A bird’s eye view of south Cebu

• Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2017/08/20/birds-eye-view-south-cebu-559468
• Sunday, August 20, 2017

(SunStar Cebu)

A FRENCH-AUSTRALIAN national based in Argao, Cebu is helping local and foreign tourists appreciate the sights of Southern Cebu from a different angle.

Ferris Kauley, 61, has been offering tourism services in the towns of Argao and Dalaguete by taking visitors on a ride on his gyrocopters.

A gyrocopter or autogyro is an aircraft that uses a freely rotating rotor as a wing.

Kauley told SunStar Cebu that he started his business back in November 2015 after relocating to Barangay Langtad in Argao with his wife, Marichu.

Although he’s been a professional pilot since 1986, Kauley never thought that his love of flying would eventually result in his current venture.

When he relocated to Cebu four years ago, Kauley, along with some friends, started a venture in Lapu-Lapu City that introduced gyrocopters to the community.

He also decided to offer gyrocopter tourism packages to locals and foreigners who wanted to explore southern towns and cities in Cebu.

Using an old airstrip in Barangay Casay in Dalaguete, Kauley would offer gyrocopter rides for P2,000 for 10 minutes and P2,500 for 15 minutes.

Kauley assured that the gyrocopter fees are worth it as tourists not only get treated to a oneof-a-kind ride, they are also given a “bird’s eye view” tour from 5,000 feet above sea level.

Teaches flying, too

Kauley and another pilot fly the gyrocopters during the tours.

“For 15 minutes, we can take you as far as Simala (in Sibonga) and for 10 minutes, around Argao and Dalaguete,” Kauley said.

Sometimes, some of his pilots also offer trips to other parts of Southern Cebu but that would cost extra.

Kauley has six gyrocopters kept in his hangar in Barangay Casay. Majority of his gyrocopters are made in Germany.

Aside from gyrocopter rides, Kauley also offers helicopter rides, as well as instruction for those interested to be a gyrocopter pilot, for P5,000 per hour.

Kauley said that before he started his venture, he secured a permit from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), among others.

Since he started his business back in 2015, Kauley said, he often gets two to three customers a week.

Ultralight flying

Kauley advises tourists to come to the airstrip in the morning because it is the best time to ride the gyrocopter.

He also offers accommodations for tourists in his hangar in Barangay Casay, where they can stay for the night and enjoy the gyrocopters first thing in the morning.

Ultralight flying, which includes the use of gyroplanes, powered gliders, and trikes, among others, has become a tourism attraction in parts of the world.

The Philippine Department of Tourism recommends ultralight flying for visitors “to experience the sensation of flying without paying a fortune.”