How did you become interested in gyros?

[MadMuz]

Just thought it might be interesting to hear from others how they got into, or who got them into gyros....I started flying GA in NZ in 1978, came to Oz in 79, lived in Sydney

[birdy]

I was sic of bashn through scrub from wen I could walk till bout 20 years ago, tryn to catch fast cows, on horses, bikes n bullbuggys.Needed an aircraft to get off the deck, but it had to be able to be controlled precisely at low speeds below treetop hight.The gyro wasa natural choice.Now I just pity all the ground maggots still bashn through the scrub.

[mad max]

You had a whole 3 hrs. training in Dec. 96 Birdy. The good old days when you went solo when you were ready and not by a set of rules. You stepped from a "Death Dart" to a safe gyro. The D.D. was good for understanding the dynamics of the sky, but not good with the billy cart steering and back to front controls ;D

[birdy]

Yeh, the dd was perfect, on a perfect day. The only upside to that thing was the 4 lph, ona 2stroke.And I think my instruction lasted 3 hours coz my instructor was sic of me tryn to kill him.

[RossM]

I was sic of bashn through scrub from wen I could walk till bout 20 years ago, tryn to catch fast cows , on horses, bikes n bullbuggys.So, if you had slow cow"s, you would never had learnt to Fly?by the way, what is SCG?...

[RossM]

search found thisSimple Cow GrowerRoss

[birdy]

Chook, slow cows would never cut it in the desert.You need cows with gusto.If you want to grow daisys, grown um where Daisy"s live.Daisy"s don"t last long ina desert. Anyway, you still couldn"t find a slow cow in sum of the scrub ere on the ground. Up until it all got smoked a coupla years back anyway.

[MadMuz]

The "death dart" has my mind boggling Would love to see some pics of it if you have any Birdy ;D

[mad max]

I started off by buying a crashed VW Higgans machine off a station owner for $400, patching it up, asking a lot of questions (like the Irish skydiver) and reading the ASRA little green book "How to fly a Gyrocopter" and roaring up and down a bush runway until the wheels departed mother earth. Wish I still had that book. It would now be a collecters item. Come to think of it, I stepped out of a "death dart" as well ;D

[MadMuz]

Yeah I know all about self teaching, I was watching some videos the other night of when I was learning.... fascinating to watch now, I know exactly what I was doing wrong

[RickE]

My introduction to gyros started two and a half years ago in Antarctica sitting in a boat watching a video about a few blokes flying around Australia in these aircraft called gyrocopters.When I got home I organized a TIF and six months later I bought a " half ton European bathtub" as Muz would say and take every opportunity I get to fly.Obviously I don"t have the sort of history with gyros that most of you on the forum have but probably are just as enthusiastic in the promotion of the sport. As I fly around to different airports the reactions from people is quite amazing as they had no idea that gyrocopters can be a legitimate touring aircraft.I have met a few of the guys that use to fly at Erskine Park in the good old days and they have all been impressed with how far gyros have come.

[GyrOZprey]

My husband "farmer jim" on US rotary wing forum ... started the rot!

[Brian]

I remember seeing a add for a RAF in a flying magazine & was sold, not sure when that was but a long time ago. In 81 learnt to fly FW"s & graduated up to single engine retractables. It was around the early 80"s that there was a gyro show on at lake Culluleraine[ 60K"s west Mildura] There were lots of gyros there & a rolling commentary over loud speakers telling everyone who was doing what [something that seems to have been lost now days] I was amazed, watching these fairly basic things being chucked around the sky in what seemed like very reckless manner, flying at times so very close together. There was one bloke I had heard of & that was none other than Tim McClure. There were quite a number of gyros from around Broken Hill.Anyway"s after that a mate & I spent many a night talking about