AMC3 FCL.210 Training course

• ED Decision 2025/022/R found in: Easy Access Rules for Aircrew (Oct 2026)

##### AMC3 FCL.210 Training course *ED Decision 2025/022/R* **FLIGHT INSTRUCTION FOR THE GYROPLANE PILOT LICENCE** (a) Entry to training. Before being accepted for training, an applicant should be informed that the appropriate medical certificate must be obtained before solo flying is permitted. (b) Flight instruction (1) The GPL flight instruction syllabus takes into account the principles of threat and error management and also covers: (i) pre-flight operations, including mass and balance determination, and aircraft inspection and servicing; (ii) ground manoeuvring and rotor handling; (iii) aerodrome and traffic pattern operations, and collision avoidance precautions and procedures; (iv) control of a gyroplane by external visual reference; (v) flight at altitude and at slow airspeed, and maintaining altitude; (vi) flight on idle power and at very slow airspeed, and maintaining rudder authority; (vii) normal and crosswind take-offs and landings; (viii) maximum performance take-offs (including short-field take-offs and obstacle clearance) and short-field landings; (ix) cross-country flying using visual references, dead reckoning and electronic navigation aids; (x) emergency operations, including simulated gyroplane equipment malfunctions; (xi) operations to, from and transiting controlled aerodromes, including compliance with air traffic services procedures, communication procedures and phraseology. (2) Before allowing the applicant for a GPL to undertake their first solo flight, the FI should ensure that the applicant can use R/T communication and can operate the required systems and equipment. (c) Syllabus of flight instruction (1) The numbering of exercises should be used primarily for reference and as a broad instructional sequencing guide; therefore, the demonstrations and practice need not necessarily occur in the order listed. The actual order and content will depend on the following interrelated factors: (i) the applicant’s progress and ability, (ii) the weather conditions affecting the flight, (iii) the flight time available, (iv) instructional technique considerations, (v) the local operating environment, (vi) the applicability of exercises to the type of gyroplane used. (2) Each of the exercises requires the applicant to be aware of the need for good airmanship and lookout, which should be emphasised at all times. (3) Syllabus and list of exercises (i) Exercise 1: Introduction to the gyroplane: (A) safety considerations around an airfield; (B) introduction to the gyroplane; (C) essential pre-flight preparation; (D) safety briefing on in emergency drills; (E) essential in-flight airmanship; (F) introduction to rotary-wing flight in a gyroplane. (ii) Exercise 2: Basic skills 1 — lookout, speed and direction: (A) primary controls, instruments and cockpit layout; (B) lookout procedure; (C) use of the stick to control speed and direction. (iii) Exercise 3: Basic skills 2 – trim, height and balance: (A) trim (pitch and roll, as applicable), avoiding pilot-induced oscillation; (B) use of the throttle to control height; (C) use of pedals to control balance. (iv) Exercise 4: Start-up, taxiing and shutdown: (A) pre-flight planning (pilot/passenger; aircraft, including documentation; maps and weather; flight content; human factors) and risk mitigation; (B) handling of the gyroplane prior to start-up, including external and internal checks, and harness, seat or rudder panel adjustments; (C) pre-start-up and start-up procedure; (D) taxiing (rotor stationary); (E) turning in confined spaces; (F) power and pre-runway checks; (G) post-landing checks and procedures; (H) parking, shutdown, and security and picketing (e.g. tie-down); (I) completion of authorisation sheet and serviceability documents. (v) Exercise 5: Understanding power changes: (A) cruise datum power; (B) the secondary effect of power changes on balance; (C) the secondary effect of power changes on roll; (D) the secondary effect of power changes on pitch; (E) transitioning to climbs, descents and level-outs at constant speed and balance. (vi) Exercise 6: Coordinated medium-level turns: (A) medium-level turns; (B) power requirements during a turn; (C) maintenance of balance during turns in different directions; (D) turning onto headings using a compass. (vii) Exercise 7: Correcting for wind: (A) wind terminology; (B) the technique for flying in a straight line with a strong crosswind; (C) determination of wind direction during flight. (viii) Exercise 8: Accurate height and speed: (A) the technique for fine-tuning height. (ix) Exercise 9: Climbing and descending performance: (A) the effect of power on the rate of climb and descent; (B) the effect of airspeed on the rate of climb and descent; (C) full-power climbs and idle-power descents. (x) Exercise 10: Climbing and descending turns: (A) the effect of the angle of bank on the rate of climb and descent; (B) maintenance of balance during full-power climbing turns, and the differences between right and left turns; (C) maintenance of balance during idle-power descending turns, and the differences between right and left turns. (xi) Exercise 11: Significant speed changes and fast flight: (A) rapid acceleration and rapid deceleration to given speeds; (B) fast flight. (xii) Exercise 12: Flying the circuit pattern: (A) terminology related to the circuit pattern; (B) pre-landing checks; (C) how to fly an accurate circuit pattern; (D) maintenance of appropriate spacing for other traffic in the circuit; (E) go-around. (xiii) Exercise 13: Active rotor management: (A) performing active rotor management and taxiing with rotor turning; (B) building rotor speed during the early take-off phase; (C) ensuring a smooth transition to the wheel balance attitude prior to take-off; (D) stopping the gyroplane. (xiv) Exercise 14: Take-off – wind on the runway heading (A) lifting the gyroplane off the surface; (B) building airspeed and transitioning to climbing airspeed; (C) understanding the height/velocity avoidance curve; (D) rejecting take-offs and landing on the remaining runway; (E) trimming during take-off; (F) checks to conduct when climbing through 300 ft. (xv) Exercise 15: Take-off – different conditions: (A) crosswinds from the left and the right; (B) strong winds; (C) nil wind; (D) considerations for take-off performance; (E) determination of an appropriate take-off abortion point; (F) rough-ground take-offs; (G) smooth-surface take-offs; (H) immediate-departure take-offs and pre-rotating at the holding point. (xvi) Exercise 16: Landing – wind on the runway heading: (A) flying an accurate approach; (B) checks to conduct when descending through 300 ft; (C) extending a landing to touch down close to the exit point; (D) recovering from a balloon when landing. (xvii) Exercise 17: Landing – different conditions: (A) crosswinds – left and right; (B) considerations when taking a crosswind approach using the ‘split angle’ technique; (C) considerations when landing in strong winds; (D) considerations when landing in nil wind; (E) rough/soft ground. (xviii) Exercise 18: Precision landing: (A) the hazards related to precision landings; (B) the safe precision touchdown technique; (C) short-field landings. (xix) Exercise 19: Precision landing – idle power: (A) the importance of maintaining airspeed; (B) the technique for performing a precision landing when power is not available. (xx) Exercise 20: Departing and arriving at airfields: (A) departing from the airfield; (B) arriving at the airfield. (xxi) Exercise 21: Slow flight at a constant altitude (helicopter mode): (A) performing HASEL (height, area, security, engine, lookout) checks before unusual manoeuvres; (B) flying on the backside of the power curve; (C) avoiding flying behind the power curve. (xxii) Exercise 22: Flight at minimum airspeed on idle power (parachute mode): (A) importance of maintaining rudder authority to avoid losing control; (B) establishing slow flight on idle power; (C) recovering speed when power is available; (D) recovering speed to a glide descent when power is not available; (E) recovering from an incipient slow rotation when rudder authority is lost. (xxiii) Exercise 23: Ground reference turns: (A) performing high-bank-angle turns; (B) turning in relation to a ground reference (with significant wind); (C) turning around a fixed point; (D) performing S-turns with a constant radius along a line feature. (xxiv) Exercise 24: Unusual attitudes: (A) the hazards of distraction and fixation; (B) recognition of unusual attitudes; (C) recovery from unusual attitudes: (a) excessive pitch-up; (b) excessive pitch-up and roll (left and right); (c) excessive pitch-down, close to never-exceed speed (VNE); (d) excessive pitch-down and roll (left and right), resulting in a spiral descent. (xxv) Exercise 25: Low flying: (A) legal issues related to flying low: (a) minimum height, (b) the ‘land clear’ rule, (c) noise and nuisance considerations; (B) hazards associated with flying low: (a) influence of the wind on flying low (speed perception, low-level turbulence), (b) terrain, wires, masts and cables, (c) effect of low flying on radio communication, (d) difficulties of map reading; (C) reduced-visibility flying: (a) vertical situational awareness, (b) bad weather / low-level-circuit joining, flying and landing; (D) consequences of engine failure when flying low and downwind (discussion). (xxvi) Exercise 26: Consolidation and en route airmanship: Note: This exercise is a continuation of Exercise 4, and the combination of these exercises is taught and consolidated in parallel with all the previous exercises. (A) advanced pre-flight preparation and post-flight responsibilities; (B) en route airmanship. (xxvii) Exercise 27: In-flight emergencies: (A) possible emergency scenarios: (a) pilot/passenger related, (b) aircraft related, (c) weather related, (d) flight related; (B) standard emergency procedures: (a) trim failure/runaway, (b) throttle/stick/pedal control failure, (c) system failure, (d) electrical/fuel fire, (e) emergency evacuation; (C) mitigation of a catastrophic failure; (D) emergency radio calls. (xxviii)Exercise 28: Precautionary landing: (A) selection of appropriate fields; (B) the technique for surveying suitable fields prior to landing. (xxix) Exercise 29: Forced landing: (A) restart procedure; (B) distress/urgency radio calls; (C) the technique for positioning prior to the approach at over 300 ft above ground level (AGL); (D) the technique for positioning in the final stages of the approach at less than 300 ft AGL. (xxx) Exercise 30: Forced landing around the airfield: (A) being prepared should the engine stop when flying in the circuit pattern; (B) being prepared prior to take-off. (xxxi) Exercise 31: Pre-solo check flight: (A) difference in flying characteristics; (B) checks to ensure that all prerequisites have been met. (xxxii) Exercise 32: First solo flight: (A) first solo flight; (B) instructor’s briefing, observation of flight and debriefing. (xxxiii)Exercise 33: Solo consolidation: (A) flying only in accordance with the instructor’s briefing; (B) making the decision to fly, including the decision-making process. (xxxiv)Exercise 34: En route navigation: (A) pre-flight navigation planning; (B) navigation technique – dead reckoning; (C) navigation technique – GNSS, if applicable; (D) simulated inadvertent entry into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). (xxxv) Exercise 35: Landing out: (A) pre-flight planning for the destination aerodrome. (xxxvi)Exercise 36: Solo navigation (A) practice of navigation flights. (xxxvii)Exercise 37: Qualifying for cross-country flight: (A) planning and flying cross-country flights. (xxxviii)Exercise 38: Preparing for the skill test: (A) completing all the exercises and assessing competence before taking the skill test.