FAA Private Pilot - Gyroplane (PRG) cheat sheet

A private pilot gyroplane certificate requires a minimum of 40 hours total flight time, including at least 20 hours of gyroplane flight time.

Of the 20 gyroplane hours, a minimum of 15 hours must be dual instruction and 5 hours must be solo flight, including at least 3 solo takeoffs and landings.

A third-class medical certificate is required to exercise private pilot privileges; BasicMed may be used if the pilot meets its eligibility conditions.

Private pilots may not act as pilot in command for compensation or hire, but may share operating expenses with passengers under 14 CFR 61.113.

To carry passengers, a pilot must have logged at least 3 takeoffs and 3 landings within the preceding 90 days in the same category, class, and type (if type rating required).

A flight review (14 CFR 61.56) consisting of at least 1 hour ground and 1 hour flight training is required every 24 calendar months.

Pilot logbooks must be retained and made available on request; currency and recent flight experience records must be kept for the periods specified in 14 CFR 61.51.

A gyroplane's rotor is autorotative: it is driven by airflow upward through the disc, not by engine power, so loss of engine power does not stop rotor rotation.

Rotor thrust equals the vector sum of lift and drag; tilting the rotor disc rearward increases lift and drag, slowing airspeed.

Dissymmetry of lift is the difference in lift between advancing and retreating blades; blade flapping and cyclic feathering equalize lift across the disc.

Flap-back is the rearward tilt of the rotor disc that occurs with increasing airspeed; it reduces the angle between the disc and the relative wind.

A gyroplane cannot stall in the fixed-wing sense, but can enter a power pushover (bunt) if the rotor is unloaded by abrupt forward cyclic or negative G.

Rotor RPM is largely a function of airspeed and load; low airspeed and high load can reduce RPM, and rotor RPM decay leads to blade stall and loss of control.

Precession is the 90-degree lag between an applied force and the resulting blade displacement; cyclic inputs must lead the intended disc change by 90 degrees.

Ground effect reduces induced drag near the surface, allowing lower power settings and shorter takeoffs and landings.

Maximum gross weight is the sum of empty weight, occupants, baggage, and fuel; exceeding it degrades climb, ceiling, and rotor performance.

Center of gravity limits are expressed as a range forward and aft of the datum; an aft CG reduces stability and increases power-pushover risk.

Weight and balance must be computed before each flight using current empty weight and arm data, not the aircraft's original factory figures.

Takeoff and landing distances increase with density altitude, gross weight, and tailwind; POH charts provide the only approved performance data.

Density altitude is pressure altitude corrected for nonstandard temperature; high density altitude reduces rotor and engine performance.

Use the POH performance charts for the specific gyroplane model; generic or fixed-wing charts are not valid substitutes.

Fuel planning must account for taxi, climb, cruise, descent, and a legal reserve of at least 30 minutes during day and 45 minutes at night.

METARs report current surface weather; TAFs forecast conditions within 5 statute miles of an airport and cover periods up to 24 or 30 hours.

Standard lapse rate is 2°C per 1,000 feet; the standard atmosphere at sea level is 15°C and 29.92 inHg.

Density altitude increases approximately 120 feet for each 1°C above standard temperature at a given elevation.

AIRMETs cover moderate hazards (Tango for turbulence, Sierra for IFR/mountain obscuration, Zulu for icing); SIGMETs cover severe or extreme hazards.

Wind shear and mountain wave activity can produce severe turbulence and downdrafts; gyroplanes are especially sensitive to low-level wind shear during takeoff and landing.

Convective activity should be avoided because thunderstorms contain embedded severe turbulence, hail, and microbursts that exceed gyroplane structural limits.

A ceiling is the lowest broken or overcast layer; visibility of 3 statute miles or more is generally required for VFR in Class G airspace during the day.

Sectional charts use a scale of 1:500,000; 1 inch on the chart equals approximately 6.86 nautical miles.

True course is measured from the chart; true heading equals true course plus wind correction angle; magnetic heading equals true heading minus magnetic variation.

Compass heading equals magnetic heading adjusted for deviation, which is read from the compass correction card.

A nautical mile equals 1.15 statute miles; fuel consumption is typically planned in gallons per hour and converted to time en route.

Pilotage uses visual landmarks and dead reckoning uses computed time, heading, and speed; GPS should be cross-checked against them.

Class B airspace appears as solid blue lines, Class C as solid magenta, Class D as dashed blue, and Class E as dashed magenta on sectional charts.

Obstacles higher than 1,000 feet AGL are shown with MSL elevation; those lower may be omitted from sectional charts.

Class A airspace begins at 18,000 feet MSL and requires an IFR clearance and Mode C transponder.

Class B airspace requires an explicit ATC clearance; Class C and D require two-way radio communication established before entry.

Class E airspace may be controlled without an operating control tower; Class G is uncontrolled and VFR minimums depend on altitude and time of day.

Transponder Mode C is required in Class A, B, and C airspace and above 10,000 feet MSL, and within the Mode C veil around Class B airports.

The phonetic alphabet uses Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliett, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, X-ray, Yankee, Zulu.

Emergency frequency is 121.5 MHz; the universal distress call is MAYDAY and the urgency call is PAN-PAN.

Squawk 7700 for emergencies, 7600 for radio failure, and 7500 for hijacking.

The standard traffic pattern is left-hand unless published otherwise; entry is normally at pattern altitude on the downwind leg at 45 degrees to the midpoint.

Pattern altitude is typically 1,000 feet AGL; gyroplane patterns may be lower where published and should be flown to match other traffic.

Runway markings: white edge lines, yellow centerline, threshold bars, and displaced thresholds indicate landing area restrictions.

Wind indicators include the windsock (approximate direction and speed), tetrahedron, and wind tee; the segmented circle shows pattern direction.

Right-of-way rules: aircraft in distress, then balloons, gliders, airships, aircraft towing, and powered aircraft in that order; converging aircraft give way to the one on the right.

A stabilized approach should be established by short final with target airspeed and descent rate; go-arounds are mandatory if the approach is unstable.

Wake turbulence is generated by heavy aircraft and is worst when the generating aircraft is heavy, slow, and clean; gyroplanes should land beyond the touchdown point and avoid the vortices.

The rotor system includes blades, hub bar, teeter bolt, and control linkage; preflight inspection must check blade condition, bolt security, and control freedom.

Rotor blades are typically aluminum or composite; cracks, delamination, and leading-edge damage require removal from service.

The engine, propeller, and rotor are independent systems; propeller thrust provides forward speed while the rotor provides lift.

A prerotator spins the rotor before takeoff; rotor RPM must reach the manufacturer's minimum before brake release and takeoff roll.

Maintenance must follow the manufacturer's inspection program; annual inspections are required for aircraft used for compensation or hire, and condition inspections for experimental aircraft.

Fuel contamination checks, oil level, and coolant level are part of every preflight; the fuel selector must be set to a tank with adequate fuel.

Control rigging and rotor tachometer accuracy should be verified at each condition inspection; incorrect rigging can cause loss of control.

In an engine failure, lower the collective or reduce power, maintain rotor RPM, and execute an autorotative descent to a suitable landing area.

Autorotation requires maintaining airspeed and rotor RPM; the flare at low altitude converts forward speed into rotor energy for a soft touchdown.

A power pushover (bunt) is countered by reducing forward cyclic and restoring positive G-loading; recovery requires prompt aft cyclic.

Rotor RPM decay is corrected by lowering the nose to increase airflow through the disc and reducing load.

Fire in flight: shut off fuel, execute a forced landing, and evacuate after landing; do not restart the engine.

Lost procedures: climb, conserve fuel, and use radio and navigation aids; declare an emergency with ATC if fuel becomes critical.

Emergency descent should be planned away from populated areas; use 121.5 MHz and squawk 7700 to alert ATC.

The IMSAFE checklist covers Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, and Emotion before flight.

The DECIDE model: Detect, Estimate, Choose, Identify, Do, Evaluate - a structured decision-making process for in-flight problems.

Hypoxia symptoms include euphoria, headache, and impaired judgment; supplemental oxygen is required above 12,500 feet MSL for more than 30 minutes and above 14,000 feet MSL continuously.

Spatial disorientation is common in low visibility; trust the instruments and avoid abrupt maneuvers without visual reference.

Alcohol: 8 hours bottle-to-throttle, blood alcohol below 0.04%, and no flying while under the influence.

Fatigue and stress degrade judgment and reaction time; the hazardous attitudes (anti-authority, impulsivity, invulnerability, macho, resignation) should be recognized and countered.

Crew resource management and passenger briefings improve safety; passengers should be briefed on emergency exits and sterile cockpit procedures.

A private pilot gyroplane certificate requires a minimum of 40 hours total flight time, including at least 20 hours of gyroplane flight time.

Of the 20 gyroplane hours, a minimum of 15 hours must be dual instruction and 5 hours must be solo flight, including at least 3 solo takeoffs and landings.

A third-class medical certificate is required to exercise private pilot privileges; BasicMed may be used if the pilot meets its eligibility conditions.

Private pilots may not act as pilot in command for compensation or hire, but may share operating expenses with passengers under 14 CFR 61.113.

To carry passengers, a pilot must have logged at least 3 takeoffs and 3 landings within the preceding 90 days in the same category, class, and type (if type rating required).

A flight review (14 CFR 61.56) consisting of at least 1 hour ground and 1 hour flight training is required every 24 calendar months.

Pilot logbooks must be retained and made available on request; currency and recent flight experience records must be kept for the periods specified in 14 CFR 61.51.

A gyroplane's rotor is autorotative: it is driven by airflow upward through the disc, not by engine power, so loss of engine power does not stop rotor rotation.

Rotor thrust equals the vector sum of lift and drag; tilting the rotor disc rearward increases lift and drag, slowing airspeed.

Dissymmetry of lift is the difference in lift between advancing and retreating blades; blade flapping and cyclic feathering equalize lift across the disc.

Flap-back is the rearward tilt of the rotor disc that occurs with increasing airspeed; it reduces the angle between the disc and the relative wind.

A gyroplane cannot stall in the fixed-wing sense, but can enter a power pushover (bunt) if the rotor is unloaded by abrupt forward cyclic or negative G.

Rotor RPM is largely a function of airspeed and load; low airspeed and high load can reduce RPM, and rotor RPM decay leads to blade stall and loss of control.

Precession is the 90-degree lag between an applied force and the resulting blade displacement; cyclic inputs must lead the intended disc change by 90 degrees.

Ground effect reduces induced drag near the surface, allowing lower power settings and shorter takeoffs and landings.

Maximum gross weight is the sum of empty weight, occupants, baggage, and fuel; exceeding it degrades climb, ceiling, and rotor performance.

Center of gravity limits are expressed as a range forward and aft of the datum; an aft CG reduces stability and increases power-pushover risk.

Weight and balance must be computed before each flight using current empty weight and arm data, not the aircraft's original factory figures.

Takeoff and landing distances increase with density altitude, gross weight, and tailwind; POH charts provide the only approved performance data.

Density altitude is pressure altitude corrected for nonstandard temperature; high density altitude reduces rotor and engine performance.

Use the POH performance charts for the specific gyroplane model; generic or fixed-wing charts are not valid substitutes.

Fuel planning must account for taxi, climb, cruise, descent, and a legal reserve of at least 30 minutes during day and 45 minutes at night.

METARs report current surface weather; TAFs forecast conditions within 5 statute miles of an airport and cover periods up to 24 or 30 hours.

Standard lapse rate is 2°C per 1,000 feet; the standard atmosphere at sea level is 15°C and 29.92 inHg.

Density altitude increases approximately 120 feet for each 1°C above standard temperature at a given elevation.

AIRMETs cover moderate hazards (Tango for turbulence, Sierra for IFR/mountain obscuration, Zulu for icing); SIGMETs cover severe or extreme hazards.

Wind shear and mountain wave activity can produce severe turbulence and downdrafts; gyroplanes are especially sensitive to low-level wind shear during takeoff and landing.

Convective activity should be avoided because thunderstorms contain embedded severe turbulence, hail, and microbursts that exceed gyroplane structural limits.

A ceiling is the lowest broken or overcast layer; visibility of 3 statute miles or more is generally required for VFR in Class G airspace during the day.

Sectional charts use a scale of 1:500,000; 1 inch on the chart equals approximately 6.86 nautical miles.

True course is measured from the chart; true heading equals true course plus wind correction angle; magnetic heading equals true heading minus magnetic variation.

Compass heading equals magnetic heading adjusted for deviation, which is read from the compass correction card.

A nautical mile equals 1.15 statute miles; fuel consumption is typically planned in gallons per hour and converted to time en route.

Pilotage uses visual landmarks and dead reckoning uses computed time, heading, and speed; GPS should be cross-checked against them.

Class B airspace appears as solid blue lines, Class C as solid magenta, Class D as dashed blue, and Class E as dashed magenta on sectional charts.

Obstacles higher than 1,000 feet AGL are shown with MSL elevation; those lower may be omitted from sectional charts.

Class A airspace begins at 18,000 feet MSL and requires an IFR clearance and Mode C transponder.

Class B airspace requires an explicit ATC clearance; Class C and D require two-way radio communication established before entry.

Class E airspace may be controlled without an operating control tower; Class G is uncontrolled and VFR minimums depend on altitude and time of day.

Transponder Mode C is required in Class A, B, and C airspace and above 10,000 feet MSL, and within the Mode C veil around Class B airports.

The phonetic alphabet uses Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliett, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, X-ray, Yankee, Zulu.

Emergency frequency is 121.5 MHz; the universal distress call is MAYDAY and the urgency call is PAN-PAN.

Squawk 7700 for emergencies, 7600 for radio failure, and 7500 for hijacking.

The standard traffic pattern is left-hand unless published otherwise; entry is normally at pattern altitude on the downwind leg at 45 degrees to the midpoint.

Pattern altitude is typically 1,000 feet AGL; gyroplane patterns may be lower where published and should be flown to match other traffic.

Runway markings: white edge lines, yellow centerline, threshold bars, and displaced thresholds indicate landing area restrictions.

Wind indicators include the windsock (approximate direction and speed), tetrahedron, and wind tee; the segmented circle shows pattern direction.

Right-of-way rules: aircraft in distress, then balloons, gliders, airships, aircraft towing, and powered aircraft in that order; converging aircraft give way to the one on the right.

A stabilized approach should be established by short final with target airspeed and descent rate; go-arounds are mandatory if the approach is unstable.

Wake turbulence is generated by heavy aircraft and is worst when the generating aircraft is heavy, slow, and clean; gyroplanes should land beyond the touchdown point and avoid the vortices.

The rotor system includes blades, hub bar, teeter bolt, and control linkage; preflight inspection must check blade condition, bolt security, and control freedom.

Rotor blades are typically aluminum or composite; cracks, delamination, and leading-edge damage require removal from service.

The engine, propeller, and rotor are independent systems; propeller thrust provides forward speed while the rotor provides lift.

A prerotator spins the rotor before takeoff; rotor RPM must reach the manufacturer's minimum before brake release and takeoff roll.

Maintenance must follow the manufacturer's inspection program; annual inspections are required for aircraft used for compensation or hire, and condition inspections for experimental aircraft.

Fuel contamination checks, oil level, and coolant level are part of every preflight; the fuel selector must be set to a tank with adequate fuel.

Control rigging and rotor tachometer accuracy should be verified at each condition inspection; incorrect rigging can cause loss of control.

In an engine failure, lower the collective or reduce power, maintain rotor RPM, and execute an autorotative descent to a suitable landing area.

Autorotation requires maintaining airspeed and rotor RPM; the flare at low altitude converts forward speed into rotor energy for a soft touchdown.

A power pushover (bunt) is countered by reducing forward cyclic and restoring positive G-loading; recovery requires prompt aft cyclic.

Rotor RPM decay is corrected by lowering the nose to increase airflow through the disc and reducing load.

Fire in flight: shut off fuel, execute a forced landing, and evacuate after landing; do not restart the engine.

Lost procedures: climb, conserve fuel, and use radio and navigation aids; declare an emergency with ATC if fuel becomes critical.

Emergency descent should be planned away from populated areas; use 121.5 MHz and squawk 7700 to alert ATC.

The IMSAFE checklist covers Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, and Emotion before flight.

The DECIDE model: Detect, Estimate, Choose, Identify, Do, Evaluate - a structured decision-making process for in-flight problems.

Hypoxia symptoms include euphoria, headache, and impaired judgment; supplemental oxygen is required above 12,500 feet MSL for more than 30 minutes and above 14,000 feet MSL continuously.

Spatial disorientation is common in low visibility; trust the instruments and avoid abrupt maneuvers without visual reference.

Alcohol: 8 hours bottle-to-throttle, blood alcohol below 0.04%, and no flying while under the influence.

Fatigue and stress degrade judgment and reaction time; the hazardous attitudes (anti-authority, impulsivity, invulnerability, macho, resignation) should be recognized and countered.

Crew resource management and passenger briefings improve safety; passengers should be briefed on emergency exits and sterile cockpit procedures.