Best Pilot Training Route

gyroman

Never-ending gyro builder
Joined
Oct 30, 2003
Messages
617
Location
Alvin, TX
Aircraft
Building a Honeybee
Total Flight Time
15 minutes
Since there are few instructors in various parts of the country.

What would be the best path to take to get your training for gyros?

For instance, would it be better to get a fixed wing sport pilot license, then get a gyroplane add on since fixed wing training is fairly plentiful?

There seem to be a lot of training videos for Private / Sport Pilot. They could even shorten you training time with the instructor.

Or should you go straight to the gyroplane instructor and take all your training with him?

What's your opinion?

What have you done to get your license?
 
Which way is better (Less Expensive) depends on how far you have to travel for instruction. If you have a Gyroplane instructor close to you. Then definitely stick with him.

For someone with no flight experience who has to travel a long distance and stay in a hotel. Then I think an airplane Sport Pilot rating is the way to start.

Then it's fly to proficiency in a Gyroplane with a Proficiency Check ride with another instructor.

Now this does not mean it's going to take you less time to learn to fly a gyro. But it does lessen some of the time requirements such as cross-country time.

For my private Gyroplane add-on I had a 2 1/2 hour drive one way for an instructor. That's considered close in my book.

For my BFI Gyroplane. I had to go to Dallas Texas. I live in the Chicago area.

For my Gyroplane Commercial and Instructor I traveled to Phoenix, Arizona.
 
I got my sport pilot fixed wing 1st in my 2 placed Kolb. If you’re just going for gyros then I would say just learn to fly gyros. I got the fixed wing and then decided to go gyro when I found out how the wind affected the plane.


Fixed wing training especially tailwheel will get your feet conditioned well to keeping the gyro straight and seems to help with learning to balance on the mains.

For me personally the fixed wing training and experience helped me in the transition to gyroplane. To me flying the gyro was not that much different than the airplane. Gyros are a whole lot more maneuverable and a whole lot more sensitive to control inputs than airplanes. Thinking about moving and a gyro will. Even just going from the gyro trainer to my single seater was eye opening in how much more sensitive and agile the single is compared to the trainer.
 
Chapter 2 just did a Webinar that covers this topic. Look for the link in the chapter 2 thread.
 
Chapter 2 just did a Webinar that covers this topic. Look for the link in the chapter 2 thread.

Mike covered this in his Tuesday night webinar, which is now available in the archive at www.utahrotorcraft.org. Click "Webinars" in the navigation list at the left, and scroll down to "Tuesday Webinars" and find Mike's February 9th presentation. The topic comes up near the end.

There's a 38-minute video of Mike's presentation, and a 5:15 MP3 which includes the audio of the Q-&-A which followed.
 
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For me once I am staying in a motel exactly how far from home doesn’t make much difference.

Most of my flying experience was in a helicopter in Augusta, Kansas and I didn’t get to solo because the FAA had a challenge with a blind, brain injured pilot.

Most of my flight training after that was in a gyroplane in Buckeye, Az.

I am grateful to my instructors every time I fly. I feel it was money well spent.

Often because of the winds I would only get to fly one or two hours per day. There was always plenty to study.

It was more complicated training in my own aircraft. I towed her 1,000 miles round trip and it took three trips to get my license. Maintenance issues were especially challenging. Because she is a unique design there were a lot of extra challenges to have my instructor feel safe giving lessons in her.

I was fortunate to have a hangar to work on her and tools I could use.

My limited experience suggests that everything flies differently than a gyroplane and I had more than a few challenges unlearning my helicopter training.

I took a fixed wing ground school but it didn’t work out. I eventually passed the knowledge test by taking the computer tests over and over again.

Thank you, Vance
 
I think the answer to that would depend where you want to end up. Do you want to just fly Ultralight gyros? Do you want to be a single place Sport Pilot? Do you want a 2 place sport pilot rating? Or do you want to be a ppsel with a gyro add on?
 
Vance, a lot of us followed your progress with a great deal of interest.

An inspiring example of someone who wants something very much and is prepared to go to great lengths to achieve that whatever it takes.
 
value in training.

value in training.

Thank you Leigh,

When you are in the middle if the challenge it is hard to imagine being an inspiration.

I love flying and it is important to me to do it legally and be proficient.

I love the support I find here on the forum and it helps when I am feeling defeated.

I value every moment I had with my instructors both in the air and on the ground.

I feel I was a difficult student.

Thank you, Vance
 
Good job by Mike, nice presentation and worth listening to by anyone interested in getting his license Sport or Private.

Paul, probably need to give a little more info to people on just how to access that archived seminar. I know I am not the sharpest, but did have to cast around just a little bit to find the link. Just clicking Archive didn't do it though that seemed the logical thing to do.
 
Now that is service.:)
 
Thanks

Thanks

Guys, thanks a lot for the replies.

Michael, the presentation was great! Thanks for the link and the time you put in getting this information out to us.
 
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