From Highland Aviation, Inverness, EGPE, February 2024 Newsletter:
“We have a lot planned for the coming year. As the world leader in Gyrocopter training, we have again been contracted to provide training for foreign governments (see webpage here). This year our team will be working in Africa again, but with a new government client, using the latest Autogyro Cavalon Sentinel aircraft, with the new Rotax 916 engine. We continue to be in consultation with many interested parties, who all understand the potential of these fantastic aircraft for security and commercial applications.”
https://highlandaviation.com/pages/flight-training-contracts-for-governments-and-security-services
As I see it, one great problem with the autogyro is take off. Landing is like an auto in a helicopter but the one time I was in one the take off performance seemed no better than a lot of what I’d call the strip type fixed wings that were there that day.
I’m comparing gyros with private Cub, Zenith, Jodel, or my Bolkow. Much cheaper to buy and to run.
much less expensive than gyro flying.
I think you’re confusing gyros with helicopters. The couple of times I’ve flown gyros they were the same price as a 172, more or less.
I think the low height limit for gyros and fixed wing is the same. Flying fixed wing low to look at scenery is common, and much less expensive than gyro flying.
Also I’m not talking about hundreds of people, but short of 10 I know personally.
Still quite a few! Interesting
https://youtu.be/TmwEbjzLtDo?si=RJu2TBfFg9Npsge1
This looks fun!
Al_Kee wrote:
do you mean the people that stopped got a bit bored of just flying short local flights?
Not sure what the motives were, but I guess that for some the novelty faded quickly… I might add that the ones I know of who stopped were still flying fixed wings and continued flying them after the rotating experience. Also I’m not talking about hundreds of people, but short of 10 I know personally.
Thanks all for the recent posts.
Dan, do you mean the people that stopped got a bit bored of just flying short local flights?
I got my PPL then soon realised I preferred going places as opposed to flying local legs and hence got my IR for longer touring.
That being said, the idea of flying lower and slower with fewer safety concerns (not requiring the glide range of a fixed wing) does appeal. I would think the ‘local exploring’ would be more fun actually being lower down and being able to see more and fly much slower and whilst these machines are VFR – I presume dispatch rate is fairly good given they fly lower so can fly with lower cloudbase than fixed wing VFR and have less wind constraints. Obviously not really comparable given I have an IR but that’s a different type of mission.
Highland Aviation at EGPE Inverness have a very busy Gyro training section, and were training Kenya Government people at Inverness for game warden patrol use – one of the owners went to Kenya to do ⁹instructing.
I see othing wrong with gyros from the start, or for a young, low hours fixed wing pilot, but I started my “stick forward” reaction 65 years ago on gliders, and do not think now when doing it. I’d be lethal trying to fly a gyro, even with an instructor.
From ANN, 29/1/2024, no mention of what school is involved. There is also a Gyro school at Perth.
“ARC Aerosystems has reported to ANN that it has finalized a transaction for the sale of five Pegasus aircraft to a Scottish investor to lease to a pilot training school and an aerial service operator, with ARC committed to delivering all units by the first quarter of 2026. The Pegasus is reportedly the first Non-helicopter VTOL aircraft to receive FAA certification.”
