Practical Flight Lessons
From first take-off to solo — step by step
Your training will consist of a number of flight hours until you and your instructors decide that you can meet the minimum requirements in all training exercises. This can be achieved in a relatively short time, but expect to need a solid understanding of gyroplane principles as well as the muscle memory to handle most situations, including stressful ones. This knowledge will come through ground briefings with instructors alongside practical lessons, and through reading the theory material.
The minimum number of flight hours in basic training for a UL certificate is 25. Students who already hold a valid flight certificate in another class need a minimum of 10 flight hours when converting to UL-gyro.
To make flight lessons as efficient as possible and keep training as short and affordable as possible, it is important to come prepared before each lesson.
For UL-gyro certificate training, use the Student Handbook NUF UL-Gyroplane and the safety material on the club's Safety Portal.
For UL-A or UL-B certificate training, use the respective Student Handbook.
When booking flight times via Myweblog, take account of the recommended schedule (login required).
After each flight you should, together with your instructor, plan the next lesson. Typically during the first few lessons you will mix exercises covering aircraft handling, before progressing to take-offs and landings as you gain confidence. It is difficult to plan exactly which exercise to do next as it depends on the weather and how much time has passed since your last flight. Read through the planned exercises in the handbooks carefully. Read through the quick reference guide on the club's Safety Portal (particularly relevant for UL-gyro).
Each flight lesson should ideally consist of a brief recap of previous lessons, the instructor's demonstration of new exercises, and time for your own practice. Communicate with your instructor. Learn to use "I have control" / "You have control". Ask questions. Tell your instructor if you feel uncertain about anything.