September 16, 2022 - "Gyrocopter flights are something new, different, exciting and safe for young and old, our future members! We offer everyone to experience all the beauty of the magnificent Croatian landscape from a bird's eye view, enjoying a slow and safe flight that will surely leave you breathless" these are the words of the founders of Aeroklub Gyrocopter Croatia.

As Poslovni writes, the club was founded eight years ago with the aim of expanding this relatively new branch of sports aviation in Croatia, which has a lot of potential for development.

They offer their members introductory flights and training in sports and recreational flying, and at the same time organize multi-day gyrocopter tours, flying from the Krapinsko Zagorski Aerodrom to Zabok Gubaševo.

It sounds like a type of prehistoric giant bird, but in fact the gyrocopter is a type of microlight flying machine that is considered the safest in the world, and is therefore attractive to those who are suspicious of safety, yet eager for adventure.

Croatian regulations also contribute to safety, club members can fly, with a number of safety measures that are standard, explains Nikolina Ćorković, who, along with her husband and pilot Ilija Ćorković, is the owner of the company Dva krila, which imports gyrocopters.

"But we were actually pioneers for these in Croatia, we imported the first gyrocopter in the country and initiated the creation of the Regulations that will regulate these flights. It was not easy, but we are trying to promote this sport, which is very developed in countries such as Poland and the Czech Republic, and to motivate young people to become pilots", says Nikolina Ćorković. The club currently has about 20 members and four budding pilots.

Pilot training includes education that lasts 2 months and a certain number of flights, and exams are taken with the approval of the Civil Aviation Agency. It is interesting that with a passed test and a flying license, anyone can get their own gyrocopter, which costs from 50,000 to 120,000 euros with depending on the equipment, and fly wherever they want.

Ćorković notes that in European countries these have multiple purposes, they are used in both public and private activities, from the coast guard to agriculture, and one Polish entrepreneur even recorded a video of him traveling to a meeting in the city from his farm in the countryside.

The club is very proud because this July they participated for the first time with their gyrocopter in the world championship of microlight flying machines in the Czech Republic, where they won 5^th place, and it was a great opportunity to promote Croatia in this sport.

Gyrocopter has an interesting history, and its predecessor was designed in the 1920s by the Spanish aviation designer don Juan da la Cierva, after he lost his best friend in a plane crash. He then vowed to design the safest aircraft in the world, and in 1923 he introduced the Auto Gyro to the world, the predecessor of today's gyrocopter.

It is the only flying machine in the world that cannot enter a stall (breakdown of buoyancy, the most common cause of aviation accidents), and which, in the event of an engine failure, gently floats towards the ground, like a maple seed.

Basically, it functions like its big brother, the helicopter, but the rotor of the gyrocopter while airborne is not driven by an engine like in a helicopter, but by an air current that passes through the rotor blades. The machine gained worldwide attention in the film "Mad Max 2" and in the James Bond film "You Only Live Twice", when Sean Connery maneuvered "Little Nelly" on an Asian island.

Aeroklub emphasises that the gyrocopter is not particularly sensitive to turbulence, because the tips of the rotors move at a speed of 700 km/h through the air and are not bothered by wind gusts of 70 km/h. For this reason, even in difficult weather conditions, it is safe to fly in one.

Gyrocopter is equipped with standard and advanced aviation equipment, radio transmitter, transponder, as well as the latest technological innovations in the field of navigation for monitoring meteorological conditions and air traffic, and is therefore an excellent choice for sports, panoramic and international flights.

Nikolina Ćorković revealed that their Gyrocopter with one fuel tank of 68 liters can fly for three hours, with an average speed of 120 km/h, which is a range of over 400 kilometers. It can be flown by children and the elderly, and the restrictions are a height of at least 140 cm and a maximum weight of a person of 100 kilograms.

On September 24, the Croatian Civil Aviation Agency is organising the aviation event "Let's fly together, let's fly safely" at the Gubaševo-Zabok airport with the aim of promoting the culture of safety in aviation.

The event is intended for users and operators of general aviation as well as students and pupils of educational institutions attending technical courses, in order to get them interested in sports aviation, but also to motivate them to choose aviation professions in their future education.

"The event is unique. It is the first time that it is organized by the Croatian Civil Aviation Agency and it is almost certain that it will continue to be held in the coming years, always in different locations. "Let's fly together, let's fly safely" is an interactive, educational and attractive event. It offers the opportunity to participate in a large number of educational workshops in the field of aviation, which will not only be theoretical but also practical in the field, especially when it comes to flight inspections of flying machines. We have also organised quizzes for all those who will attend the workshops, and we will reward the best with appropriate gifts", the Agency announces.

At the same time, organisations for training pilots of airplanes, paragliders, paratroopers, and balloons will be presented to visitors at Gubaševo airport, and visitors will be able to ask about anything they are interested in when it comes to training (conditions, duration, price, permits, etc.). About 30 aircraft will be located at the airport from early morning, and an event of this type would certainly be unthinkable without an airshow and flight program that starts in the afternoon with numerous surprises, the Agency promises.

All photos courtesy of Gyrocopter Hrvatska.

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