6/12 – 6/14/2009
NOTE: If you did not read the article on the history of this site, then you may have missed the fact that in mid-2009 I purchased a Gyrobee ultralight gyroplane (also called a gyrocopter). Immediately after the purchase, I traveled to Macon, Georgia to get some transition training. The article below was not originally intended for Texas-Flyer but was instead created for the Houston Chronicle Light Flight blog that I was writing in the 2006 to 2011 time frame. But since that blog is defunct (I can’t add to it), and the articles are hard to get to, I decided to go ahead and publish the 3-part article into a single Texas-Flyer blog.
Gyrocopter transition training
— Day One —
Arriving at this small airport on the outskirts of Macon, Georgia, I didn’t really know what to expect. I’d never met my instructor, Steve McGowan, but his reputation was stellar, so it was a surprise to meet such an unassuming guy. A former Marine of medium height, a little thick around the waist, but strong shoulders, a frank expression on a sun-tempered face, together with a silver gray beard, Steve didn’t waste any time. After a few preliminary tasks and some basic descriptions of gyroplane flight characteristics, Steve was strapping me down in the back of a black Parsons trainer. This first flight for me in a gyro was coming from the passenger seat in the tandem trainer. Everyone, including me, wanted to make sure this was the thing for me…. and it was!
With almost 10 years of experience with ultralights, trikes, amphibian’s, and experimental fixed-wing aircraft, I was ready for something new. Even riding in a gyro is a thrilling experience. After this ride — which was really a lesson — I had a better idea not only of what a gyro is capable of, but that I had the internal wherewithal to learn the techniques unique to gyros. As soon as we were back on the ground, and refueled, I was now in the front seat. Steve familiarized me with the instruments and my responsibilities as the person up front, and soon we were rolling out to do some serious training.
The Parsons trainer with me in the front and Steve in the back
The Parsons trainer is a high-center-line thrust (HLT) machine and doesn’t have a horizontal stabilizer. Both of these aspects are typically considered negative attributes to those designing modern gyro’s, but there are still a lot of gyros out there like the Parsons. The Gyrobee that I just purchased has a horizontal stabilizer and at first glance appears to be an HLT machine, but hang tests assure me that it is very close to being a center-line-thrust (CLT) machine. CLT gyros are more stable when power is applied or removed, in flight. A horizontal stabilizer helps stabilize the machine in several ways. So, the idea is, if I can learn to fly a Parsons, then the Gyrobee will be easy.
The first part that I had to work on was “balancing on the wheels”, also described as “balancing on the mains”. As expected, the first time or two I tried to take off, I fell back on what I knew about fixed-wing aircraft. But I finally got the hang of it and all my subsequent take-offs were done the gyro way. Next, I needed to be able to fly the gyro without inducing any detrimental oscillations. That is still something, after 2.5 hours, I am having a bit of trouble with but in an HLT machine with no horizontal stab, it can be a difficult thing to perfect. The other task we worked on was regular and emergency landings. The regular landings are fairly easy, although the approach is usually much sharper and steeper than one is even capable of doing in a fixed-wing aircraft. We did a boatload of touch-n-go’s, often two in each pass.
The emergency landings were harrowing but fun. Steve would chop the power without warning, and I’d pick out a place to land and do a quick, steep approach and then level off for a no-power landing. Wow! It was better than an amusement park ride!
Another surprising technique was, what to do when hit by an updraft. Imagine being on a surfboard, and a big non-breaking wave comes at you… you ride up and up until you’re on top, and then down and down on the other side. That’s kind of what happens. Fixed-wing pilots will point the nose down, pull the throttle back, and try to ride it that way. But in a gyro, you basically let the nose rise, you don’t really change the controls, and just ride it up for a few seconds, then let it bring you down. After that, your nose drops a bit and you regain the speed and then just carry on with what you were doing. It’s amazing, really, since it’s like sitting back in a chair and leaning way back. The first time you do it, you think that something is wrong, but after doing it a few times, it actually becomes a bit restful. Very odd but very cool.
After 2 hours in the Parsons, we pulled out the Sparrowhawk gyro and climbed in. The Sparrowhawk is a 2-seater, but the seats are side-by-side, and there is a windshield. Also, the SparrowHawk is a true CLT machine with a full-height rudder with horizontal stabilizer. Flying it was very easy compared to the Parsons. You felt like you could go to sleep!
The Sparrowhawk
In the past, I had wondered about the Sparrowhawk… wondered if I’d end up with one. After that ride, I can pretty much guarantee it….. someday! Very, very nice gyro! I might even get my wife to fly in it!
The most unusual technique that Steve had was right after a take-off, we were at about 200 feet, and he said, “Close your eyes.” Being a good student, I did as he instructed, and it was bizarre! You r-e-a-l-l-y have to trust someone to do that! I dutifully kept my eyes closed while he gave me instructions about how to control the gyro. We turned a couple of different ways, then ascended and descended, and generally did many of the standard maneuvers. Unknown to me, he had had me move around the airport to the other side, and then descended until we were only 10-15 feet above the runway. That’s when he told me to open my eyes. Wow! I was stunned not that we were so low, but that I had flown the gyro completely around the airport!
The general technique is interesting. You learn to feel the gyro and how it behaves. It went on probably just a bit too long for me, because I had started to get overloaded with all the sensations and was starting to lose track of what we were up to. Opening my eyes reestablished things for me, and it wasn’t any problem going on from there.
By the end the day, I was sunburned and exhausted. One of the other gyro pilots showed up and put some new wheels on his bird. He then pulled it out and asked Steve to test fly it. It was a new-looking “high” RAF. A very clean, very nice looking craft. Steve took off and flew it around a bit, then brought it back. It was fun to see other gyros flying. I was totally spent so headed back to my room. I also had a lot of manuals to read, primarily the FAA Rotorcraft Flying Handbook (which I had already read once!). Tomorrow, more training!
[Please take note: This description of my training is not — repeat, NOT — a typical example of gyro training. This type of training is called transition training, and is only for seasoned and experienced pilots. Consequently, if you are a novice pilot, do not think any gyroplane training you take will be similar; chances are, it won’t be.]
— Day Two —
Starting early enough so that it wasn’t blistering hot, Steve and I strapped into the Parson’s trainer and proceeded to wring out the machine. There were quite a number of takeoffs and landings at first, but instead of the typical left-hand go around, he would mix it up. I was turning into the wind, with the wind, doing cross-wind takeoffs and landings, doing emergency landings from 100 feet, from 300 feet, from 500 feet. The “emergencies” would occur at the most random times, too, often with little to aim for but a narrow taxiway, and that’s where I’d put it down.
And that was just the first half-hour!
After a brief respite, we rocketed away again, but this time we left the airport grounds and did a small tour of the “Brickyard Lakes” area. We had done this tour with the Sparrowhawk, yesterday — was it yesterday? It seems like a week ago! Interestingly, the struggle I’ve had with a slight PIO (pilot induced oscillations, one of the big no-no’s for gyro pilots) disappeared as we headed outside the boundaries of the airport. I think I had been over-controlling and I was so task loaded when we were inside the fence, either getting ready for something, dealing with something, or recovering from something, that handling the PIO ended up a bit farther down the task list! Once we started touring outside the fence, the PIO all but disappeared. It was relaxing, cooler than over the airport, and something new to see, too.
We returned after about 30 minutes, and Steve was now having me come in for the final landing in front of the hangar. The first several times we came in, he was in control, and he came around the back corner like a bat out of Hell! Very thrilling. When he finally decided I had the skill to do that landing, I started out being a bit timid but did a nice landing on the concrete. He then said I could land in the grass, too, if I wanted. So, the next time, I came screaming (well, not screaming like his screaming) around the corner and did a nice plop down in the grass. The time after that, I got kind of long in the landing and just as I was about to settle it down, Steve forced a go-around since there was a small dip that I didn’t know about. I came around again, and this time landed in the right place… Plop! The last time I did it, I didn’t quite have the same power coming around the corner, so I cut it short just a bit and just barely managed to get the machine straight as it plopped down. To be honest, it wasn’t perfectly straight… I actually touched the left wheel, for just a moment, as it straightened up. Because it was just the slightest touch, it wasn’t a big deal, but he did warn me about it. Although chastised, I’ll admit I felt pretty stoked about that landing: I not only nailed it, it was coooooolllll.
The last lesson for the day, before it turned really windy with thunderstorms in the area, he went back to being the task master. I not only did all the stuff he had me do earlier, but now I was doing downwind takeoffs and landings. Then emergency landings downwind! He not only threw everything in the book at me, he was writing new things in the book as we were flying! It was terrifying and thrilling at the same moment.
We had several interesting moments, but the one I remember best was hitting a considerable up-draft at the end of a runway. It completely took Steve by surprise; I, on the other hand, was too dumb to know it was unusual, but I did all the right things in dealing with it. It can be a little unsettling, however, when you hear the instructor say “WOW”, with a little bit of awe in his voice!
One of the many things I’m having to get used to is the slower rate of ascent. My Kolb can climb at 1400 fpm on most days. The Parson’s seems to struggle to get half that. So, near the end of one take-off ascent, we were near the end of the runway and he says (he’s famous for this) “which way you gunna go?” I looked left to see some tall trees that I figured we could make it over; on the right was a house. I decided the tree would be slightly better, but I decided wrong. He said if we’d had the altitude, it would have been the right decision but he didn’t think we could make it over the trees. He quickly told me to turn right, and I did, and it worked out okay. In the Kolb, those trees would have been a distant memory. So, I’m going to have to get used to a slower ascent rate and adjust my judgment accordingly.
As I mentioned, the wind had turned pretty fierce. Steve pointed out some upturned leaves on some trees that were always a good indication of strong and gusty winds. But we didn’t need the leaves to tell us that. We were riding lots of waves, up and up, and holding the cyclic back and riding it out. On one downwind leg, we got hit by three in a row, one right after the other. It was fun!
It was time to call it a day, even though it was still early in the afternoon. All the landings were become quite a handful with either gusts catching you, or wind pushing you down. Steve was already having me doing things I doubt I’d ever do in my own gyro, but even he drew the line at flying in winds that you really shouldn’t be flying in.
Given all the tasks he’s thrown at me, I still need more time in the saddle to cure me of all those evil fixed-wing reactions. So, over the next few days, I’ll probably rack up another 3-6 hours, and then it will be time to head for home. One can only stand so much fun!
— Day Three —
Today we wanted to start at 7 am. Two other students showed up so Steve had a lot of training to do. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t going to cooperate. When I looked out of The Barracks, it was obvious that it had been raining. At 6:45 as I left The Barracks, it was sprinkling. Just east of us was a big thunderstorm cell. I watched it on the radar for a while and concluded it would pass to the SE of us without hitting us directly. But that, of course, doesn’t mean it didn’t have an effect on us. The wind was brisk and gusty. So, we waited.
About an hour later, the skies still seemed a bit dark but the wind had settled down just a bit. Steve then took me up for some touch-n-go’s and a large handful of emergency landings from all directions. Most of the maneuvers were the same as before but he initiated them at lower altitudes and further away from the runways and taxiways, making them much tougher. I felt much more confident and he agreed I was doing well. We went back to the hangar, Steve refueled the Parsons and then he took Grant Robinson up. After their 30 minute lesson he came back, fueled up, and took out Stewart Campbell. Then it was my turn again.
This time, though, we only did a few touch-n-go’s, and then headed off-airport. We again went out to the Brickyard Lakes area, as we had in the Sparrowawk, and did some road following and he covered all the usual areas of “where would you land right now?,” “check the wind from smokestacks,” and an advanced technique or two on handling rough air (which we were dealing with). We did one simulated engine out and one cool maneuver called kiting.
Kiting is pretty much what it sounds like… point the nose into the wind, pull it up, pull back a bit on the throttle, and the gyro more or less hovers in the air. The engine thrust plays the role of the string. With a good strong wind, you will lose only a little bit of altitude. A more skilled gyro pilot, with a strong engine and even stronger wind, may be able to truly “maintain station” using that technique and hover. It’s not something you want to do close to the ground, but since “close to the ground” for a gyro is in the 50-100 feet range, it’s fairly safe to do kiting in the 200-300 foot AGL area or higher.
When we returned, he again let me bring the gyro in for a screaming landing. Unfortunately, my glory landing got ruined when a car pulled around the area where I was going to land. I had to slow down the gyro, make a wider and slower pattern down to the grassy area and then put it down. I was keeping one eye on that car, not knowing what he was going to do, so I didn’t have my full attention on the landing and plopped it down a bit hard. No damage, except to my pride.
After a debriefing, I was surprised when Steve signed my logbook and told me that he didn’t want to take any more of my money and sent me on my way. What I need to do now is simply practice, practice, practice. Besides all the techniques and maneuvers I learned, I think the main thing I learned is that the envelope for safe gyro flying is very narrow. If you fly them well, they are as sweet a flying machine as you’ll ever encounter and you can do things no other type of aircraft can do.
— End —
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