Fly Gyrocopter based at Shoreham Airport offers Gyroplane flights that make the perfect gift for Christmas and beyond, we chatted to founder and pilot Lloyd to find out more.
When you meet Lloyd, you can tell immediately that he’s happiest in the air. The former Royal Navy air traffic controller has spent much of his life surrounded by aircraft, from gliders and helicopters to the unique open-cockpit gyrocopters he now flies from Shoreham Airport.
“I’ve always flown something,” he laughs. “Gliders when I was 17, then fixed-wing aircraft, and later helicopters in the Navy. I wasn’t a pilot then, but I was in the left-hand seat every chance I got.”
After leaving the forces, Lloyd set up his own business and earned his private helicopter licence, progressing to fly the sleek Robinson R66 turbine model. Six years ago, he took a flight in a gyroplane and everything changed.
“I loved it so much I thought, actually, I might drop the helicopter and carry on with the gyroplane,” he says. “It’s a completely different experience, much more connected to the environment. You can feel the air flowing around you, look right over the side. It’s almost like parachuting, but with an engine.”
Most flights cruise at around 800 ft – low enough to wave at people on the ground and share airspace with birds. Passengers wear warm jumpsuits, helmets and gloves, “just like parachuting”, says Lloyd, keeping everyone cosy even in winter. “People are so caught up with the view they barely notice the cold,” he adds.
Scenic options range from an hour’s loop west over Arundel Castle – “my favourite”, Lloyd admits – to half-day Isle of Wight trips, complete with lunch at Sandown Airfield. “We fly over the Needles, have lunch and chat before flying back in the afternoon. He recently flew a 95-year-old lady who absolutely loved the experience. She is his oldest passenger to date, but Fly Gyrocopter transport people of all ages.
Fly Gyrocopter makes the perfect experience gift for Christmas, retirement, birthdays and beyond, visit the website above for more info.
www.flygyrocopter.co.uk / The Terminal Building, Brighton City Airport, Shoreham-By-Sea BN43 5FF
