Why Fly a Gyro?

Here are a few of the reasons:

• Cost – Buying and running a gyro is similar in cost to an ultralight and many times less than a helicopter.
• Reliability – These aircraft are not home built toys anymore.  Several technically advanced, factory build models have been type certified by organizations like the CAA in UK and the JAA in Europe.  The US Department of Justice is trialing several gyros for aerial law enforcement applications.
• Accessibility – Gyros are as easy to fly as any light fixed wing aircraft.
• Agility – Once in the air, gyros have agility more like a small helicopter than a fixed wing aircraft.
• Safety – Gyros are in constant autorotation, so engine failures are much less of a concern for the pilot of a gyro than they are for pilots of helicopters or fixed wing aircraft.
• Stability – They cannot stall or spin.  They have no vortex ring or LTE to worry about and they are much more stable in turbulence than either a helicopter or a light fixed wing aircraft.
• Tolerances – They can fly safely in much higher wind than most light aircraft.  The Magni M16 Trainer we use is authorized to operate in winds up to 40knots!
• Versatility – They only need a very short runway, field or dirt track (250ft) to take off and can land at nearly zero airspeed.
• Portability – They can be towed rather than being flown if weather or practicality says flying isn’t an option.
• Convenience – Most gyros only have two rotors, so when lined up with the fuselage, they present a narrow profile to make storage easier and cheaper.
• Variety – Modern day gyros range from very cheap-to-run “bugs-in-the-teeth” skeletal frames up to fully enclosed, heated machines capable of year round flight.

Summary – This machinery has come of age.  The gyro will never replace the helicopter or the fixed wing aircraft, but it seems to be carving a significant niche all of its own.  If the activities in Europe, Australia and UK are anything to go by, there is a wave of gyro interest coming our way.