoid damage to the rotor head etc, if you are slow to react then it will be expensive.
But your instructor will run through all that with you when you take lessons
So, yes it is possible to stall a gyro wing (rotorblades) and you can wreck your machine without ever leaving the ground. There is quite a bit of training involved in the take off, Taking off in a gyro is unlike taking off in any other flying machine, it's a completely new skill set unique to gyroplanes.
Also many Statistics show that they are far more fatal than most other recreational aircraft as there often still is a high fatality rate with them.
Which leads into final comment of why it’s dangerous…is because of what we call “bunting over” which is invariably fatal and there’s no recovery. Almost all gyroplane fatalities involve some combination of rotor strikes and tumbling. While you don’t need to worry about stalls or spins in a gyro, unloading your blades is just as deadly as a low-altitude stall in a fixed-wing aircraft, and it could happen at any altitude. gyrocopters involve much flight instruction to ensure you avoid the fatal bunting over.
But with proper training and a good Gyro aircraft such as a Cavalon and a good competent instructor like Henry you should be more than OK and Safe.
They are easier to fly than airplanes and much easier than helicopters, and much cheaper to operate. They can do some pretty cool stuff and plus they just look so darn cool and sleek!
Happy flying!
G-ACVA was designed, built and flown by David Kay in 1932
Man... What a great salesman. I've always wanted to own one since I was a kid looking at them in Popular Science magazine. If I wasn't so far away, I'd be on my way there.
If you ever find yourself nearby, come in and say hello. We have snacks!
You mention that in a power out situation, you can get it down to within an area the size of a tennis court. Is that with no wind? With about what height of obstacles surrounding the tennis court LZ? With what glide airspeed/glide angle could you maintain to a spot that size? I understand that you can drop vertically and then readjust nose attitude at the right moment to regain some glide speed to gain energy to flare for a soft touchdown like we do in helicopters. Typical demonstrations on You Tube always show the gyros regaining airspeed back up to about 60 kts after the vertical descent to land, but that would possibly seem problematic in clearing any obstacles on the approach into that kind of a spot over say downtown Pomona in amongst the trees and wires, unless one were to come in just about vertical. Will it handle a vertical descent to touchdown without breaking the landing gear too badly, or your back? Or are you having get back to at least say 20 or 30 kts before touchdown and hope for the best? Us helicopter pilots have collective pitch to help us out in those kind of scenarios, and even then, we are likely gonna break something, especially with no wind and heavier gross weights, higher density altitudes........
The gyro planes manufactured throughout Europe are all certified aircraft, if my memory serves. Until recently, we had to build them here as experimental. ( recently changed but, I don’t think for all gyros )
Maybe, that will change soon. I too think they are one of the safest aircraft. ( if flown properly, I think all aircraft can be safe. One primary rule in an emergency is fly the plane. That comes first. )
The only type certified gyroplanes in the USA are AutoGyro, which are also available in experimental kit form. All other gyroplanes in the USA are classified experimental.
I want one
Thank you for all gyro plane information here, i have gyro my self , but haven't flown her yet. other than taxing on run way many times , with rotor running .,..... i am curious how much do you charge on hourly rate ... i mean wet rate ... for training/flying gyros ?
About $250 per hour
Hello Henry!
Great videos and every subscriber well deserved!
Obviously hours needed to obtain a license varies from person to person but what would usually be the time-frame to do it if going full-time and full-on ?
Thanks!
FAA minimum requirement for sport pilot gyro is 20 hours total. Consider an average of 30 hours for proficiency to check ride. At 3 hours average of flying a day, about 10 days... Would still need to take written knowledge exam and schedule check ride with DPE.
@@AdventureAir thanks so much for the answer 🙏.
How much does the purple one cost?
280,000. Fully loaded
HI Henry , i am a big guy 6'4" 255 lbs , what is the useful load and can i fit , i fly fix wing now and how much time does it take to transition and be able to fly it solo and or to take a friend , thanks . great job on the presentation
At 6'4", you'll fit in a Cavalon or MTO fine. The maximum seat weight for these aircraft is about 248 lbs. If you can get your flying weight down to 245, you'll be fine. We've had students get their add on rating in as little as 5 hours but expect 10-15.
In the 50s and 60s, every kid wanted a Benson Gyro!
I still have my blueprint wall poster from Benson!
Thanks, Henry. What about insurance coverage? How much would a person need and what is the approx. cost? What about storage and storage costs? Can it be transported on a flatbed trailer? If a person has the land for a small area to take off and land a gyroplane, is that okay to do? Or, do you need to take off and land at an airport?
Ooooooohhhh stay tuned! We're working on a video where we compare it to something else!! These are all great questions and we will definitely include answers to your questions in the video!
@@AdventureAir
Another huge advantage of a large engine, especially at 8,000 ft in the mountains is the increased rate of climb a larger engine gives you.
Do you have an estimate of the rate of climb with a 915 at 8000 ft density altitude at Max takeoff weight, and also light with only one person onboard?
Hopefully you can answer in your next video😊
@@AdventureAir Thanks, Henry. I am looking forward to your next video.
How long does the average career helicopter pilot typically need to figure these gyros out? Interested in Cavalons!
We've had career pilots get their add on rating in as little as 5 hours!
do they have heat or ac in them?
They have cabin heat. AC is controlled by altitude.
On average, how many hours transition training from private single engine to gyroplane would you say one should expect?
Good question.. while we've had high time pilots complete the add on rating in as little as 5 hours, the average can be 10-15.
@@AdventureAir Thank you for the prompt response, the instructor (director and lead instructor) at Gulf Shores, AL told me their rule of thumb is hours required time age, 67 hours! I'm a healthy active 67 year old man and quiet frankly, that seemed absurd, many more hours than it took for my private. You may not want to respond and I would understand but I would very much be interested in your take on that.
@@douglasrobbins856 If you're current with your PPL I don't see why it would take you almost 70 hours to pass a checkride for a gyroplane add-on. The FAA only requires a minimum of 20 hours, including 5 hours of solo flight to get your sport pilot- gyroplane rating without a PPL. If you ever find yourself out in southern California, swing by and take a discovery flight with us and we can evaluate you and give you more insight in what time you could expect.
Are there 4 seat models and do they have any climate control heat and or ac? I assume not rated for IFR? By the way thank you for all the great content on this channel! I’ve learned a great deal!
If a company were to produce a 4 seat model, it would remove it from the light sport category and require at least a PPL instead of the Sport Pilot rating. No gyroplanes have been rated for IFR, although they can have the equipment for IFR in the aircraft.
@@AdventureAir thank you so much for answering my questions! If I’m ever on your side of the country I’m gonna take you up on that let’s go flying thing!
Just curious. I've always wanted to learn to fly one of these and perhaps even become a CFI and help others get into it. I get that a CFI doesn't get rich, but can they make a livable wage doing this type of work?
It really depends on where you live and how you market yourself. If it's easy for prospective students to get to your airport and you have good flying weather most of the year, you have a better chance.
Do Y'all Have the HAWK 4 Gyroplane / Gyrocopter ?
No. It was only built as a prototype. It never went into production.
@@AdventureAir thats a shame I liked the Prototype
What’s the difference in a gyrocopter and a gyroplane?
Gyrocopter is a copyrighted name by Benson. They are essentially the same thing.
What's the cost?
It depends on the model and if you buy new or pre-owned. We have a few pre-owned models for sale around 100k..
how much do they cost ? is there anyone in the Portland, Ore. area that teaches and sells them ?
It really depends on what type of gyroplane you're looking for. In your area, you can look for Sportcopter. We also offer brokerage services and can help you find a new or used gyro that fits your needs.
Anyone on the east coast??
Why this engines burn so much gas per hour
In comparison with car engines?
Don't they have a transmission built in? 🤔 I would like to know.
It averages to about 35 miles per gallon, so it's not much. 5-7 gph is low for aircraft engines.
holler at me if you need another instructor
4:16
The VNE for the 916 calidus was raised to 150 mph
@@AdventureAir Thank you for the information, and fly safe.
PIO and PPO....tell the whole story