In the past decade there have been some large advances made in the design and construction of gyroplanes. Manufacturers like Auto-Gyro, ELA and Magni have created a new generation of gyroplanes that use modern design and manufacturing principles to create recreational aircraft that are both extremely safe and extremely cost effective.
What this has done is open up recreational aviation to a whole new section of the population. In the past learning to fly tended to be an expensive endeavour. The costs of training and the hire rates added up to a fairly large bill.
With the advent of these gyroplanes it is now possible for you to get a license that allows you to fly an extremely safe, high performance, cost effective aircraft.
So How Difficult Is It To Learn To Fly A Gyroplane?
Even though a gyroplane is a type of rotorcraft, it is far easier to learn than a helicopter. A gyroplane flies more like a fixed wing than a chopper.
You have your stick which controls pitch and roll, and you have foot pedals connected to the rudder which controls your yaw as well as your front nose wheel when taxying. There is a throttle for your speed and a full instrumentation panel including GPS.
If you are an absolute aviation novice, on average it takes around thirty hours of gyrocopter training to get your solo certification.
The great thing about these new gyroplanes is that the one you learn in will be dual control. Your instructor will sit in the back with access to all the controls so you can learn confident in the knowledge they can take over at any time.
If you have some flying experience and you want to learn how to fly a gyroplane it is even easier. You will need to undertake a conversion course which on average takes 6-10 hours depending on how much flying you've been doing recently.
There will also be some theory involved in your training which is done on the ground and will reinforce your practical training.
There are also extra module you can undertake once you have received your solo license that extend your allowed flight range.
If you live in Australia and you think you might want to learn how to fly one of these exciting new aircraft, visit our website to learn the details of how you can get started with your training.
East Coast Autogyro
