This past week, I had the opportunity to train in Sebring, FL in this:

This is an ELA Eclipse-10 gyroplane.  It is owned by an aspiring-pilot here in North Carolina (edit: he sold it the week after I trained in it, but is ordering another one in green) but it is still with Pictaio Aerospace in Sebring since he doesn’t have a license to fly it.  I spent a week there first learning how to fly gyroplanes and then learning how to instruct in them.  It was a very intense week but I was endorsed as a gyroplane pilot on Wednesday and as a gyroplane sport instructor on Friday.  These aircraft are amazing! I wrote about their possibilities in the mission field a year or so ago, and am only more convinced today.

Here is a picture of another Eclipse driving up a driveway at an airpark in Florida.  As part of my training, I transported my instructor (Chris Lord) to several different airports and airparks for demonstration rides with prospective customers and training with students.  We cruised at approximately 115-120 mph without the typical turbulence felt in a light airplane on a hot, Florida day.  These gyroplanes are very stable and can take-off and land in very short distances (landings are almost 0 distance)!

I am very excited to see where the gyroplane opportunity leads for myself and Great Commission Aviation.  I only see promise from here!

These aircraft are delivered as kits and assembled in approximately 40 hours.