Wings and Rotors EVERYWHERE

The Popular Rotorcraft Association's convention wrapped up with an awards banquet Saturday night in Mentone, Indiana, and got a noteworthy commitment from Dr. Bruce Charnov, a professor emeritus from Hofstra University who has richly documented the history of the autogyro dating back to the early development by Juan de la Cierva in the 1920s.

Charnov promised attendees that he will finish his formal history of the Popular Rotorcraft Association in time for the group's 50th annual convention in 2012, and indicated that just the bibliography is already at 400 pages.

The PRA started as a Bensen Gyrocopter type club and dealers organization, but in the first of what Charnov describes as three "revolutions" within PRA, broke free to become a body representing all models within a couple years of its launch.

PRA President Scott Lewis says the convention drew an estimated 70 gyroplanes and helicopters and more than 55 powered paragliders, which made the ideal complement to the rotorcraft with their similar flight envelope and and preference for dawn and dusk flights. ANN's Paul Plack has a two-part chat with PRA VP Tim O'Connor starting with Monday's Aero News Special Feature.

FMI: www.pra.org, ANN Special Feature: Pt I: PRA VP Tim O'Connor on Mentone 2010 - 08.09.10, ANN Special Feature: Pt II: PRA VP Tim O'Connor on Mentone 2010 - 08.10.10