Ensuring the optimal maintenance support for your aircraft is crucial for both your safety and peace of mind. While your aircraft is resilient, the inability to pull over into a layby mid-air underscores the importance of proper maintenance. Flying inherently carries risks that pilots willingly undertake. Prioritise safety by adhering to maintenance standards set by RotorSport, AutoGyro, Rotax, and other component requirements.

A fundamental aspect of maintenance is keeping comprehensive logbooks. Every gyroplane airframe, engine, and variable pitch propeller must maintain an LAA or CAA standard logbook. These logbooks record operational hours, service details, and replacements, with the engine logbook accompanying an engine if it is swapped between aircraft.

Pilots/owners can perform specific tasks, as outlined in the maintenance manuals, with the details recorded in the logbooks along with the pilot’s license number. However, most maintenance tasks are undertaken by trained professionals, approved by Accredited Inspectors with the authority to authorise the release to service. This is a serious responsibility, this person has your life in their hands.

Certain components, like flight controls, require a dual inspection after adjustment, following a ‘four eyes’ principle to prevent errors. The qualifications of the inspecting person vary based on the type of permit or certificate under which the gyroplane operates:

• For gyroplanes under a UK CAA Permit to Fly, the inspecting person must be a UK CAA A3-7 approval holder or an appointed person within an approved AutoGyro maintenance organisation.
• For gyroplanes under an LAA Permit to Fly, the inspecting person must be an LAA authorised Inspector.
• For gyroplanes under a CAA Certificate of Airworthiness (AutoGyro ‘Pro’ models), the inspecting person must possess a specific letter of authorisation from the CAA or be appointed within an organisation approved for certified AutoGyro gyroplanes.

Always check that your maintainers letters of authorisation are in date! LAA and CAA authorised Inspectors are there to oversee the work undertaken and ensure the aircraft is safe to fly in respect of the work done. Often they carry out the technical service or repair work too. If this is the case, use your eyes too, to confirm the workmanship, because we are all human and make mistakes.

We require a regular maintenance check according to our maintenance list and handbook after the first 25 hours of operation, at 100hrs, or once per year, whichever occurs first. Our maintenance documentation is available to our worldwide partners, who can complete all service and maintenance requirements for you. Our partners are regularly trained to qualify and maintain their technical qualification.

Some parts which are prone to wear and tear should be replaced regularly to maintain the reliability and value of your machine; replacement parts will include the latest updates and improvements.

The Rotax service manual requires that the engine rubber parts be changed every 5 years of operation. This is because sunlight, fuel, oils, and general engine operation can have a serious effect on the rubber part performance. Because this is ‘required’, the change must be done and recorded. Rubber items supplied by AutoGyro are recommended to be changed at 5 years for the same reason.

AutoGyro takes fleet in-service support seriously, and has a dedicated team that reviews all reported issues from around the world. These issues may result in product improvements or changes, and these are communicated via these documents. Take care to review them regularly and comply as required. These are released for the pilot/owners benefit and safety.

AutoGyro recognises the need for well trained professional maintenance providers within the UK, and offers training courses in AutoGyro Germany to support airframe and propeller servicing and repair. 

Rotax engine service training in the UK is undertaken by CFS in Coventry, as the Rotax UK Partner. See here.

In order to release a gyroplane to service following maintenance or repair (unless pilot maintenance) the work undertaken has to be inspected by a person approved to do that task. In most cases the regulating authority – whether the CAA or LAA – will require attendance on an AutoGyro course before authorisation.

The continued airworthiness of UK Gyroplanes come under three alternative management methods

1. UK Civil Aviation Authority. In this case Inspectors are authorised under the A3-7 process, the application process is via the CAA website.
2. Light Aircraft Association. In this case Inspectors are authorised directly by the LAA and applications are made to this organisation
3. Other CAMO. Inspectors and maintainer training uses approved in-house training procedures.