Hire a Gyro?

[waraton]

How do you hire a Gyroplane? You have done your licence and then want to keep current and build on hours but can't afford to buy. I have read through past forums which have discussed this (over 5 years ago in most cases) as a problem due to insurance. I am interested to know if any individuals or clubs are hiring aircraft. Insurance still appears to be an issue or has someone come up with a way around it? What about syndicate/shared ownership propositions, anyone doing anything like this? Keen to hear any suggestions even if a little unconventional.

[RickE]

There are a few organizations that will now hire gyros. They are in Newcastle, Byron Bay and Wollongong, all subject to conditions. There maybe more but I am only aware of the three.
A syndicate can be a good idea and I know of a couple that seem to work okay.
Good luck with finding a solution.

[MadMuz]

Wow Rick.... I am surprised anyone would actually risk hiring out a gyro? Especially a 2 seater to someone who is going to take a passenger? Obviously because they would be extremely expensive to insure, and would probably null anyone hiring it's life insurance so widows would be suing anyone and everyone.... from the hire place/instructor/manufacturer/maintenance people.... all would be in the gun. I would think the only thing that would work is if syndicates of many people, like up to 20 'owners' each paying $4K to join the syndicate and have ballot or booking of intended usage of their share of the flight time..... that way, the pilot in charge in an 'event' would be a responsible owner, not a hirer. However, even this I cant see working... because if one owner flies along a beach and accidently crashes into a nippers carnival... all owners would be responsible for the 10 kids killed and 7 maimed for life.... not to mention, there would be 2 schools of thought from the other owners... if someone has a near tip over with a slight ground strike of a rotor (soft dirt for example) .... if they can wipe the 'evidence' off and no one was watching.... would it be reported? And the other side of the coin.... if one owner 'thinks' he 'might' have had a slight ground strike.... or brushed the tail on the tarmac... he might file a report... the machine has to be checked out and signed off as safe (by someone) which takes 3 weeks... so the 3 'owners' after Mr Pedantic miss their allotted flight they are scheduled for.... Then again... if he did give the tail a good bang... and didn't report it.... and 6 weeks later someone has the tail fall off.... see my point?

I can just imagine one of the clones cracking the prerotator bracket and the pump going into the prop.... 2 people gone.... the widows would sue whoever owns the gyro, who would sue the manufacturer, who would sue the guy who made the bracket, who would sue the person who designed the bracket who would suggest suing the person who did the maintenance who would say the PIC should have seen that crack and not flown.... then 15 years later.... hopefully it would all blow away...

I don't see any inexpensive way of getting ones hands on a gyro regularly unless they can afford to either build their own, fix a wreck or get a few trusted friends into a private syndicate and just trust each other will be responsible....

Who hires them out Rick? At what cost? Sure, the hirer could make a person leave a $75k deposit which they get back when the aircraft gets back safely..... but it cant cover the millions if the gyro crashlands on a motorway and causes a 200 car pile up?

[RickE]

It's not that complicated Muz. Airborne at Newcastle hire them out for around $ 200.00 an hour plus fuel.
Im not sure about the insurance aspect but the only stipulation is that you have to be either trained by them or flight checked by one of their instructors.
Im not sure about the other two operators.
i think it's a real game changer for the industry as I have had many people come to start training and get turned off by the initial cost of the machine.
The other option I would like the major players in Oz to think about is to follow the Yankee model of owner builds and build assists as this would provide some practical build knowledge as well as make them a bit cheaper.......hopefully.

[MadMuz]

Yes Rick, it is awesome that someone can rent a gyro, that is absolutely what our sport needs for sure..... I am just aware of one of our fellows who was dragged over the coals and thru the mud (and court) over the construction of a machine involved in an accident, which shows the lengths a widow will fight when the breadwinner is killed. All I can say is, I would hesitate to rent an uncertified aircraft that was manufactured in Europe to anyone.... but that is just me. Maybe you could use your executive powers to ask our insurer what would be the repercussions to our insurance for ASRA if there was a tragic incident with a rented gyro.... just out of interest?