Flight Training
Bay Area Gyro offers different types of gyroplane flight training depending on your goals and any experience you already have. If you're an existing pilot, click on Licenced Pilots, below. If you're new to flying, click on New Pilots.
Discover more in our Frequently Asked Questions
Licensed Pilots
This is for currently qualified pilots who want to add a gyroplane rating to their existing license. This can be done in two ways:
Sport Pilot Rating
This is suitable for existing pilots who want to fly gyroplanes. For an existing pilot, you can add the gyroplane Sport Pilot rating to your license and fly a gyro either solo or with a passenger. The only restriction that matters is that you may not fly at night with this rating.​
As an existing fixed-wing pilot, here’s what you need to get a gyroplane additional endorsement:
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Aeronautical endorsement from CFI
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Training to proficiency
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Flight training endorsement from CFI
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Pass Proficiency check with second CFI
Private/Commercial Pilot Rating
This is for existing pilots who want to get the full Private or Commercial rating for their license. Contact Bay Area Gyro if you want to learn more.
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Additional Category
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Aeronautical knowledge training endorsement from CFI
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Aeronautical experience
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20 hours Dual
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3 hours Cross-country in gyro
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3 hours Night flying
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One XC Flight 50nm
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10 takeoffs and landings
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3 hours in preceding 2 calendar months prior to test
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10 hours solo
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3 hours XC
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One XC of 100nm total with 3 points, 25nm leg
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3 TO and Landings at Towered airport
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Flight training endorsement from CFI
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Pass Proficiency check with DPE
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Additional Class
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Aeronautical knowledge endorsement from CFI
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Training to proficiency
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Flight training endorsement from CFI
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Pass Proficiency check DPE
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New Pilots
If you do not have a pilot license, Bay Area Gyro can take you from zero to fully qualified. Note that this is primarily recommended for people who already know they just want to fly gyros and do not necessarily plan to fly other types of aircraft.
Sport Pilot License - Initial
The ideal initial training for someone with no flying experience who wants to specifically learn to fly a gyroplane. The items you need to go through are shown below. Some may require explanation so feel free to contact us to learn more.
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Obtain medical certificate
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Obtain/hold Student Certificate (16+ years old)
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17+ years old to get actual license
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Aeronautical knowledge training endorsement from CFI
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Pass FAA knowledge test
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Aeronautical experience
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Minimum of 20 hours overall flight time
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15 hours Dual
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2 hours Cross-country
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10 takeoffs and landings
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2 hours in preceding 2 calendar months prior to test
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5 hours solo
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Solo XC: 2 points, 25nm leg, 50nm total
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Flight training endorsement from CFI
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Pass Proficiency check with DPE
Private Pilot License - Initial
For aspiring pilots with little or no experience who want to do the full license and already know for sure that they want to fly gyroplanes rather than anything else.
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17+ years old
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Obtain medical certificate
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Hold Student Certificate (16+ years old)
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Aeronautical knowledge training endorsement from CFI
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Pass FAA knowledge test
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Aeronautical experience
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Minimum of 40 hours overall flight time
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20 hours Dual
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3 hours Cross-country
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3 hours Night flying
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One XC Flight 50nm
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10 takeoffs and landings
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3 hours in preceding 2 calendar months prior to test
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10 hours solo
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3 hours XC
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One XC of 100nm total with 3 points, 25nm leg
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3 TO and Landings at Towered airport
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Flight training endorsement from CFI
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Pass Proficiency check with DPE
Training Blocks
Bay Area Gyro offers training in 2-hour blocks, at $400 per block. Each 2 hour block includes ground training and pre-flight briefing, the flight time itself and the post-flight debriefing. The great majority of flight students find that an hour of actual flight time is more than enough, and they will become task-saturated if the instructor attempts to push much beyond this time, but students vary and so does the task load in different lessons. The split between ground, pre-flight, flight time and post-flight will vary according to the stage in the syllabus and the needs of the student but the total time is structured as a 2 hour slot.
Flight and ground training time may be booked separately if preferred - contact us for details.
Flight Training FAQs
As a non-pilot, what do I need to get a gyroplane license?
See the section for New Pilots.
What’s a sport pilot rating? Is it a real pilot’s license?
Yes it is. A sport pilot license is something the FAA came up with in 2004 to make it easier to get a license. Compared with a full private pilot’s license, there are some restrictions to do with what you can do with it, the kinds of aircraft you can fly, where you can go and so on.
What’s the practical difference between a sport pilot and private pilot rating for gyros?
In the world of gyroplanes, the only practical difference is that a private pilot may fly at night. Night flight is considered as the time between one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise. If you wish to fly at night, a private pilot rating is a must. Most gyro pilots, however, start with a sport rating and add the private rating later.
Can all Magni models be flown with either a sport or private pilot rating?
Yes, all models qualify for a pilot with either a sport pilot or private pilot rating.
What is the typical time to get my license?
This all depends on where you are starting from. Since safety and proficiency are non-negotiable, all we can commit to is that we will continue your training until you are safe and proficient. It is nearly impossible to put a number on this. Everyone wants to do it “as fast and cheaply as possible” and that’s the goal, but speed should never be prioritized over safety. To give some (very) rough guidelines, for initial pilot training, if you have 0 hours and are starting out as a brand new student pilot, as shown above you will need 20 flying hours minimum to become a sport pilot and 40 flying hours to become a private pilot. However, as a rule of thumb, it’s best to budget 50% more hours than the minimum to set your own expectations clearly. Most students end up closer to this than the bare minimum.
For pilots transitioning over from airplane, helicopter, glider, or weight-shift aircraft, you will usually need between 15-25 hours.
Why do you offer instruction in two hour blocks? If I only get a short flight from the two hour total, am I being short-changed?
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Students vary. They vary in experience, in ability and in how they absorb new information. The two hour block system is designed to provide a practical way for adjust the syllabus to the needs of the student. Most students will task-saturate after more than one hour of flying, especially early on. Early on is where more ground training, pre- and post-flight briefing is necessary. So it's to give the student the best experience at all stages of the training. As we go through the syllabus, the percentage of time allocated between ground time and flying time will likely change. But booking it in two hour slots allows student and instructor a predictable schedule throughout.
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What if I want to do my training in a short time? Do you do training packages?
Yes we do. And this is a very good idea if you want to do the training with maximum efficiency. Please contact us for more details.
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Is it a good idea to do my Initial Pilot training in a gyroplane?
There are a lot of instructors and flight schools that teach flying in fixed-wing aircraft, but only a few that teach in gyros. If you're already convinced that you only want to fly gyros, then learning in a gyro makes complete sense, but if you might want to fly other types of aircraft, it may be better to learn in a fixed-wing aircraft and then add on a gyroplane rating later. If you're not sure, contact us and let's discuss.
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Can a gyroplane stall like an airplane?
No. The physics of the rotor’s airfoil design and teetering rotorhead is such that the rotor will auto-rotate and speed up or slow down to generate the lift required. You can be at zero forward airspeed, and the rotor will simply continue to rotate. You will descend vertically, but you won’t be stalling. This is one of the key factors that makes them inherently safer than an airplane.
Can I train in my own gyroplane?
Yes! If you own (or want to purchase) a Magni M24, M16 or M26 gyroplane, you can be trained in your own gyro, and we encourage it. There’s nothing like the motivation of having your own aircraft and wanting to take it places!
I am a rated airplane or helicopter pilot - how similar is a gyroplane to either of these?
Gyroplanes share enough similarities with both a helicopter and an airplane that much of the skillset you have mastered is transferrable. The gyro-specific aspects, we will train you to master. Magni gyros are designed to be inherently safe and easy to fly. While they are fun and versatile, thorough training is required to help you operate one as such.
