Buying a gyro is not that easy

Chas Tucker

Newbie
Joined
Sep 4, 2018
Messages
7
Location
Viareggio, italy
Ok so I decided to take the plunge and buy a 2 seat gyro. I thought long and hard and decided on a 2 seater, open or closed. Buy new, or used though? I thought I would get a list of as many manufacturers as I could find, from all over the world. From the US to Hungary and every country in between.
I sent out email after email asking for their prices, with or without engines, with or without instruments, kit or assembled. I then sat back and waited for the emails to come flying in. And I waited. And I waited some more. After 2 weeks later and guess how many have responded.......

1, one, uno, einz, un. And that was from Brako gyro in Italy, and he wouldn’t give me a price unless I visit his factory, a nine hour round trip.
So can anyone explain this as it seems a pretty bad business practice? I have searched and searched the internet and any prices are a few years old and very few companies advertise their prices.
I think if they can’t answer emails, how reliable would their company, and product for that matter, be?
Its got to the stage where I think buying used would be a more reliable way to purchase.
Any views, recommendations would be welcomed
 
Other than AutoGyro, all of the companies are very small so give them time to respond. The smaller companies are run by smart people that wear many hats. In the US, it requires some travelling to fly-ins, shows, and searching a few forums to narrow it down. The MOST important factor in your decision should be training! Pick a flight school and an instructor and consider their training machine as the favored brand to buy. Why? Because you need to be properly trained and it is sure helpful to have an expert or two close by to consult after you pass your training. I still talk to my fixed wing instructor 7 years later.

If your budget allows, your mission will guide your decision too. Deciding between enclosed or open should be a mission decision, not a cost decision. If you really need or want enclosed you might have to sell off other toys or save up to get the gyro you want.

I am a little concerned that your budget is even mentioned. Learning to fly a gyro is a big upfront expense. A good used machine might be the best move so you have enough money left over to get adequate training.

Good luck and welcome aboard.
 
I had researched gyros and knew what I wanted,finding one to buy was another story,I finally found the rotarywing forum and the RAF wesite

they had several listed for sale and one in my price range and the way I wanted it equipped,so I bought it brought it home and paul Patterson came over and told

me that it wouldn't fly at this altitude with two on board,duh that was the one thing I never factored in,so paul suggested I get a turbo charger,and that's

what I did.

I have been flying for 50 years and have owned,24 aircraft including gliders, twin engines,and everything in between. I had never even seen a gyro fly,let a lone

fly in one,I just decided that I had to have one before I quit flying.It has been one of the better decisions I have made in aviation.

I was driven to have a gyro, the path to that goal was difficult,I realize now that there probably a lot of people who just quit trying.

Oh the reason I got a enclosed cabin is that I am afraid of heights an open frame gyro would be impossible for me to fly.
 
I'm afraid of heights too! The open cockpit doesn't bother me as long as I have a body under me. I get a little nervous on steep turns.
 
The reason I mentioned budget is I don’t have an infinite one, and the cost of 2 seaters is a hugely varying bracket. I am an engineer and my job revolves around costs, maintenance and feasibility, so old habits die hard! I’m used to getting quotes, prices, recommendations on every part of purchasing to be able to make well informed decisions about best and worst case scenarios (I should mention I’m a chief engineer on a superyacht) so used to dealing with large blue chip companies as well as local suppliers. I’m also used to getting email responses in less than 8 hours, so this is a little frustrating for me.

I do value the responses from everyone who contributes their comments though, as there is absolutely no replacement for experience, and I value everyone’s opinions!
 
Right now the Tango Gyro is a very good bang-for-buck option, Basically an MTO clone with Yamaha power, https://www.tangogyro.com/index.html Dealer in Roswell Georgia, Alex and Paul are very good to deal with, Father and Son operation, worth a look. $40K range

The American Ranger is a very nice American made gyro fit and finish and everything about then is first class, Made in Florida. http://www.silverlightaviation.com/index.php?id=aircraft_gyroplanes_ar1
$75k range

I looked at a Tercel, but it was way over my budget, $118k

Or you could look at the used market , search "gyrocopter" "autogyro" "Gyroplane"

https://www.barnstormers.com/cat.php?mode=search
 
Thanks Scott, I’m waiting for an email back from Tango, I should mention I’m in Europe so will have to add import Tax to anything from the US, which I’m not sure how much that is until Mr.Trump tells us, which could change rapidly
 
If you are in Europe, you might want to look at several companies based on that side of the world. If cost management is in your blood, then even considering shipping something from the US and paying tariffs would be an unnecessary expense. You have AutoGyro, ELA, Magni, Lucia Air and others in your back yard. Most of us in the US pay the currency exchange and ocean shipping for a European gyrocopter so consider yourself lucky!
 
It would be great for Trump to influence European countries to remove taxes on items the US purchases. 20% GST tax on items from France. 20% VAT for items from the UK. I prefer free trade on aviation items. Used market might be best for your budget.
 
DavePA11;n1137745 said:
It would be great for Trump to influence European countries to remove taxes on items the US purchases. 20% GST tax on items from France. 20% VAT for items from the UK. I prefer free trade on aviation items. Used market might be best for your budget.

If, as a resident in the U.S., you buy a new or second-hand gyro (or any other thing) in Europe, you don't pay VAT. European VAT is paid only by residents in Europe, for anything they buy, in Europe or abroad...
 
Chas Tucker;n1137740 said:
The reason I mentioned budget is I don’t have an infinite one, and the cost of 2 seaters is a hugely varying bracket. I am an engineer and my job revolves around costs, maintenance and feasibility, so old habits die hard! I’m used to getting quotes, prices, recommendations on every part of purchasing to be able to make well informed decisions about best and worst case scenarios (I should mention I’m a chief engineer on a superyacht) so used to dealing with large blue chip companies as well as local suppliers. I’m also used to getting email responses in less than 8 hours, so this is a little frustrating for me.

I do value the responses from everyone who contributes their comments though, as there is absolutely no replacement for experience, and I value everyone’s opinions!

A fast response is a good barometer for the quality of a company. I knew of a metal hardware company, in deep crisis, who was saved by a new manager. One of the first things he sternly ordered was that phone queries must be solved immediately, 'on the fly', telex messages must be answered within the hour, and letters within the day. The company recovered very soon...
To my knowledge, no gyro manufacturing company in the world complies with that... As we say in Spanish, 'hay lo que hay'...
 
XXavier,
I would disagree with your assertion that no gyro manufacturer offers a fast response. I am not going to name names but there are three that answer the phone, respond to emails, and provide pricing. I only contacted US companies and dealers.

Chas,
I think used might be your best move. I need the 914 turbo and longer blades for my altitude so the chance of finding one is rare. I ran the numbers on removing the 912 and selling it off to buy a 914 but it puts me almost back to a new price.
 
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HighAltitude;n1137748 said:
XXavier,
I would disagree with your assertion that no gyro manufacturer offers a fast response. I am not going to name names but there are three that answer the phone, respond to emails, and provide pricing. I only contacted US companies and dealers.

Well, may be, but getting an e-mail answered within the hour has to be very rare indeed...
 
Do you answer every email you receive within the hour? These are not huge companies and most of them wear multiple hats. If I sent an email to Chevrolet inquiring about the purchase of a new Corvette, I doubt that they would reply within an hour. I think your standard will only result in no purchase. Certainly a seller of a used gyro is not expected to reply within the hour?
 
XXavier;n1137747 said:
A fast response is a good barometer for the quality of a company. I knew of a metal hardware company, in deep crisis, who was saved by a new manager. One of the first things he sternly ordered was that phone queries must be solved immediately, 'on the fly', telex messages must be answered within the hour, and letters within the day. The company recovered very soon...
To my knowledge, no gyro manufacturing company in the world complies with that... As we say in Spanish, 'hay lo que hay'...

A nice anecdote, but wow, what year was that??
 
XXavier;n1137747 said:
A fast response is a good barometer for the quality of a company. I knew of a metal hardware company, in deep crisis, who was saved by a new manager. One of the first things he sternly ordered was that phone queries must be solved immediately, 'on the fly', telex messages must be answered within the hour, and letters within the day. The company recovered very soon...
To my knowledge, no gyro manufacturing company in the world complies with that... As we say in Spanish, 'hay lo que hay'...

I have found American Ranger has replied to all of my inquiries in very timely manner, and I have made many. I have also recommend AR to several people all with the same experience, and it actually makes buying a gyro very easy IMO. Great service and support is what is needed when you buy a gyro since you are bound to have questions as you take up flying gyros for the first time. Nothing more frustrating than not being able to get support on something that you have so much money invested into, and AR provides top notch support based on first hand experience with people I know who have bought from them.

Dave
 
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