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Never forget... ;)

Gloves... don't I look cool wearing them? I do like my hands soft and smooth, so the gloves protect me from the somewhat jagged edges of the throttle handles. Long sleeves are there to protect my arms from the blistering sun. I hate sunscreen, so the next best thing is long sleeves and pants. The feeling of heat comes from the sun hitting teh skin directly, so teh long sleeves do actual help me feel cooler. Currently I sqitched to a lighter fabric, so now I am even better. The mechanical problem was not a big thing, just enough of a hassle to give me a pause with the long trip ahead of me. There was a stripped bolt that I neglected to see during preflight. Two more bolts were assisting, so no real safety issue. In any case, I am forever grateful to Super James for driving all the way from California to assist. I agree with you on the beauty of the Kallithea gyro... AC would be nice, BUT... it all comes to weight, so I am not even considering raising this issue. Besides, the vents are very effective in flight, where it really matters... and one can always remove the doors for open cockpit flying in the local area.

@@lagyro nope, sorry u just look tortured. I’ve spent 2many hours on the hot tarmac not2 relate. I wanted 4your comfort the whole trip after the 2nd late.

@@ct4cf I appreciate your concern for a fellow pilot... I promise you, if I was unfomfortable in any way, I would have changed things around... ;) Flying is for fun, so anything that deminishes the experience is out...

If you read the comments for these videos, you will notice many people mentioning the "vibrations"... You will also notice me telling everyone that determening the level of vibration based on an action cam video is not appropriate. There are many factors involved in recording the video that distort reality to a high degree. When it comes to switching hands to give one a rest from vibrations... let's just say that is a non-sense. If my gyro was vibrating that badly, why would I be so irresponsible to take a trip across the continent with an aircraft that is appearantly so out of wack? Are there vibrations? Absolutely... Are there excesive vibrations? Not according the few experienced gyro pilots who have flown on the front seat on invitation from me to tell me their opinion on the shake. These videos are for entertainment purposes, and I do appreciate you watching them. I do appreciate the feedback as well, that is why I try to respond to every comment.

When it comes to cost, the biggest concern is weight, so adding an AC is something that is considered non essential. Keep in mind that a 3 seater would not be considered a Light Sport Aircraft by the FAA. I carry 17 gallons of fuel, and the fuel consumption is around 5.6 US Gallons per hour when I cruise at above 80 knots.

What else changes when the engine RPM increase that might affect the picture you are watching... let me give you a hint - overall vibrations... The camera is not in an abolute point in space, it vibrates itsevf, utilizes stabilization software, creates videos from still images... Did you also notice the rotor spins in the oposite direction on the ground... I shoud probably put a disclaimer that hese video clips are for entertainment purposes only... ;)

Stoping every hour and a half is good for the pilot too... stretch your legs, go to the bathroom, get a snack and water... meet new friends, just enjoy life.

The rotor is fine... trust me... ;) Watching action cam videos is not the best way to determine the condition of a rotor system. There are many factors that affect the appearance on screen which is different than the actual behaviour.

The average airspeed during cruise mode is around 80-85 knots. Of course the wind would affect the ground speed, but that is true for any form of aviation.

Thank you for watching... I had to check my oxygen level becaiuse I was not 100% sure how my body would react to staying for long hours above 6-7000 feet. Once I realized all was good and I was not losing my oxygen levels, I stopped checking. Usually after a day in these conditions the body addapts. Additionally, I made sure I am properly hydrated the entire time... that helps.

My fuel consumption was 5.5 gallons per hour when the engine was being pushed above and beyond normal use. The Rotax engine is a fantastic piece of machinery that makes the light sport aircraft viable...

If you noticed I am mentioning heat, density altitude, unhospitable terrain, other stress factors during the first day of the trip... but never mention the vibrations. Why do you think that is? Am I trying to hide something, or are they really a "nothing burger"... ;)

@@lagyro I meant no disrespect, is that rotor vibration typical of gyros? I logged some helicopter time in a R-22 some years ago and I remember the cyclic vibration making me anxious. The instructor mentioned it was due for balancing which I guess is part of the regular maintenance. Anyway I lived in Vegas and spent time in the surrounding areas 10 years ago. I have also flown in to Daggett field on a cross country flight to Phoenix. Great video, thank you and safe travels.

@@tappan48 Gyros do vibrate, like any rotorcraft. Rotor balancing is an artform, and it helps to have a well balanced prop and rotor. How much thinkering with rotor balancing is worth the effort is up to the pilot, I beleive my rotors are in servicable condition. It is also up to the passengers to figure out for themselves if the vibrations are too much to handle. In my experience, I have never heard anybody who just got their forstgyro flight to say they are happy to escape the vibrating death trap, quite the opposite, they were grinning from ear to ear. Additionally, videos made by action cams (GoPro, etc.) are not a good way to judge the level of vibrations - way too many factors are thrown in the mix to be able to trust what you see on screen is a fateful representation of reality.

Thank you for watching, and I appreciate your feedback... Average speed during the trip was around 80-85 knots (~100 MPH). The rotor was spinning at ~440 RPM, which is above its normal of 410 RPM for the same load. Density altitude and flight altitude was taking its tall on the performance. Approach and takeoff speeds are around 55 knots (60-65 MPH). I tried to stay around 2,000 feet above the terrain.

I noticed that after a long flight I have hard time scratching my butt because my hand is numb... ;) Just kidding... Videos taken by action cams are not the best way to judge vibrations of any kind.

Gyroplane like this would cost sommewhere between $120K and $180K depending on engine, avionics, customizations, etc. Get in touch with me at peter@lagyro.com if you would like more specific information on the Kallithea gyro...

I was not sure they would be comfortable with me filming inside. Usually smaller airports (you can notice those on the video) have a small one room Pilot Launge with a decent restroom, maybe fridge with water or a vending machine, aviation charts on the wall, a couch, desk for flight planning. Larger airports with a full size FBO offer more amenities since they usually cater to jet customers.

That is horrible... It looks like Heber City Airport is a magnet for accidents - a gyroplane crashed there a year before my visit there...

I believe they relocated few years ago…

Thank you for watching, and your fedback... I can report that I survived the round trip adventure, and still flying gyros... ;)

Thank you for watching... Believe me, when I can I am adding the communications, either with ATC, or simply talking to myself...

There is no right or wrong side in this case... I follow the road not as a highway, but so I don't walk far in case of emergency. I am so low to the ground that encountering oposite (or any) traffic is almost impossible. Throughout the entire 4 day trip, if we do not count traffic in a vicinity of an airport I am landing, I encountered exactly 2 (two) GA airplanes that passed in the opposite direction high above me. I also encountered and avoided few crop dusters, but at the time I was not "following roads" in the classic meaning.

I am not complaining… as i mentioned before, videos like this are not a good way to judge the level of vibration in the stick.

Thank you for watching… and i truly appreciate the feedback…

Thank you for watching… I should have silently admired the majestic surroundings…

I woudl have to agree with you... the Kallithea gyroplane is a fantastic looking... and performing machine.

Thank you for watching, and for your feedback…

Thank you for the kind words… and thank you for watching…

Thank you for watching… I am planning to add more videos soon.

Thank you for the kind words, and thank you for watching.

You could say that.

Are you comparing this to previous videos of the green gyro? If yes, this is a totally new gyro... same model, different panel and bigger engine... yellow... ;)

Thank you for watching...

Yes, sir, and that is exactly the point of this maneuver. Sharp turn, loads the rotor, spins it faster, provides energy for soft landing.

Looking forward to seeing the gang…

Thank you for watching... Tandem vs Side-by-side... In my opinion they both have a place in the gyro world. I prefer tandems because of the better visibility on both sides of the aircraft for both crew members, better aerodynamics (skinnier body), better balance when flying solo. Side-by-sides are better for crew interaction when looking outside is secondary to the ability to converse with your passenger. these are usually less nimble. At the end of teh day what matters is your chosen mission for the gyro you are planning to get. Pay for some demo flights with as many models as possible, that could save you big bucks by allowing to choose correctly what works best for you.

Be careful what you wish for… 😉

Thank you for watching… and for the kind words.

Flying gyros is do much fun on its own, i gave up smoking the good stuff… 😉

I hear you, and I do some similar stuff when I am up for it, but on a long trip like this one, you try to avoid anything that may strand you far from home...

Yes, I like to use airports... it is legal that way, and safer... ;) ...and in the US we have plenty of airports to choose from.

Whose English is not good?

Because... I look cool... :) This is an old habit, that I will probably keep.

Interesting suggestion... The reason why I was surprised by the overheating of the cameras is because my previous trips were not that long, and the camera was not really exposed to that much sunlight. Once I discovered the problem, I managed to keep some shade on top of the heat sensitive devices. In general, flying gyroplanes is syninimous with "simlicity" so anything that is over complicated is not going to fly (no pun intended).

@@lagyro oh I get it lol. Thanks for the video again. I plan to watch some more soon. I always wondered how it would fair flying one of these cross country and this gave me a lot of insight into long trips in one. Most the videos I come across are short trips

@@tommylewis8457 I recommend to everyone who can do it to embark on such adventure... prety much the last frontier... It does not have to be across the whole country, but overnight trips are very exciting as well.

Thank you for watching!!

how much time into the video is the moment in question?

@@lagyro Sorry, my english is not very good. I saw you shout out at Minute 0:49 (and at some other scenes before dedartue) and was interested in, what you call. Because I wondered that no person is outside :-)

@@eduardschnakenfuss9411 Aaah... I am yelling "Clear Prop" which is a warning to everyone staying out there to stay clear of the propeller since I am about to start the engine. Regardless of someone being there, or you are alone at the airport, you should always yell "Clear Prop...". This way you create a strong habit and would never forget to warn people to be safe.

@@lagyro I understand. That is very sensible! Many thanks for your explanation!