Popular Rotorcraft Association Moving To Support Grassroots Gyroplane Development

The Popular Rotorcraft Association (PRA) was formed back in the early heydays of the Bensen Gyrocopter phenomenon, when thousands of dreamers read articles in Popular Mechanics magazine and commenced construction of their very own rocket ships. Igor Bensen, the founder of Bensen Gyrocopters, formed the PRA in the early ’60s to help support these builders and to shepherd them into local chapters. As a result of the wild popularity of the Bensen Gyrocopter, hundreds of local PRA chapters were formed. The PRA sponsored annual fly-in conventions, held in different locations over the years. At its peak, the PRA purchased an airport property in Mentone, Indiana, where all annual conventions (the week after AirVenture) have since been held.

Although the Bensen Gyrocopter craze waned over the years, resulting in a significant contraction of PRA chapters, the association has remained committed to its pillars: training, safety, and education. The PRA maintains an educational website and publishes a quarterly e-zine for members.

The current president of the PRA is the interesting and indomitable Christine Toevs (pronounced “Tayves”). Her life story could generate enough material for two novels—but it is all true! Christine grew up on a station (we call it a ranch) in Queensland, Australia. There, a farmer’s daughter is usually no shrinking violet. Christine learned the skills of farming and ranching and even developed a passion for orienteering, where a person navigates solo and on foot through a wilderness, using a map and a compass. She even won a bronze medal at the Asian Pacific Orienteering Championships competition held in Hong Kong in 1986.

Christine met her future husband, Jim, a farmer in Whitewater, Kansas, through a pen-pal relationship (using actual pen and paper, before the dawn of email). Jim eventually came to Australia to meet in real life, and the rest was history. Jim and Christine shared the rough-and-tumble life of farming in Kansas, raising two strapping sons and enjoying varied physical pursuits. On one occasion, Jim visited some friends in South Australia who operated a gyroplane on their station to reconnoiter their vast wheat and sheep farm. Jim fell in love with the idea of gyroplane flight, and Christine soon followed. Both Jim and Christine would build gyroplanes, go through training, and obtain their licenses. Eventually, they became the North American distributors of the Australian TAG (Titanium Auto Gyro) line of Autogyros. Jim and Christine became active members of the PRA, and eventually, Christine rose to the board of directors. In a story she swears is true, Christine relates that she was attending a PRA board of directors meeting in Mentone once when a rain shower blew up. She quickly left the meeting to secure her TAG Autogyro from the storm. When she returned, Christine had been elected vice president of the PRA! Her board service did not get in the way of her flying. Christine has amassed several hundred hours in gyroplanes, many on epic cross-country trips.

Jim passed away in 2016 and Christine has continued her service to the rotorcraft community. She now serves as president of the PRA.

Still no shrinking violet, Christine has moved boldly to shepherd the PRA well into the 21st century. She has helped keep sharp focus on the PRA pillars of training, safety, and education. At this year’s convention in Mentone, PRA is working on programs to revitalize grassroots gyroplane aviation. In recent years, the influx of beautiful and capable, but costly, factory-built gyroplanes has dominated the landscape. Interested pilots without the financial wherewithal to stroke a deep six-figure check are feeling left out in the cold. PRA is hoping to meet that need with instructional programs teaching folks how to convert legacy Experimental/Amateur-Built gyroplanes, like the Gyro Bee, Gyro Technics, and Dominator, into updated, safe, and fun machines. You can check out pra.org for updates and more information.