md 600 driver
24th Feb 2003, 17:32
i just watched a news item on autogyros the pilot refered to flying above the clouds
are all autogyros allowed to fly ifr or do they have twins and fly under the same rules as helicopters or do they fly as fixed wing
Genghis the Engineer
24th Feb 2003, 22:47
All gyroplanes currently flying on the G-register operate on permits to fly. These restrict the aircraft to day-VMC (note, not necessarily VFR, IFR is perfectly legal so long as VMC is maintained) with sight of the surface at all times.
These rules are for all reasonable purposes common to any PTF aircraft, whether it's fixed or rotary wing, and single or multi-engine.
Flight above cloud is perfectly legal if the captain remains in sight of the surface - which may legitimately be through broken cloud or at a slant angle. Good airmanship dictates that he or she remains able to see a glide route to the surface at all times, but that is not technically how the law is phrased.
Hope this helps,
G