Gyrocopter via Snowdonia to Caernarfon - 28 September 2017

Flight from Ashcroft to Caernarfon via Snowdonia, then back along the coast, on a glorious, if blustery, autumn day. Includes commentary and map inserts (note those from SkyDemon were recorded after flight so the recorded visual NOTAMs were not current during flight).

[@parisachilles2682]

Excellent video and scenery. The stability of the gyro in higher winds is very appealing.

[@alanhesketh9265]

Another amazing video Stu, and very informative commentary. Thank you. :)

[@chrisgosling5408]

that was a great landing there!

[@espr7564]

You have so much trust in your Gyro 👍

[@GayorgVonTrapp]

A grand day out. Nice one.

[@8ballphil150]

Watching again in 2024 . Still my favourite flight . A bit dodgy Llanberis down . But made it more entertaining . Shame with the low cloud on Yr Wyddfa . But maybe another day . THANKS STU . CYMRU AM BYTH .

[@seatroutyt]

Hi Stu again a superb video I'm making my way through them all. I loved the commentary and the screen shots were a real bonus and much appreciated just the best way to travel Thanks again.

[@mindlessconsumer]

The nose cam is awesome. I can't think of a better way to travel.

[@danogden8414]

Dave W. Plane ?

[@mikeflanagan7139]

I loved that. I grew up around there and this video brought back so many happy memories. Thank you.

[@StuWithAView]

So glad you enjoyed it Mike 😊. It is a beautiful part of the world.

[@conanmcdonnell7390]

Lovely video, informative commentary. I'm in Llanrwst so it was great to see my local area from above. Been on one flying lesson down the Conwy valley and this brought back memories of that day.

[@xxirion]

Looks amazing! I'm going for a gyrocopter flight in the new year at Byron Bay here in Australia!!

[@StuWithAView]

Enjoy your New Year flight 😊👍

[@xxirion]

@@StuWithAView thanks Stu, looking forward to it!!!

[@johngleeson100]

Very well put together video. Fantastic views and sensible commentary. Well done from a fellow gyro pilot. Cheers

[@StuWithAView]

johngleeson100 thank you very much 👍

[@cameronlapworth2284]

Beautiful country thanks for doing these. Good cometary as well.

[@MikeSmith628]

Very Pretty Flight. Thanks!

[@StuWithAView]

Thank you Mike :)

[@loydsa]

Great video, thank you so much for taking the time to put this together and post it.

[@StuWithAView]

Thank you Sarah 😊

[@comeflywithlee433]

Great video, again commentary makes it even better.

[@StuWithAView]

Cheers :)

[@jimtaylor2404]

Very informative and enjoyable Stu! I've only had one flight in a Gyro, around Cape Town a few years back. Now in Perth and at age 65 I'm looking at obtaining a licence and a Gyro. Our "opportunities" for interesting sights not quite up to the standard of the UK though ...

[@StuWithAView]

Thanks Jim. Flying in Cape Town and Perth sounds pretty good to me! I wish you every success with obtaining your licence and a Gyro.

[@gordon228]

Nice video Stu around my home patch, the commentary makes it much more watchable.

[@StuWithAView]

gordon228 thanks for the feedback 👍

[@combatwombat71]

You probably get asked this question a thousand times, but not having ever flown in a gyro (I have an NPPL) doesn't the stick shaking like that drive you mad? I'm not sure I could put up with that for more than a few minutes(!)

[@StuWithAView]

You’re right; I do 😉 This is an old video with end of life rotors; have a look at my later videos and you’ll see that the vibration is much reduced. Even when it was this bad I hardly noticed it.

[@livingladolcevita7318]

bizarre that they wouldn't let you take off from 20, surely the turbines wouldn't have been an issue then. good flight though. I'm flexwing myself although I did have a flight in a Gyro when I was in France doing some training.

[@StuWithAView]

They allow you to use 20 if you’re resident and sign a disclaimer. The turbines can cause turbulence across the runway and are both a visual distraction and a potential collision risk.

[@flyingwheeliebin]

I commented on an earlier video that commentary and SkyDemon would be nice, they were!

[@zenzen9131]

I found your channel by chance t he other day and I'm binging out on watching every video. I've been interested in gyros for many years now. Please is there a video available where you go through what each instrument does? As an ex avionics man I;ve worked out most of them but not all :) Thanks

[@StuWithAView]

Welcome 😊 The short answer is no; not least because I keep adding new bits of kit. Most of the instruments are standard - compass, airspeed indicator, altimeter; the engine and rotor RPM gauges are bottom left, engine Ts&Ps bottom right; radio and transponder are central, attitude indicator is the square Dynon on later videos. My nav devices are towards the top and are the ones that are most frequently changing. Anything not clear just ask away.

[@buldogaero6183]

One thing I must do if, when I qualify is around Snowdon , great video.

[@StuWithAView]

Thanks; I was back there again a couple of days ago. And the cameras were rolling 😊

[@buldogaero6183]

yes a really great video ,nicely flown.

[@Kevin-ur7zk]

Hi Stu great video`s. I like to learn to fly, would you recommend a gyro as a beginners aircraft? And where do you look for a school? I live in Brighton, Sussex.

[@StuWithAView]

Thank you 😊 I wouldn’t say that a gyro is more or less difficult to fly than other aircraft; it’s just different. Plenty do fly gyros exclusively. You could try www.gyroexaminers.uk - can’t see anyone that local to Brighton though. Worth a day trip to see if you like it!

[@Kevin-ur7zk]

Thanks for the info

[@gobstoppa1633]

WHY is their so much rattle on the joystick.

[@johnsavage3221]

Stu, early in the video you make comment about avoiding trees below so you can land engine out, yet when you get to the coast you choose to fly mostly over the water ??

[@StuWithAView]

John are you referring to the coast off Penmaenmawr? I do indeed always fly over the water at this point, but always within gliding range of the shoreline (SkyDemon has a great ‘glide range’ circle which is helpful in such circumstances). I do this for a number of reasons - firstly, I prefer the view from here; secondly the shoreline is the only flat land for miles around, so I keep that visual at all times; and thirdly Penmaenmawr is 1,427 feet tall, and the RAF require transit below 1,500 QNH due to Valley traffic. I’d rather fly over the sea than at 83 feet AGL over mountainous terrain! Cheers.

[@lambjalfrezi]

You mentioned reporting to RAF Valley on the return leg, to avoid jets heading into the Mach loop from Anglesey, but how did you avoid fast jets on the inward leg?

[@StuWithAView]

By keeping a good look out and being as visible (including ADS-B, PAW and strobes) as possible. Even if I could have talked to Valley they are not aware of all military traffic in the vicinity.

[@mikechivers5792]

Possibly a silly question, do you have to pay to land at these little airports? Great video, I'm watching a lot at the moment as I've seen my first gyro copter today!!! Amazing machines.👍

[@StuWithAView]

Hi Mike. Yes, most airfields in the UK charge a landing fee. Glad you’re enjoying the videos; they are indeed amazing machines 😊

[@Phil328]

Nice video with iPad nav to showing the modern systems we have today well done, you need to get that stick shake looked at. Why put wind turbine's that close to a RWY?

[@StuWithAView]

Phil W thanks for your comments. SkyDemon on the iPad is indeed superb. That level of stick shake is entirely normal on RS1 for the MT-03; it looks worse than it feels. And as for the turbines....

[@guybuxman4884]

This was both highly instructive and visually stunning. Does the cyclic vibration cause fatigue or numbness? Thank you.

[@StuWithAView]

Thank you Guy 😊 And no, it really doesn’t; I hardly notice it in flight.

[@cameronlapworth2284]

@@StuWithAView You could try stringlining your rotors or check the balance you can get rid of most of the stick shake. I used to build and fly wooden rotors they often had to be tweaked initially you you could eventually get them really smooth.

[@ExcaliburBahrain]

thoroughly enjoyed it, thanks. You ever get drenched with a change in weather? Presumably TOPP RS2 calmer. For a given rotor set, is Cavalon calmer than MT03?

[@StuWithAView]

Thanks 😊 I’ve been ‘dampened’ once or twice; managed to avoid a drenching so far. My understanding is that the vibration is very dependant on the individual installation. I’ve been in a very calm Cavalon and a not-so-calm Calidus. I’ve also been in 03s and Sports that are way rougher than mine. I’m on RS1 with 530 hours so need to change to RS2 or TOPP within next couple of years; will be interesting!

[@ExcaliburBahrain]

"...individual installation" - hmmm - interesting observation. Favours a secondhand Cavalon which behaves nicely. Wonder if e.g. Trendak Taifun varies by installation as much? Ironic, as AutoGyro are more productionised - one would expect more consistency, less variation. Thank you again.

[@StuWithAView]

That’s just been my experience; I wouldn’t take it as gospel! The Cavalon is a lovely machine but a very different flying experience from the MT-03 and Sport; not least because you’re enclosed.

[@Make_Boxing_Great_Again]

Why do you needed fly low in a gyrocopter?

[@StuWithAView]

You see more, greater sense of speed, warmer, more fun 😊. It’s not that I need to fly low; it’s just that I can - it’s safer than in a fixed wing as you don’t need so much altitude to guard against an engine-out scenario because you need less room to land.

[@GrumpyOldMan9]

Why is that stick shaking so much?

[@StuWithAView]

It is a ‘feature’ of the MT-03, particularly with RS1. You hardly notice it in flight.

[@davidwoodward7020]

Hi Stu,nice video and loved the views of places we know!!I am thinking of getting into it for apart from just fun but to get to a caravan in Anglesey.How long do you think it would generally take(kinda going for it a bit,from Formby to Redwharf bay Or Benllech,about 55 miles as the crow flies ?

[@StuWithAView]

Gyro cruises at about 80 mph; ground speed is affected by wind. But clearly you have to go airfield to airfield, so that’s the distance that matters; plus travel to and from.

[@davidwoodward7020]

@@StuWithAView Thanks for the reply.Good points and understood.When I was a student in the summer hols I used to work for north west turf,I know one owner is a keen micro-lighter and uses one to check his fields of turf.I'm hoping with a mutual interest he may let me land on his fields if I let him have a go! :) is that OK?it doesn't have to be a designated airfield?...there's literally one round the corner.It's just the Anglesey end of things.Coincidentally I am treating my girlfriend to a auto gyro flight at Caernarfon air field with "the gyrocopter experience"in a few weeks,she already likes the idea of them but I hope this will give her a real bug for it!

[@StuWithAView]

Yes a field can be fine, as long as it’s big enough and not too bumpy or sloping.

[@davidwoodward7020]

@@StuWithAView great stuff,nice to know.They're all flat as pancakes and level for even irrigation,they vary in size but I am sure I can figure what's safe when the time comes.Thanks for that.

[@davidwoodward7020]

there's actually one one ebay at minute for £16,500.00

[@seikibrian8641]

I've about given up trying to convince people that "Gyrocopter" is to gyroplanes/autogyros as "Ford" is to automobiles. I suppose the genericization of proper nouns is inevitable, especially when a brand name is no longer being actively defended by its trademark holder.

[@user-zd9fc4vs4q]

Why would they ever choose to defend that trademark? Gyrocopter is by far the most common way people know these things, if anything the commonality of their name boosts their public awareness.