First Gyroplane (Cavalon Autogyro) Experience at Carolina Barnstormers

First gyroplane experience at Anson County airport (KAFP) in North Carolina! Barry Kropelin is the founder and organizer of the event, and he graciously accepted my ask for a quick interview.
After the interview, Barry is very nice to give me a ride on this beautiful German autogyo/gyroplane called Cavalon. Since I didn't record the intercom audio, I will reiterate what Barry told me during this flight.
Barry used this closed cockpit Cavalon mainly for travel purpose, it can fly at 80-90 knots with 5 gallon per hour fuel rate. Not a bad travel machine!
Taxi feels the same as in an airplane, except the seats are very close to the ground, making it feel like a racecar.
The cockpit is mainly glass panel with steam gauges as backup. For some of you who are not familiar with rotorcraft, the pilot in command normally sits on the right side.
Compared with tandem seat gyroplanes, Cavalon's side-by-side seat design actually creates more drag and makes it less aerodynamically efficient.
Now we taxi to the runway and prepare for the takeoff. Barry will turn the pneumatic mode selector from Brake mode to Flight mode, in order to activate the pre-rotator.
Now the pre-rotator is engaged, once the air builds up, the rotor blades will start spinning.
Next, we wait until the pre-rotator to speed up to 200RPM for takeoff.
I really enjoyed my first gyroplane experience. It's safe and smooth and also gives you a strong sense of freedom. I hope you can feel for yourself at Barry's fly-in event in the fall at Anson County airport in North Carolina.
Carolina Barnstormers Aviator Group's Facebook page.
/ carolinabarnstormers
Carolina Barnstormers Aviator Group's KZbin channel.
/ ultracruiser41able
#gyroplane #autogyro #cavalon

[@barrykropelin3845]

Hi Vincent......It was great having you over for our little get together! You are welcome over anytime for more fun gyro action! 😁

[@VincentAir]

Thanks a lot Barry for your generosity! I really enjoyed the event, and will definitely go back with my families in the fall. Hopefully we can fly an open cockpit one next time. :)

[@barrykropelin3845]

Vincent.....make sure when your out and about.....swing by our place.....we’re here every weekend! 😎

[@VincentAir]

Thank you sir! Will do! Enjoy the long weekend Barry! :)

[@abmbarry]

... Why do you have to play elevator Muzak! Pilots want to hear engine and rotor! thumbs down!

[@jmead6121]

wow great Ultra lite flying Mi9chine I Must take an go watch live Then maybe ab test flight then Trained Then Purchase one .. yea @ 67 is that Possible ? unbelievable The Malleability in Flights Iam sold not an Pilot ( yet ) but right Seated alot ... lets Go Flying Like My Harley I Ride daily

[@Meowface.]

Anyone ever put some tundra tires on one n done some backcountry flying? Picturing it just makes me laugh

[@VincentAir]

Lol that is an interesting idea but I think they can land in places anyway just like choppers

[@ultracruiser41able]

Yes...there are several models with tundra tires and strong pre-rotators to shorten take off roll. Some gyros can even jump take off.

[@FJ-gk3jb]

I'm one of those guys, I fly a PPG and love it but I want to be able to fly more. I live in MI. I wonder if there are any gyro events here? Thanks for the introduction! Great video.

[@pedrom5919]

The modern gyros are awesome but unfortunately are very expensive... I think today that's the reason they are not so popular.

[@VincentAir]

Yeah probably true, although I head that it is still a lot cheaper than airplanes maybe by one magnitude and cheaper than helicopter by two magnitude :)

[@Ramblequist]

I built a two seater enclosed ~23 years ago for about 1/4 what people pay now.

[@VincentAir]

@@Ramblequist Not surprised given the inflation today. Enjoy blue skies!

[@FlynnsGarage]

@@VincentAir What are the ballpark prices for these and or kits? An approximate range is okay if you have any idea of cost. Just discovered the channel and great video 📹. Subscribed 🥂

[@VincentAir]

I think somewhere between 10K to 50K, depending on the types

[@valuedhumanoid6574]

I just got MSFS 2020 and purchased the FlyInside Bell 47 helo. It's not quite a study level sim, but close enough. They got the flight model pretty darn close. All the controls and instrumentation are accurate to the original. They even included the MASH livery with the two gurneys attached. Not anywhere near the real thing, but it gives us dreamers a little taste of what it's like.

[@VincentAir]

That’s awesome! Great to hear that

[@CurtisDrew1]

So much fun. My airplane flying buddies flew me to a gyro flying at Baytown TX last year in October and I got to fly my first gyro. Been in love with them for years. Now trying to convince the wife we need one for our next chapter of adventures we call life. She won't fly open cockpit, but if I ever get her in an inclosed side by side 2 seater she will love it by the time she lands.

[@VincentAir]

Then Cavalon could be a good choice! Happy adventure with your wife

[@brianmitchellfolk]

Wow! It's great to watch this. I remember back in 1966 I sent away for plans on how to build the basic Benson. Unfortunately, life kept taking my time and money.

[@VincentAir]

It’s never too late! :)

[@mikestirewalt5193]

The stick seems to be really vibrating! Is that normal? Would aerodynamic balancing of the rotor blades improve that? Of . . . is vibration simply a byproduct of having a 37 foot rotor spinning overhead.

[@Muotaman9958]

I’m noticing that also!! Every time looks the same in any “Gyros”!! Not too trustworthy…!! No Thanks for that Invention!!

[@ultracruiser41able]

It’s called a two rev shake and perfectly normal. If you work really, really hard, you can tune it out of the rotor, but it really doesn’t make that much difference. You’ve got a 27 foot aileron rotating around you at about 400 rpm.

[@sbalak]

IT must be noted you do apply power to the rotor to take off even if it's temporary.

[@barrykropelin3845]

Yes…you apply power to the pre-rotator prior to taking off. The pre-rotator is disengaged before the actual lift off……usually disengaged prior to beginning the takeoff roll or shortly after.

[@dethray1000]

we used to go out to mirage lake in calif when i was a kid--my dad was a ww2 pilot and like to glider fly--those gyros crashed every time we were out there 50ties,early 60ties

[@VincentAir]

Hopefully the safety records improved since then

[@johncarson6220]

Is there anyone training in southern Florida? Fort Myers area.

[@VincentAir]

sorry I wish I know. hope someone here can help.

[@pedropaulosantos1771]

Congratulations!!! This is the most uncomplicated talk about fly I have already heard about. Thank you all so much you both Great Pilots. Lets fly away across the whole wolrd. Thanks!

[@VincentAir]

Thank you sir! Agreed. Let's fly across the whole world.

[@cameronlapworth2284]

If the newer gyros are safer why don't the safety stat's show this. Gyro safety always has and always will be about training training training.

[@VincentAir]

Yeah it is more about the pilot. Seems very hard to find a gyro instructor given the rarity.

[@cameronlapworth2284]

@@VincentAir yeah that's the real challenge. I was very lucky to get a good one.

[@barrykropelin3845]

Yes....unfortunately...there are still,people who try to fly without instruction.

[@larrysorenson4789]

I think that a guy named Benson invented or made the gyro popular. I recall being enamored of this idea as a kid. The safety aspect is only as good as the maintenance. I believe that Benson was killed at an airshow during a failure of some component

[@jmead6121]

awesome take off or departure but seen an tail drag & take off crash ...sure Pilot Error tho

[@michaelvadney5803]

Thanks for the video! It correctly represents what gyros are all about.

[@VincentAir]

Thanks for the confirmation! Barry is very knowledge on gyros. Good to have him on the video.

[@CarlolucaS]

Try not used generic music 654694. When balancing music don't make the music so much louder than your voice. Here is the thing. There is no storytelling in the video. It is footage of planes with generic chill step nr. 654635453 and you sometimes giving out information to the viewers. Also, add timestamps since half of the video is an interview.

[@barrykropelin3845]

I think Vincent did well.

[@VincentAir]

Thanks Barry! Hope all is well. It’s only July but I already look forward to the fall event! Happy flying.

[@CarlolucaS]

@@barrykropelin3845 He asked for feedback on Reddit.

[@VincentAir]

Appreciate the feedback Carl. Always look for ways to improve.

[@endyassefa9024]

This was very informative and thank you! I wanna get my cpl for gyro and make it a tour business here in Ethiopia's capital. Wish me luck

[@VincentAir]

Best of luck! That would be so much fun. Ethiopia is on my wish list.

[@iway002]

How about listening to the real sound of flying than this stupid music repeats?

[@stephenchadwell5748]

Seriously need to work on the audio

[@VincentAir]

Thanks Steve for the suggestion. Yeah I didn't have a device to record the cockpit. Would be great if our chat was recorded. :)

[@zealousideal]

I am an Aviation buff and Gyros have always been my favorite!! I love the concept and how it’s very different and more fun to fly. I also like how it doesn’t stall which is why Juan de la Cierva invented them! (Ie. To make a very safe aircraft and fly very low speeds). But unfortunately, they got a bad rap in the 60’s-70’s because of the unsafe Bensons. Now supposedly these new cavalons are more “safe”. Though they are actually, but are still having many crashes again lately. So, I guess there’s always a risk, but which is usually due to bad pilotage or training. They also say they aren’t as good or safe during crashes as other aircraft. So 🤷🏻‍♂️ who knows. But the concept is amazing, and I love the look and feel of them and how they fly. They are also easy to fly and much cheaper than other aircraft. But I actually like the old vintage classic look (from 20’s/30’s) and original ones better. They literally looked like half airplane, half helicopter and probably much safer. I wish they would just make them like that again. Anyway, pretty neat. 👍🏼

[@VincentAir]

Thanks Nick

[@drgeoffangel5422]

Thanks KZbin, whilst I cannot live the American dream, because I'm poor , old and in the UK, someone is!! safe flying and enjoy life to you all!!

[@VincentAir]

Thanks Geoff. Maybe give a try for a flight at a local flight school?

[@Dyanosis]

How, exactly, would this ever be considered to be "the safest aircraft"? If its engine(s)/rotor(s) go out/stop, you're still plummeting to the ground. And you've got even less material to protect you and absorb that impact. People and their stupid ass thumbnails.

[@barrykropelin3845]

If engine stops……you autorotate to a landing spot. If your rotor falls off…..well….that’s not good. Doesn’t matter what the fuselage is made from…..a big enough impact is gonna hurt……as with any vehicle.

[@kd4pba]

These things are simply amazing. I am hoping they become more prevalent.

[@VincentAir]

Thanks! Me too. I hope the GA aircraft can be more diversified and can fit with different needs of all aviation enthusiasts

[@leneanderthalien]

I find the rotor prelauncher able to make only 200rpm is very insuffisant, this explain the very long rolling distance to rise the RPM up to 350= for me a safe prelauncher must rise to 300rpm minimum: this allow a take of in less than 100m

[@ultracruiser41able]

150-200 rrpm is more than enough to begin take off run. Any higher means more unnecessary wear and tear on the systems.

[@gangleweed]

Geesus, I wouldn't even cross the road without an instructor in the beginning, but then I've lived for 82 years with that strategy so experience is the way to go......my first instructor was my Mother who held my hand and made sure I looked both ways before crossing with her.....if that's funny try crossing without knowing what a car coming at you is going to do to your body.

[@VincentAir]

Haha with all respect, I agree having instructors is the way to go.

[@SKYGUY1]

Thanks for sharing the information Vince. It was fun to see flying in North Carolina again. I learned to fly Airplanes at NC27 (Lenoir NC) when I lived in Boone. You might like to contact Lenoir Aviation Club in Lenoir and do a story about that airport... since 1954. I fly in southern Arizona now, Instructing along the border w/ Mexico. I love gyroplanes. This Gyro visited us here at KOLS (Nogales AZ) and it was fun to watch. Enjoy watching. kzbin.info/www/bejne/imfSqZWwjL-eo7s

[@VincentAir]

Thank you Terry for the suggestion. I will for sure check out the Lenoir club which I heard that I need a permission to land there. :) Enjoy your Arizona/Mexico flying experience! I wanted to do a cross border flight to Baja originally in March.

[@SKYGUY1]

@@VincentAir You can tell them a former member suggested the story to you. I was a member there from 1983 until 1995

[@mhilderbrand7693]

How are the control forces on the gyro? Would you consider the. Heavy or on the lighter side?

[@VincentAir]

Probably between fixed wing (heavy) and helicopter (light)

[@barrykropelin3845]

Very similar to a fixed wing..... it very responsive. Our "aileron" is 27' long so small inputs can really move that disc around.

[@L2FlyMN]

Our PPC Fly-ins, are fun as well! I agree, we can’t fly as much as we’d like, due to wind & thermals, which gets frustrating.

[@VincentAir]

Thanks! Wanted to do a session with PPC flyin last weekend but had a conflict. Is there a flyin close to Carolinas next month?

[@L2FlyMN]

@@VincentAir Sorry, I'm from the "windy" state of Minnesota.

[@VincentAir]

No problem! Enjoy the nice summer weather up there!

[@sparkynapalm3662]

Good to meet you at the event Vincent. Great video and editing ! What video editing software do you use? Didn't know if you had seen this video I had done on the Cavalon kzbin.info/www/bejne/boC4amuNmpKgmdk

[@VincentAir]

Nice meeting you there as well Brian! Thanks for all the knowledge sharing on the gyros!

[@VincentAir]

I use Premier Pro. Yeah I saw it! Very cool

[@Meowface.]

That is one hell of a picturesque background, almost doesn’t look real

[@VincentAir]

Thanks

[@KellyBradyPilot]

Wish we could have made it over there. Went last year and by the looks of how many people showed up, the event is gaining popularity especially given covid. Nice job sir.

[@VincentAir]

Thank you! Yeah there were definitely more people than I expected given the pandemic. We did have a good group of EAA 309 folks there though like John G, Marianne and Dave/Matt. It was fun!

[@lawrencewillard6370]

Was flying gyro's in 70's. Had to teach ourselves, made our own machines, towed gliders powered, rotors, engines etc. A mate got killed in a crash from medical reasons. Authorities tested them, and concluded that if they were to have an accident they would choose to have it in a gyro, as they said that it was the safest aircraft. .

[@Michal_Wlodarczyk2100]

Cavalon and Calidus are amazing aircraft.

[@VincentAir]

They are!

[@esau82]

Everyone you interview will tell you autogyros are so safe, yet you see them crashing much more often than any other craft. They all claim is due to lack of training, but I dont buy that, I have seen experienced pilots suffer accidents while taking off where any other craft would have not have any issue. So stop saying they are safer that anything else out there, they arent

[@ultracruiser41able]

Sorry....but most gyro accidents are pilot error.....they are different than airplanes in some respects and need to be flown accordingly.

[@esau82]

@@ultracruiser41able it's what everyone says. Yet they keep crashing by seasoned pilots. My opinion is, they aren't as safe as fixed wing aircraft

[@ultracruiser41able]

@@esau82 well….. if you haven’t flown both….. then it’s hard to make an accurate assessment.

[@VincentAir]

Hope you can feel for yourself at Barry's fly-in event in the fall at Anson County airport in North Carolina. Here is the Carolina Barnstormers Aviator Group's Facebook page. facebook.com/carolinabarnstormers

[@Eigil_Skovgaard]

I like the concept of gyroplanes - except my nervous system is always focused on the risk of loosing the rotor. After all strong forces in all directions are working through a very thin metallic bar at the center. How will a bird strike against the rotor distort the balance, will the rotor destruct itself? Is data available from such cases?

[@VincentAir]

Great question - actually I don't have the data for that. Bird strike is problematic for small aircraft like this one. Will @barry be able to answer?

[@FlynnsGarage]

Interested as well @barry

[@barrykropelin3845]

There have been several pilots I know that have had bird strikes while flying……..some denting of the rotor but still fly able……birds didn’t fare as well. 😁

[@pepelemoko01]

Is there any move for an electric autogyro like the fixed-winged being developed now?

[@VincentAir]

Yes. Skyworks is working on the eGyro. I am sure there are others in research.

[@TM-vn3du]

@@VincentAir Don't hold your breath on seeing such a gyro. The purchase costs are very high and flight times currently range from 10 to 20 minutes with VERY small payload (due to the weight of the batteries). Chances are an E-Gyro will never come to market (at least in our lifetimes).

[@VincentAir]

I am sure it’s hard but I am always happy to see people try new things even though some may not be successful. I respect the challengers who dare to fail. That’s how we progress. :)

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

IMO, unless a MAJOR BREAKTHRU happens with batteries -- maybe something using capacitor technology -- the only way electric gyros will be practical is if they use _hydrogen fuel cells_ as a power source.

[@Wayman_Simmang]

That is so cool.. Thanks for the video. So interesting.. :)

[@VincentAir]

Thank you Wayman! Plan to do another Gyroplane video in the fall. Stay tuned.

[@anim8ted923]

Is another fly-in coming up soon? I'm writing this on April 27, 2022.

[@VincentAir]

Yes, I believe it’s in late May

[@ultracruiser41able]

May 20-21. Come on out!!

[@anim8ted923]

@@ultracruiser41able Sounds like fun. How many gyros do you expect?

[@VincentAir]

Will do!

[@ultracruiser41able]

@@anim8ted923 usually 30-50ish

[@jguerrero7033]

What happens if you lose power mid-air?

[@barrykropelin3845]

You simply glide down to a landing spot. Rotor is always in state of autorotation.

[@berniemccann8935]

Another KZbin dollar maker !

[@VincentAir]

Thank you Bernie for the kind words. :)

[@ExtremeRecluse]

I went to a gyroplane fly in held in northern Indiana. There were around 100 aircraft. During the flight demonstrations one of the pilots froze on the controls after touchdown. He slammed into another aircraft parked along side the active. Probably a bad decision allowing aircraft to park close to the active beyond the touchdown point. The owner of the aircraft that was struck was rescued by life flight.

[@VincentAir]

Thanks for sharing that. That was unfortunate and agree that parking so close to an active runway is not the best idea.

[@agnieszkamadej186]

awesome video, nicely explained, thank you :)

[@VincentAir]

Thank you! Glad that you liked it! :)

[@juanortizruiz8007]

No spequen ingles

[@davidsandy5917]

Does anyone manufacture a FAR 103 Autogyro?

[@VincentAir]

NANO is

[@ultracruiser41able]

Yes....there are several and several plans built ultralights.

[@manakara9821]

the pilot sits on the left not the right.

[@VincentAir]

For rotorcraft most PIC sit on the right but not always :)

[@barrykropelin3845]

In the AutoGyro Cavalon....the pilot sits on the right side so throttle and brake controls are on left side.

[@davidc5027]

I really like these machines as I feel they are great for specific needs/wants. However, longer trips a plane might be needed if time is essential. Gyro's aren't known for their great speed. Hope that is an accurate assessment.

[@VincentAir]

That’s actually very accurate David. Cavalon is designed for travel but it’s not suited for long distance. 100 miles per hour won’t get you there too quickly, but it’s great fun to fly!

[@davidc5027]

@@VincentAir Oh yeah, I would love to have one. It's my opinion Gyros have come a long way in 20 years. However, they need to continue to progress. The pinnacle of how far gyro's can go surely hasn't been reached yet.

[@VincentAir]

Agreed! Hope to see more people getting into gyros. Definitely a fun and affordable way to fly!

[@davidc5027]

@@VincentAir I think safer way to fly too. These things fly when the small planes can't.. Engine out isn't a problem as long as there is a clearing somewhere in sight. There are definite upsides to Gyro's. However, I think the engine is way over-priced, and that isn't a Gyro-manufacturer issue. But there needs to be an alternative to the Rotax. Don't get me wrong, Rotax has been around a long time, just over-priced IMHO.

[@VincentAir]

Agreed. In my opinion, All GA engines are overpriced because of the low production.

[@BadenHealth]

I always wanted to fly a Volvo

[@VincentAir]

I need to fly that too!

[@AnhTran-pn3ds]

🍸🍸👍👍💛💛💛

[@VincentAir]

Thank you!

[@martynnewby6298]

Single Point of Failure: A 40 mm pin/bolt.

[@ultracruiser41able]

Stressed to over 186,000 psi. You should see what holds a jet fighters wing on! 😳😁

[@lililililililili8667]

The DIY tube frame ones look like they are about to shake themselves apart but this gyro looks super smooth and stable

[@VincentAir]

Lol 😂 I want to sit on one of these DIY ones though

[@eastoforion]

its amazing what $100k extra does for a vehicle :P

[@ultracruiser41able]

The open frame gyros are just as strong as this one......and a lot more fun!!

[@raymondheywood6703]

Are "jump" gyros still made?

[@leneanderthalien]

yep but they are very rare and much more expansive because the rotor is much more complicated and heawy, and i think they are forbidden as ultralight in Europe...

[@jeffcauhape6880]

What is the cost of operation for that bird?

[@VincentAir]

I don’t have the numbers but it’s a lot more economical than airplanes in terms of fuel efficiency.

[@jeffcauhape6880]

@@VincentAir That stands to reason. There just isn't much to maintain. I'm guessing engine maintenance and visual inspection of the rotor, mast, and controls is about it.

[@VincentAir]

That’s the case. Most of the expense comes from engine maintenance and fuel. Gyros are definitely more affordable than planes

[@jeffcauhape6880]

@@VincentAir Just a couple of questions: If someone already has their airman's certificate (single engine/land) how much training does it usually take to get an autogyro rating? Also, is it possible to get training and certification to do maintenance on one's own autogyro engine?

[@ultracruiser41able]

Hi Jeff...a gyro add on can be as little as 10-15 hours......depending on your training......then sign offs by 2 gyroplane CFI's.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

Great video...👍👍

[@VincentAir]

Thank you

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

@@VincentAir >>> You're Welcome.

[@GeorgeStar]

So why are there so many fatalaties?

[@VincentAir]

As Barry explained, there wasn't enough training and/or gyro instructors.

[@ultracruiser41able]

Improper training and pilot error.

[@ikay2102]

Such a great video !!

[@VincentAir]

Thank you!

[@ikay2102]

@@VincentAir i fly Autogyro mto sport (Open cockpit) for past 4 years, cant express enough the joy she gives me. Its different feelings in opem air. Try it one day.

[@VincentAir]

Kay, that’s awesome. I saw a few of yours at the event. They look fantastic and I am sure they feel different from a closed cockpit one. I would love to fly in one some day! Maybe at Barnstormers’ fall event. Blue skies!