04 Effects of Controls

This lesson is arguably the most important a student will undertake in a gyroplane. A thorough understanding of the primary and secondary effects of gyroplane control inputs forms the foundation of all future flying. It is essential that the student both understands these effects and has ample opportunity to practise and experience them.

Since this is often the first formal preflight briefing, take time to explain each section, including the meaning of the subheadings. Along with the standard introduction, highlight that the Airmanship section emphasises good aviation practices.

The goal of this lesson is NOT to make the student a pilot today. We are focusing on building a strong foundation by understanding each control individually and how it interacts with the others.  As a result, some manoeuvres in this lesson may appear less coordinated than normal.

The primary flight controls of a gyroplane are the rotor disc and rudder. When these controls are applied in flight, the gyroplane moves about one or more of its three axes. The student needs to understand the effect each control has on the gyroplane’s attitude and flight path in order to manoeuvre accurately. They also need to observe the effect of moving each primary control individually, so that any unwanted secondary effects can be recognised and corrected through coordinated use of the controls.