North West Gyroplane Club, founded by Roger in 1994,encourages all forms of autogyro aviating - both single and twin seat.It's easy to forget, in these days of ready-made, factory-built twin seaters,that the origins of UK autogyro flying belong to Bensen-based single seaters and whilst it's all very nice to go out(with a very fat wallet) and buy a modern highly efficient,going-places machine, it's still equally great to see - and fly for one's self perhaps - a single seater,even in it's most basic form.
(In fact, since that first paragraph was written last year, the prices of twin seat gyroplanes really have got out of hand - and with it, out of reach to a lot of people.Now both a fairly basic fit MTSport and a Magni M16 vary between £56.000 and £65.000 respectively and the recently announced twin seat fully enclosed offerings from both manufacturers are the best part of £80.000 each!!).
Besides the enormous capital costs of these latest twin seat fully enclosed gyroplanes,the annual running costs are also high.Being more complex than their open cockpit counterparts and and bacause they have to be maintained by an 'approved' engineer,maintenance costs are high. 'Fully comprehensive' Hull Insurance is also high,if you can get it.
One way traditionally of offsetting costs is for several preople to club together, form a syndicate or group and share the costs of purchase and running their 'toy'. Even that is not straightforward if it is that several of the group wish to do their flight training,using the sydicate machine.Owing to the fact that it is a 'Permit to Fly' aircraft, CAA say that ONLY the registered owner of the aircraft can undertake flight training in that aircraft.
Even if the group 'nominate' an instructor as the registered owner,all other partners in the group must declare their part-ownership to CAA and the Authority says that unlss the instructor is working for free,no member can be trained on that aircraft!.
Some would say that the UK gyroplane movement needs something of a reality check at the moment, with a drive toward more basic twin seaters, with a more affordable price tag.
Wing Commander Ken Wallis, who undoubtedly has done more to promote gyroplane(or Autogyro as he much prefers to call them) aviation in this country and beyond, than anyone else over many years, has just kindly written a 3xpage article - specially for RS Gyroplanes - of some of his flying exploits and his own machines and particularly in support of single-seat autogyros - and this appears under the 'News/Adventure Flying' section of the site. Ken really is a 'National Treasure' and we are very grateful to him.
(Click image for a larger picture.)
(In fact, since that first paragraph was written last year, the prices of twin seat gyroplanes really have got out of hand - and with it, out of reach to a lot of people.Now both a fairly basic fit MTSport and a Magni M16 vary between £56.000 and £65.000 respectively and the recently announced twin seat fully enclosed offerings from both manufacturers are the best part of £80.000 each!!).
Besides the enormous capital costs of these latest twin seat fully enclosed gyroplanes,the annual running costs are also high.Being more complex than their open cockpit counterparts and and bacause they have to be maintained by an 'approved' engineer,maintenance costs are high. 'Fully comprehensive' Hull Insurance is also high,if you can get it.
One way traditionally of offsetting costs is for several preople to club together, form a syndicate or group and share the costs of purchase and running their 'toy'. Even that is not straightforward if it is that several of the group wish to do their flight training,using the sydicate machine.Owing to the fact that it is a 'Permit to Fly' aircraft, CAA say that ONLY the registered owner of the aircraft can undertake flight training in that aircraft.
Even if the group 'nominate' an instructor as the registered owner,all other partners in the group must declare their part-ownership to CAA and the Authority says that unlss the instructor is working for free,no member can be trained on that aircraft!.
Some would say that the UK gyroplane movement needs something of a reality check at the moment, with a drive toward more basic twin seaters, with a more affordable price tag.
Wing Commander Ken Wallis, who undoubtedly has done more to promote gyroplane(or Autogyro as he much prefers to call them) aviation in this country and beyond, than anyone else over many years, has just kindly written a 3xpage article - specially for RS Gyroplanes - of some of his flying exploits and his own machines and particularly in support of single-seat autogyros - and this appears under the 'News/Adventure Flying' section of the site. Ken really is a 'National Treasure' and we are very grateful to him.
(Click image for a larger picture.)
