GyroCopter Running Costs
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Join Date: May 2019
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GyroCopter Running Costs
Anyone know what would be the average hourly running costs of a Gyrocopter once you have bought a share in it?
How much do these shares roughly cost?
Appreciate the insight.
JH
How much do these shares roughly cost?
Appreciate the insight.
JH
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Manitoba Canada
Age: 72
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Decent used gyros can be had as low as $15k to $20k ..... newer ones up to $100k ... great for low and slow flight with great visibility ..... cost to operate is mostly for fuel .... maintenance costs are very low ... not many components to wear out. Simple construction.
I flew one for a number of years and would suggest there are a number of other big ticket items. The insurance can be pretty steep, probably justified given the number of prangs! I would absolutely get it comprehensively covered. You will also need to hangar it. You may get a better deal because it fits in an otherwise unused corner. If you fly a lot and like being able to jump in whenever you want it is a great deal. But after you factor in depreciation the hourly cost may not be that attractive.
The gyrocopter is marketed as a very easy aircraft to fly. But I know of a lot of accidents in the takeoff phase, not down to engine failure but pilot error. Typically the pilot does not have the stick fully back during the early part of the takeoff and the gyro flips over as soon as the rotor speed is high enough to generate lift. It is all over in a flash. It is drilled into people during the training, but you would not believe how often it happens. These are accidents I know of rather than read about. A friend of mine did it (high time helicopter pilot). The guy who bought ours was ferried over by a mate who promptly did it on his way home in the gyro he was flying (not ours). There have been at leat three of these events at our small airfield and I know from the crash comics that this is not untypical. I am not trashing gyros I have had a lot of fun in them over many years. But go into it with your eyes open.
I don't fly in the UK, but I can say that ours used about 15-18 litres of mogas an hour, so times whatever you are paying for fuel, plus landing fees, the variable flying costs are pretty cheap.
I don't fly in the UK, but I can say that ours used about 15-18 litres of mogas an hour, so times whatever you are paying for fuel, plus landing fees, the variable flying costs are pretty cheap.
Last edited by lederhosen; 8th Jun 2021 at 10:02.
Suggest you look at the various gyro operators' training and self-hire prices - thet'll give you a comparison against light f/w aircraft rates as their margins are likely to be similar. In short, costs seem similar to a C150 or Warrior.
I had a gyro for several years before upgrading to helicopters; The gyro is a hell of a lot easier to fly in all phases of flight; I think you have to be stupid to botch the take-off. But there are people who don't take it seriously enough and who confuse an airplane's take-off with a gyro's, with bad consequences.
It is way more expensive to insure and deal with wear and tear on a SHF, ab initio training aircraft than it is for a private owner.
The rotax engine is extremely common in autogyros and other ultralights. I suggest you google some rotax user sites if you want more detail. But broadly they run on avgas or motor fuel (mogas). I put super in ours, and the price is whatever the local filling station charges, certainly a lot less than avgas. I had a couple of 20l canisters and just filled up on the way to the airfield.
The comment that you would have to be stupid to mishandle the controls on takeoff is sadly what a lot of experienced pilots think and why I would strongly recommend comprehensive insurance. The ones with enclosed canopies have a safety hammer to break your way out. I would not like to think what it is like hanging upside down with fuel dripping on you and the weight of the machine stopping you from opening the canopy. You better hope that there are some brave souls around to help you get out. The open ones in my very limited experience are very cold even in summer. I understand that the UK insists people do a lot of their initial training on these open types. The sensation is however exhilarating, in my opinion like riding a motor bike in the air, but really cold even with motor cycle protective gear on.
The comment that you would have to be stupid to mishandle the controls on takeoff is sadly what a lot of experienced pilots think and why I would strongly recommend comprehensive insurance. The ones with enclosed canopies have a safety hammer to break your way out. I would not like to think what it is like hanging upside down with fuel dripping on you and the weight of the machine stopping you from opening the canopy. You better hope that there are some brave souls around to help you get out. The open ones in my very limited experience are very cold even in summer. I understand that the UK insists people do a lot of their initial training on these open types. The sensation is however exhilarating, in my opinion like riding a motor bike in the air, but really cold even with motor cycle protective gear on.
Doesn't any Cub type LSA get the same STOL performance without all those delicate moving parts and bolts and tricky energy management these days?
A very fair point. For example a machine like the aeroprakt a32 would tick those boxes and use even less fuel at a much higher cruise speed. The ramp appeal of the Calidus autogyro is in a different league. So if you like standing around on the airfield polishing your machine to a high sheen surrounded by admirers I would get one. If you want to go somewhere I would get a 600kg ultralight.
Typical uk running costs are .....
Fuel 18-20L of mogas/hr
insurance depending on your hours/ experience £1800/yr
Annual service & permit £750-£1500 depending on hours flown and how old the gyro is . Typically more expensive at 500 hrs / 5 yrs as rotor head gets a full overhaul and rotax needs more attention.
hangarage depends where you are based but £150-£300 / month is typical .
PM me if you need more info .
B.G
insurance depending on your hours/ experience £1800/yr
Annual service & permit £750-£1500 depending on hours flown and how old the gyro is . Typically more expensive at 500 hrs / 5 yrs as rotor head gets a full overhaul and rotax needs more attention.
hangarage depends where you are based but £150-£300 / month is typical .
PM me if you need more info .
B.G
