The reliability, performance and your safe flying in an Air Command gyroplane is of paramount importance to us.

Even though it was issued many years ago, we wanted to remind pilots of an Emergency Service Bulletin Air Command president and aeronautical engineer Harold Smith released in November 1992. If you fly an earlier model Air Command gyro, please take notice of this important information. With over 2,500 Air Command gyros flying worldwide, we want to make sure you've inspected three specific items and modified, if required, as per the Emergency Service Bulletin, or your gyro is non-airworthy.

The Emergency Bulletin Mr. Smith issued in November 1992 was the equivalent of a Federal Aviation Administration Airworthiness Directive. An Airworthiness Directive is issued when there is an unsafe part on a certificated aircraft. A gyroplane is a non-certificated experimental rotorcraft kit.

Mr. Smith examined the original Air Command design and determined it was not airworthy and should not be flown due to the possibility of Pilot Induced Oscillation (PIO). In the bulletin he stated the old Air Command gyros were not airworthy unless they had dual-redundant masts, a joystick control system to replace the "pump-stick" and horizontal stabilizers. Click to read the Emergency Service Bulletin issued November 11, 1992.

A. Vertical Mast: Vertical mast, P/N 0013 should be inspected to assure that the single 2" x 2", 6061-T6 mast has been replaced with vertical mast, P/N 0013B, which is composed to two (2) each 1" x 2", 6061-T6 segments placed together to form a 2" x 2" mast with the 2" sides oriented parallel with the longitudinal axis of the airframe. This modification doubles the strength in the longitudinal axis by providing four (4) each 2" faces instead of the original two faces in the monolithic 2" x 2" original structure.

B. Joystick: Joystick, P/N 0096 has been replaced with joystick, P/N 0096A. The "A" version has a traditional front pivot forward of the pilot, whereas the original version pivoted under the seat and is commonly known as the "pump stick". All pump stick, under the seat pivoting joysticks, must be replaced with the forward pivoting joystick, P/N 0096A.

C. Horizontal Stabilizers: The flying rudder must be equipped with horizontal stabilizers, kit P/N B0052, to aid stability in pitch. Air Command gyroplanes manufactured in Liberty, MO., generally were not so equipped until late in the Liberty production. (Photo insert: Horizontal stabilizer modification kit.)

Failure to comply with this Emergency Service Bulletin essentially will cause Air Command aircraft not inspected, nor modified as required, to be non-airworthy.

If you require attention to any of these items, please contact us for assistance.

Other Bulletins Issued:
Read other emergency, safety and service bulletins issued by Air Command:
Emergency Bulletin: Joystick Revision, Two Place Commander (Issued April 9, 1997)
Service Bulletin: Elite Configuration (Issued April 4, 2001)