To perhaps give some insight into the training that would be done for a student who wishes to graduate as a single seat gyro pilot in the UK. This is the syllabus in Section 44 of the CAA regulations for gyros.
The course is to cater specifically for a student who wishes only to fly a single seat machine. This allows him some financial relief in flying either a cheaper single belonging to the Instructor...or his own machine during the training. The alternative is for the student to complete the course in a two seat machine, and then to find an Instructor who will train him to fly single seat machines.
The reality is that in the UK I only know of one Instructor who does either of these courses. This does not mean that there aren’t others simply that I do not know of any others.
The training in the two seat machine is the Instructors machine. TS
The training that is done in the single seat machine will either be the Instructors...or the students. SS
If the student’s the Instructor would have either have the differences certification for that type, or would have to have completed a conversion training on the student’s machine
Appendix B- Syllabus for PPL(G). Single Seat.
TS indicates for the Single seat syllabus but performed in a Two seat gyro with Instructor.
SS indicates exercise is done in, and specifically for single seat machine.
Section 1: Two Seat. Basic Flying.
Ex 1a TS: Air Experience Flight.
Ex 1b TS: Effects of controls.
Ex 1c TS: Startup, Taxi and Shutdown. Ex 1d TS: Basic Flying Consolidation.
Section 2: Two Seat. Upper Air Work.
Ex 2a TS: Fly a straight track at constant altitude.
Ex 2b TS: Increase and decrease speed at constant altitude. Ex 2c TS: Medium turns at constant altitude.
Ex 2d TS: Climb and descend - straight,
Ex 2e TS: Climb and descend whilst turning,
Ex 2f TS: Fly the circuit pattern.
Ex 2g TS: Upper Air Work Consolidation
Section 3: Single Seat Introduction.
Ex 3a SS: Cockpit differences, external differences.
Ex 3b SS: Supervised Taxiing, tethered rotor, untethered, rotor control while taxiing.
Ex 3c SS: Pre-rotation with and without pre-rotator.
Ex 3d SS: Rotor acceleration, deceleration.
Ex 3e SS: Blade sailing, avoidance, recovery
Section 3: Two Seat. Rotor Management take offs and landings.
Ex 3a TS: Rotor management. Ex 3b TS: Take-offs.
Ex 3c TS: Landings.
Ex 3d TS: Hops.
Ex 3e TS: Circuit Consolidation.
Section 4: Single Seat. Wheel balancing.
Ex 4a SS: Moving off, rocking back to balance position.
Ex 4b SS: Power and stick control to maintain balance.
Ex 4c SS: Rotor control during balance. Accelerating, decelerating RRPM. Ex 4d SS: From wheel balancing to momentary lift off and settling back. Ex 4e SS: Progression from balancing to low hops.
Section 4: Two seat. Emergencies.
Ex 4a TS: Engine failure to touchdown at the airfield runway.
Ex 4b TS: Engine failure in the circuit unable to reach the runway.
Ex 4c TS: Engine failure after take-off.
Ex 4d TS: Other Emergencies. Fire, low fuel, checking a potential landing spot. Ex 4e TS: Unusual attitudes recognition of and recovery.
Section 5 SS. Take offs landings (Hops). Low hops, high hops, S turns, engine failure after TO. Circuits.
Ex 5a SS: Low hops.
Ex 5b SS: High hops.
Ex 5c SS: High hops with engine failure. Ex 5d SS: S turns along the runway.
Ex 5e SS: Cross wind hops.
Ex 6. Two seat and Single Seat: Solo flying.
Ex 6a TS: Pre solo check in two seater. Refresher on manoeuvres unusual attitudes emergencies.
Ex 6b SS: Solo in circuit.
Ex 6c TS: Local area check in two seater.
Ex 6d SS: Local area solo single seater.
Section 7 SS: Advanced Flying. Take offs, landings, slow flight, fast flight, zero airspeed descents, low flying.
Ex 7a TS: Demonstration and instruction of all advanced flying manoeuvres done in two seat. TS
Ex 7b SS: Observed exercises of short field TO
Ex 7c SS: Observed exercises of soft field TO.
Ex 7d SS: Observed exercises of slow and fast flight while holding constant altitude above the runway.
Ex 7e SS: Observed exercise of vertical descent and recovery.
Ex 7f SS: Observed exercise of landing into a specified restricted space.
Ex 7g SS: Observed exercise of symmetrical constant altitude figure of 8’s over a specified point.
Section 8 Two seater Cross Country Flying. Joining/Leaving procedures unfamiliar airfields, precautionary landings, pilotage and navigation, qualifying cross country flights.
Ex 8a TS: Pre-solo cross country flight demonstration and check by Instructor prior to sign off for solo X-C.
Ex 8b TS: Precautionary landing by student.
Ex 8c TS: Planning and navigation by student.
Ex 8d TS: Entering and leaving unfamiliar airfield. Ex 8e SS: Solo cross country flights.
Ex 8f SS: Qualifying solo cross country flights.
Section 9 General Flight Test.
Ex 9a SS: Pre GFT check.
The Theorectical Knowledge:
Air Law
Human Factors, Meteorology
Ex 9b SS: General Flight Test. Observed and conducted by examiner in two way contact from the ground.