Why would I want to fly a Gyroplane?

---

Gyroplanes are fully functioning aircraft which, through their ingenious design, manage to avoid some of the less endearing qualities of fixed wing aeroplanes. For example:

The price of buying (let alone maintaining) a conventional aeroplane is measured in tens of thousands of pounds. A Gyroplane on the other hand, can be yours for a similar price to a used family car. Conventional aeroplanes run on special fuel and must generally be kept in a special place (i.e. at an airfield). Gyroplanes however, will run on good old filling station petrol and can be kept in the garage at home. A competent Gyroplane pilot can take off in the space of two hundred yards while most fixed wing aeroplanes would need at least double that (often much more).

That same Gyroplane pilot could safely land his machine between the two sets of stumps at the local cricket match should the need arise. Most conventional aeroplanes need a landing run of something like half a mile in still wind conditions on wet grass. A significant part of the fixed wing training syllabus is devoted to teaching students how to avoid stalling the aeroplane (i.e. flying it so slowly that the wings stop generating lift). Gyroplanes simply cannot stall. It is easily possible to fly at zero ground speed while still retaining complete control.

The fact that these disadvantages have been overcome, means that still further possibilities are opened up for Gyroplane pilots. Shorter takeoff and landing runs mean that Gyroplanes are not restricted to using airfields or even carefully prepared landing strips. The utopian ideal of operating the aeroplane from the back garden can become a reality for some, while the rest of us have a far wider range of places to visit.

Next: Where Can I go in a Gyroplane?

---

Return to: BRA Home Page, Gyroplane F.A.Q.