The gyrocopter is becoming increasingly popular. Check out just why rotary-wing flight is really taking off…
6 June 2026
For a long time it used to be that gyroplanes were a ‘niche within a niche’. Roll forward a few years and it was big news when one man completed the last leg of his record-breaking flight around the world.
If you ever wondered ‘What can I do in a gyroplane?’ just take a look at James Ketchell’s YouTube channel and see him fly across Russia, over the Bering Strait, through North America, and back across the Atlantic!
And, of course, gyroplanes took another step forward with the introduction of the Rotax 916iS engine to the UK fleet – unleashing the potential of the airframes they were fitted to and powering a new surge in enthusiasm for rotary-winged flight.
What do gyroplanes offer that more ‘traditional’ aircraft cannot? Could it be the sleek, attractive designs or the factory-built convenience and reliability? Or, simply: “What does a typical sport pilot want from their flying?”
Read any technical book about aircraft and it will tell you that a high-wing loading (i.e., a small wing) will give you manoeuvrability. If you take a look at a gyroplane’s ‘wing’ (the rotor) – it’s tiny.
Gyroplanes, being rotorcraft, are very, very manoeuvrable. A turn which would have the typical aeroplane pilot’s false teeth and toupee making a bid for freedom is an undramatic, standard manoeuvre in a gyro.
With no engine or wings getting in the way, the view is pretty much unlimited. The controllability of a gyroplane and its short landing roll means that you can safely fly a gyroplane low(ish). Because if the engine were to fail, you don’t need to glide to a massive field in order to land. It is often said that you can land a gyro on a tennis court – that’s true if you take the net down first…
“Aha! So you can’t fly a gyroplane in any weather,” the cynics cry. Now that is, of course, true. But let’s not forget that this is sport aviation, and there isn’t much point in flying for fun if you can’t see anything.
You want to go flying on the days when the weather is largely OK (a reasonable cloudbase and decent visibility) without having to worry about other stuff. This is an area where the gyroplane really excels:
Crosswinds: No problem! And if they do become an issue, you can just land across the runway into the wind.
Most of the UK is now served by gyroplane schools. You can find a list of instructors on the Gyro Examiners or you can take a look at The Gyrocopter Experience, which has a network of schools around the UK.
The Training Requirements:
Once you have your licence, you can fly any of the gyroplane types currently approved in the UK, although you are required to take different training before flying a type that is new to you.
There is a glorious selection of open-cockpit and enclosed gyroplanes available, including the Rotax 916iS – other Rotax engines (the 912S and 914) still work just as well!
Well, that’s the easy bit. Find yourself an instructor and book an experience flight. As soon as you have wiped the grin off your face after your first flight, get yourself booked in for some lessons and go from there.
Flying gyroplanes is a fabulous, transformative experience – and many people find their life has changed after an encounter flying a rotating wing!
