Ownership
How Much Weight Can a Gyrocopter Carry?
A two-seat gyrocopter typically carries about 480 to 680 pounds of people, fuel and baggage. Here is what useful load means and the pilot-weight limit to check.
Flight Log
Written by people who fly these aircraft
Every entry carries a named author, a stated basis for their experience, and the sources behind any claim of fact. How we work.
Buying
Can a Gyrocopter Fly in Rain and High Wind?
A gyrocopter handles wind better than almost any light aircraft, and rain worse. Here is why, where the real limits are, and what it means for a buyer.
Training
Can You Fly a Gyrocopter at Night?
Historically sport pilots flew by day only. The FAA's MOSAIC rule now opens night flying to more pilots, with a medical requirement and an equipped aircraft.
Buying
What Happens If a Gyrocopter's Engine Fails?
The rotor keeps autorotating, so the aircraft keeps flying and glides down to a landing with little or no roll. Here is why an engine-out is a controlled arrival.
Ownership
What Fuel Does a Gyrocopter Use?
Most run on ordinary unleaded gasoline, the same fuel as your car. Here is why, when aviation fuel is needed, and the ethanol and octane catches to watch.
Buying
The Best Gyrocopter to Buy: A Buyer's Guide
There is no single best gyrocopter, only the best one for your mission, budget and support. Here is how to shortlist without buying someone else's ideal aircraft.
Airworthiness
Where Can You Legally Fly a Gyrocopter? (US)
Gyrocopters are legal, but they are aircraft: you fly from airports or private land, obey federal airspace and minimum-altitude rules, and cannot buzz the neighborhood.
Buying
Who Invented the Gyrocopter? A Short History
Juan de la Cierva flew the first one in 1923; Igor Bensen made it a kit anyone could build. Here is how the gyrocopter came to be, and nearly vanished.
Buying
How Much Runway Does a Gyrocopter Need?
Often only a few hundred feet to take off, and almost none to land into wind. Here is why the pre-rotator makes it possible and what changes the numbers.
Airworthiness
Building or Buying a Kit Gyrocopter: The Honest Trade-offs
A kit is the cheapest way into a gyrocopter in cash, and the most expensive in time and skill. Here is what building involves, and the US rules that shape it.
Buying
Are Gyrocopters Safe? An Honest Look at the Record
The reputation comes from an older kind of machine. Modern gyrocopters have a good record when flown by trained pilots. Here is the honest version.
Buying
Can a Gyrocopter Hover? And the Jump-Takeoff Exception
No, a gyrocopter cannot hover, because its rotor needs airflow to keep turning. But a rare few can leap off the ground. Here is the difference.
Masthead
Who writes here
Everyone publishing on this site is named, and every byline carries a stated basis for that person's experience. Years in the industry is calculated from the year they started, not typed into a bio, so it cannot quietly inflate.
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