Oshkosh 2022 Trip - Day 1 - Kallithea gyro travels from Los Angeles to Oshkosh 

All of these are things that get lost in the editing and the strive to make a video to appeal to wide audiences. If you follow my Facebook pages, there is usually some additional information. Additionally, i am always available for chats with someone interested in the finer details, or people planning similar trips.

Thank you for the kind words…

Some of the fun is in the detailed planning. The better you plan, the easier it is once you hit the road…

@@lagyro -- "Details" narrative wasn't planned !

Thank you for watching… and thank you for the kind words. The trip was exhausting, but also a lot of fun. I had the opportunity to see the country from an unique angle. Met many wonderful people. Enjoyed every minute of flying. I would loved to do the same trip with a bunch of friends - few gyros flying together.

​@@lagyroздравствуйте, мое восхищение вам и привет из Казахстана, скажите пожалуйста как называется ваш автожир и можно ли такой заказать к себе в Казахстан?

@@Roman_Ossetrov, thank you for watching... The gyroplane in the video is a Kallithea designed by Niki Rotor Aviation from Bulgaria. Google them, and you will be able to find their corporate website. They would be extremely happy to provide you with any information you seek... and they speak Russian as well... Good luck, and should you purchase a Kallithea, please let me know and send pictures.

​@@lagyroбольшое спасибо Вам, обязательно вам сообщу!

@@Roman_Ossetrov Thank you for watching...

Thank you for the kind words... If you ever find yourself in Los Angeles, please give me a call... But you do not have to come to America to experience a gyro flight. Please do not hesitate to get a demo flight from a local gyro pilot oir instructor. You must get your "gyro grin"... ;)

I never gave it a though about hitting someone else flying like me but in the opposite direction... Most airplanes fly much higher, and I do monitor my ADS-B traffic interface. That being said, Once I entered the green fields of Iowa, I stayed above 2,000 feet AGL because I was concerned for the numerous crop dusters flying all over the place.

Remember...east is odd west is even odder 😉

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

@@lagyro I enjoyed your flight too, it was satisfying to know that you weren't having your ears blasted by ICE powered rotar blades,

The weather during the trip was the opposite of nippy… it was blistering hot, but once in the air, it felt good. One small correction, my gyro is not a Cavalon, but a Kallithea - designed by Niki Rotor Aviation…

Thank you for the kind words. GYroplanes are not usually designed for this kind of trips, but they are fully capable of doing them... and flying low an slow really shows you some fantastic views over the land...

Thank you for watching… Making these videos allows me to relive the memories…

Thank you for watching, and thank you for the kind words. The trip really was fantastic, a modern day adventure. Did you see the clips from the other days?

Thank you for watching… sharing the trip allows me to relive it twice…

I have to admit, flying a gyro over magnificent views feels like being on a magic carpet…

Thank you for the kind words… Even with the unexpected stop, the overall progress was great. Long cross country flights require good planning, precise execution… and a lot of luck…

Thank you for the kind words…

Thank you for the knd words... The goals is to take the viewer on the journey with me...

@@lagyro - at some moments I noticed your control stick was shaking significantly. Is it turbulence which causes a lot of feedback?

@@manofsan at high airspeeds the dissimetry of lift in the rotor causes more vibrations. There were moments when i was very close to the top allowed speed. All that being said, you should keep in mind that you are looking through the lens of a camera that is vibrating itself and trying to apply image stabilization to the video. All of this creates the wrong illusion of exactly what in the cockpit is shaking and how much…

Sharing the trip allows me to fly it twice…

Thank you for the kind words... I always liked georgraphy, so this knowledge comes naturally to me. I also prepared for this trip months in advance with detailed study of almost every inch of the route on Google Earth, and other charts with more precise elevation numbers.

On the landing... it is not a good idea to go against what everyone expects from you, so landing on the runway is the way to go on unfamiliar airports. On one of my local airports, the tower allows landing on the taxiway, and they even encourage it... About the vibration... there are always vibrations, but what you see on the screen is not even close to the actual feeling when flying. You are looking through the lense of a camera that vibrates on its own, and its image stabilization is introducing another layer of distorsion for the viewers.

Thank you for watching… Nothing is impossible, sometimes we just need a little luck… 😉

You are correct about the long haul... and it can get a bit too much from time to time. But the upside is seeing the country from few feet off the ground almost like nothing else, and that makes it worth the effort... in moderation of course... ;)

@@lagyro - I flew my Grumman Tiger from SE Virginia to Waukesha for AirVenture in 2019. Made a stop for fuel in central Ohio. I was more than ready to get out of that cockpit when we stopped at that FBO in Ohio ! Much respect for your fortitude.

@@USNVA11 I hear you... this is one of the reasons why I plan the legs for about 1:45 to 2:00 hours...

Haha, you are not far from the truth, the prerotator’s belts do screech in the beginning.

Thank you for watching... I am currently processing the return trip to Los Angeles, so by the time yuo watch the rest of the videos, the new batch would be ready and available...;)

Thank you for the kind words… I am planning to publish the return trip as well - another 4 days going home to Los Angeles…stand by for some exciting footage…

@@lagyro Wow! will be waiting for it. All the best.

Sharing the trip makes me relive it multiple times… lots of fun…

Gyros are fantastic machines, and with proper handling can be so much fun you have to pinch yourself… I would recommend visiting some gyro flying events like Bensen Days in Wauchula, Florida, or the PRA Convention at Mentone, Indiana… Also, it might be fun for you to take an introductory flight with a gyro flight instructor.

@@lagyro I literally have the same sentiment as @martinholloway7694. I couldn't find a gyro instructor near my home in Maryland but I am currently on a visit to LA and will contact the good folks at LA Gyro for an introductory flight. Thank you for taking me on this journey with you. Im watching the entire thing again for the 2nd time.

@@blakjedi you’re always welcome to visit L. A. , but have you tried looking at Frederick Airport? I think there was a gyro instructor there. Also, you may consider visiting Bensen Days in Florida at the end of March. There you can hook up with almost any gyro instructor in the country in one place…

I will be in LA this week and have requested a 60/90 min introductory flight through your website. Looking forward!

@@blakjedi oh, that was you… awesome… I sent a reply…

Video editing is time consuming… one of the reasons why my computer hard drive gets fuller and fuller with unprocessed video footage…

Thank you for watching!!

One never knows what an adventure such as this would bring, and that is probably the allure of the long cross country flight… maybe we’ll see you at Bensen Days one of these years…

@@lagyro It would be a pleasure to meet you and hear your stories.

Thank you for watching and leaving a comment... Yes, it was quite hot while taxiing on the ground, but the air vents did work very well once in the air. I would say that the overall feeling from the flight is exhilarating, and the small stuff like the heat is not remembered for long...

Work hard, play hard... I heard that somewhere... Not sure if it works exactly as it sounds... ;)

Flying on a magic carpet above beautiful landscapes…

Greetings from California… Oshkosh is something a pilot should experience once in a while just to recharge the batteries… You are 100% correct about the publicity, the gyro was a guest of honor everywhere i went.

Looking at maps, charts, Google Earth even, give you just a limited appreciation for goegraphical features, but once you fly over the terrain, you realize the difference in scale... sometimes it looks bigger, and sometimes it looks smaller than anticipated...

Guess you havent studied tectonic plates and geography the assumption that the 395 divides the US and Canada in any stretch of the imagination is fantastical imagination at best..but make that your reality that you chose

@@lutomson3496 You might want to re-read the OP's post.

@@lutomson3496 lmaoo how horrible of a person are you for you to come up with a response to the original comment like that? get a grip, jesus man wtf

I traveled 395 south from Mono Lake to 136 east into Death Valley. Aside from a speeding ticket in Bishop, it was a fun little adventure on my meandering way from San Francisco to Dallas. The U.S. is a big beautiful place if you know how to look.

Haha… these are invaluable …

Yes, many peopla comment on the stick's vibrations... I guess the reasoin for that is because the stick is a natural focal point on screen. Keep in mind you are looking through the lens of a camera that vibrates on ots mount while trying to apply image stabilization on the captures video... things get a bit distorted, so the shake look a but worse than it really is...

I, myself, discovered gyros on RU-vid before actually getting involved in flying them...

Cameras overheating is a real bummer…

Thank you for the kind words…

A friend of mine was amazed how familiar he was with the cockpit when he sat in it for the first... just because he has seen many of the videos...

When i share the trip, i get to relive it twice…

Thank you for watching...

I can understand how that might be the visual appearance while watchig the video, but keep in mind that you are looking through the lens of a camera vibrating on its mount while trying to implement image stabilization to the captured footage. That, in general, distorts the perception of the vibration of objects that are close to the camera vs those further away. That is not to say there are no vibrations in the stick, but those are much less than what appears on screen...

Few years ago I discovered gyros on RU-vid myself… 😉

Thank you for the kind words…

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

I have couple of friends who fly Calidus gyros, so we can probably do comparison videos, then go fly together. I also have a friend who sold his Calidus and bought a Kallithea. His reasoning was that the Kallithea has much better visibility from the cockpit, has the option for a 915 engine, and the seating arrangement is much more comfortable…

- The screeching of the pre-rotator belts is really crazy, until all goes in sync and then it sounds like a turbine engine... You never have to worry about this sound in flight, it just lasts for few seconds. - The desert gets a bit toasty during the summer months, but what is more annoying is the persistent afternoon thunderstorms in that area - VERY ANNOYING... - The camera does get very hot during continuos usage. When I fly the open cockpit machine, the wind cools it down somewhat, but in the enclosed cockpit, things are not so easy. In general, as long as it is away from direct sunlight, it runs fine even when hot, but as I left Boulder City, it just died and I missd on some fantastic scenery through the Valley of Fire...

@@lagyro Thanks again for the video. You're the absolute Boss for making this trip and allowing us to be along for the ride!

Thank you for the kind words... stand by fo rthe return journey footage... ;)

Gyros and vibrations go hand in hand… some are normal, some are excessive… There is a significant difference between gyros and fixed wings in that regard.

Well, during most of the trip I was zooming at 85-90 knots, a decent speed for a gyroplane. If a car wants to drive faster than that, my hat is off to them... Also, similar contaption (two of them) has done a trip around the world, crossing oceans and high mountains. As proud as I am of my trip to Oshkosh and back, really it is not an Earthshattering achievement... ;)

Thank you for watching... Your praise makes it all worthwhile... My "main" camera is an Insta360 OneX, a 360 camera, that captures the world around it. In post production I select where the "lense" faces and the zoom level. This makes the video appear like there was a human operator moving the camera. I also use footage from other cameras as they are available during flight. I shoudl probably do a video of how I manage the raw footage. IF you follow my Facebook page, theer is a post from couple fo years ago descussing the camera mounts, etc. Contact me via my email (peter@lagyro.com) if you would like more detailed information.

@@lagyro Fantastic! while doing housework I have your adventures running and often time the scenery is so distracting I actually stop what I am doing and sit and watch! Thank you my friend!

@@supermanlxvi Thank you for the kind words... I don't want to sound weird, but the views are really spectacular - even sumple things like green fields, and houses look better from the air. I wish my camera had a better color capture... and I also wish everybody would have the opportunity to take a flight in a small aircraft. Once I got involved in aviation, I realized that the industry is doing a lowsy job advertising what it could offer to the general public. And, Yes, you have to drive to airport, and maybe get unlucky with cancellations due t o bad weather, but once you get the chance to fly... Oh, boy, you are hooked...

I was planning to land there as a fuel stop, but at the last moment chose St George. Beautiful area at the doorsteps of Zion National Park...

@@lagyro it's a nice little town, it can get pretty windy. The locals think it's mild and call it normal. Keep your weather radio on.

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.

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...

True… AC would have kept things cooler, but to be honest, while in the air, the cockpit was very comfortable.

I recommend aropund 2,000 feet of AGL altitude, in general...but the local conditions may suggest something different. Sometimes I would climb very high if I know there is better wind situation, and sometimes I would stay close to teh ground for the same reason. 2,000 feet allows you to avoid most ground based obstacles, plus crop dusters...

Stand by for the other days of this fantastic journey...

@@lagyro looking forward to it for sure

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

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.

Most of the route was fairly safe, with decent emergency landing spots. Here and there i had few sketchy places, but before i got too deep in trouble, i assessed all aspects of the flight and concluded it was ok to proceed.

There are vents in the side windows, and these vents are quite effective once in the air. When I taxi on the ground, I try to keep the door open, and that helps. The problem is for few minutes right before takeoff, I need both hands on the controls, so I have to lock the door in advance, and slowly enter the runway... or wait for landing traffic. This is when it gets a bit uncomfortable... I am trying to figure out a system to blow some air on me for few minutes before the vented air starts cooling the cabin. Also, you have to keep in mind that this is a very small aircraft, so there is no room for an elaborate AC system. For local flying, just remove the doors and enjoy as an open cockpit machine.

Absolutely…if you never need it, you just have the company of the truckers on the road… but if you need it, boy, there is do much less walking…

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.

The last few seconds of the video contain total numbers... You can calculate the average speed from the HOBBS hours and teh total distance covered. The fuel burn was around 5.7 US Gallons per hour... The coastal video was different, no worries abot weather, fuel, places to go... just have fun... ;)

The trip looks very ambitious if you look at it as one big flight, but if you break it down to individual legs, it is absolutelly manageable. The machine performed flawlesly. I did not need extra fuel for the legs I planned. After 1.5 to 2 hour flights, you just want to stretch your legs a bit, and we are blessed with a fantastic network of airports in the US, so there was no need to overdo it...

Gyroplanes should not be considered a Short-Takeoff aircraft in general, and when you add a significant density altitude component, it is not difficult to expect a long ground roll. Can gyroscopes take off from a short field? Yes, under special conditions - weather, weight, wind, pilot skills, runway surface, etc.

I hear you... AC would be a good addition to any emclosed aircraft... or you can remove the doors and fly it open cockpit... About crashing - any aircraft is potentially exposed to that problem, why do you say gyros scare you more than others?

@L.A. Gyroplane Aviation When I watch an extreme professional such as yourself, operating the aircraft, you make it look easy and definitely enjoyable. The same goes with Tucker Gott and his paramotor. Both of you managed to learn and master the skill without being killed along the way. HOWEVER, when I watch crash compilation videos with both types of aircraft, in almost every case, the crash was due to rookie pilot error. That is the part that bothers me. They pull up too steep, and the rotor touches the ground and obliterates the aircraft. They are in flight, pull up too steep and then tip the nose down. The pilot is suddenly upside down and is toast. The paramotor pilot pulls the rope incorrectly, and a wing collapses. In both aircraft, they take off and then immediately make an error that causes them to whip around like a lacrosse ball and slam into the ground. Watching professionals like you make me want to buy one, but watching rookies crash makes me say I better keep my feet on the ground. It is disappointing nonetheless.

@@Dave-co1cv I appreciate calling me a "professional" and I would be very happy if it was possible to just fly and not have another job.. ;) When it comes to training, it is important for all types of flying. Airplanes are not any safer than gyros, but they also require more training because traditionally a Private Pilot level was the lowest level you can achieve. It took me 75 training hours to get my fixed wing pilot license, and I see some gyro pilot trainees who are ready to give up after less than 5 hours of gyro training, or think they are good pilots after 10-20 hours of training. Gyros, or any aircraft, are very safe and controllable if you respect them and do your due diligence to train and keep your skills fresh. As you said, rookie mistakes cost a lot of money... and even on my level, there are maneuvers that I would not even considering doing, yet I still enjoy flying...

@L.A. Gyroplane Aviation My definition of "professional" doesn't necessarily mean a paid profession, but simply that the individual is at a "professional" level in a particular field. In your case, I watched you take off and land several times over, and it was textbook perfect. This makes you a "professional" gyro-pilot in my book. This doesn't mean you aren't human and infallible, but you know exactly how to fly one without making the mistakes that killed so many, or at least destroyed their gyrocopter.

@@Dave-co1cv in any case, thank you for the kind words. You bring a very interesting point... Many people go to do demo flights with an experienced gyro pilots, dealer, representatve of a brand. Everything during the flight is perfect, takeoff is effortless, landing is smooth, price looks affordable. So these people love everything about the gyro, and want one. Of course the pilot would never admit of the hours it takes to become profecient. People purchase the gyro, then decide to go cheap on training, or training is not readily available, then they get busy and do not fly the gyro for a month or so, then when they go to fly it, they are lacking the muscle memory and what they kinda remembered from their training has evaporated... then bad things can potentially happen. Now, that is not something unique to the gyros, but they are so sexy and look so accessible, which makes them a bit more visible when things go wrong... I have an open offer to every rusty gyro pilot in the area to invite me for a flight when they need some assistance to get back in the saddle...

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.

If you were to purchase this same gyro, it would probably cost you in the visinity of $120K when all is seid and done, and if you have the money, for about $150K you can get the super-duper combo of Rotax 915iS engine and Garmin glass cockpit... And now that you have seen its real world endurance and capability, you probably realize, these machines are a very capable "toys"...

Thank you for watching... There is always some level if inbalance in the rotor, especially at the higher speeds of the flying in the video. Additionally, there is an optical illusion caused by the constant vibration of the camera itself while the "steady-shot" features are trying to reduce the visible shaking. It suffice to say, the flying is very enjoyable... and the adventure is unbelievable... ;)

It should be around 80-90 knots, but occassionally I found myself at 95-100 knots

When I think about it, I cannot remember a time when I landed and was happy to rest my arm because it was shaken too much... I believe the shaking looks worst on screen than it really is, besides my grip on the stick is fairly loose, so very little vibrations would be transferred.

“…vibrating too much” is relevant… all gyros have vibrations and the battle is to keep them to a minimum. In this case you have to keep in mind that you are looking through the eyes of a camera that is vibrating and trying to apply stabilization algorithms to the video footage. I am not saying there is no room for improvement, but it all has to be assessed in person.

Thank you for watching... Following roads is an old gyro "tradition" from the days when engines were not as reliable as today, but also becauseI am unfamiliar with the terrain, so for my personal peace of mind I stick to what I feel most confortable with. In general, every pilot has a plan of some kind for emergency landing in case of engine out, so my plan involves flying closer to major highways so I don;t have to walk far in case of an emergency landing. I would not recommend night flying over unfamiliar terrain to anyone, besides after 12 hour day of hard flying I just need a break. Blood oxygen level is important to you as a pilot since it affects your functions if it gets too low. I live close t the ocean, so on the first day of staying at high altitudes, and being a solo pilot I have only myself to rely on. That is why I make sure to keep an eye on my physical condition. Also, years ago I had a very lo blood oxygen level after a 4 hour long flight in a Cessna at 10,000 feet. Once my body adapted to higher altitudes, I did not botter checking...

Thank you for watching… I cannot disagree with you off hand, but you should also keep in mind that a video like this is not a very good source to judge the state of the rotor balance. There are many visual factors involved in the creation of the video.

I cannot argue the rotor is perfectly balanced, but a video taken by a camera that vibrates itself is not a good indicator.

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.

You could trim it close enough for lighter touch on the controls, maybe even a few seconds of hands free, but I would never be comfortable with releasing the stick for autopilotlike flying. There are too many factors influencing the flight at lower altitudes. In my experience flying gyros, I have never felt that I need hands free operations. Also, hands free "capabiliy" usually comes with heavy stick, so the question is: is featherlight stick better even if you always have to be in control, or very heavy stick is better as long as I can trim it to relieve the constant control. I, personally, like to be in control, so light stick would be my preference. My AR-1 gyro has a very light stick, the Kallithea is a bit heavier.

Contact me at peter@lagyro.com to see what i can share…

It was very upsetting to me to discover my cameras dead from overheating. But i got some good footage on my return trip.

It is the “ClarityAloft” with Bluetooth connectivity. Of course if you do not need bluetooth connectivity you can just take the regular headset.

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.

Gyro rotors can be balabced to reduce vibrations...

While on a long cross country flight, I have little time to consider landing at any point between my planned stops...BUT, looking for potential emergency landing spots is a constant effort. When I fly in my local area for fun, I have seen few attarctive spots that may tempt me to land, but I must remind myself that gyroplanes are not helicopter, and although they can land in a very small open area, they do need a longer flat runway to take off. There are some remote roads in the desert that may work very well for the purpose of taking a break, but once I am in the air, I just prefer to stay there... ;)

I was movind at average of 80 knots of airspeed, and was burning 5.5 gallons of fuel... give or take...

@@lagyro Thanks for the info! That's about 16.7 MPG. Not great, but there's the fun factor...

Thank you for the kind words… The camera over my shoulder is an Insta360One X, camera capturing everything in 360 degrees. In postproduction i use their free software to make a “flat” video by telling the software about my desired zoom, pan or tilt.

Thank you for this. Very remarkable ans I didn't know these kinds of devices existed.

@@blakjedi i was in your shoes few years ago…

It is amazing how different things look from 2,000 feet above ground…

Please watch the videos from the other days in the journey… that was really an epic trip… I would recommend to anyone to do something similar if they can…

@@lagyro I did watch them. I thought gyroplanes had shorter take offs. Even in high altitudes. I learned a lot, didn’t know about pre-wind, all very interesting.

The short takeoff is somewhat possible in species circumstances, but usually that is being advertised by sales reps…

Cruising speed is between 80-90 knots, and burns around 5.5 gallons per hour.

I understand what you’re saying, but keep in mind the audience is quite wide and many people are on the opposite side of you, and want the obvious easy to digest terrain comments. Also, i am quite available for side chats and conversations on the greater details around the trip. Additionally, plotting my route on a chart would give a pilot all the distance and altitude information. When it comes to the outside temperature… it was HOT… the intro screen of the video is from my stop at St. George, the temperature on the apron was 57 degrees Celsius. Density altitude was a great factor almost the entire trip. Thank you for the interest in the trip!!!

If you execute properly, you can gently kiss the runway…

Thank you for watching. Here ar emy responses to your questions: 1. There are two schools of thought in the gyro community when it comes to prerotating. One insists on lining up and then prerotation, the other swears by entering the runway with a spinning rotor. I use both techniques depending on the gyro's capabiliies. This gyro uses a pedal to activate the prerotator, so I must be stationary before I remove my foot from the rudder pedal in order to push the prerotation pedal. 2. Filing a VFR flight plan is always a good idea, especially if you do not have a "ground team" to keep tabs on you while flying. The problem is that we fly a bit too low for the radar to keep an eye on us, and the system is not yet relying on ADS-B as much as one would expect. After few times when ATC stopped following me and asked me to pretty much buzz off, I stopped asking for flight following over open country, but I still try to listen to their frequencies. Ofcourse crossing controlled airspace is the same as with any other aircraft.