GROEN BROTHERS AVIATION APPOINTS DENNIS GAUGER AS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND MEMBER OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS

SALT LAKE CITY - January 22, 2004 ń Groen Brothers Aviation, Inc. (OTC BB: GNBA) today announced the appointment of Dennis P. Gauger as Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Companyís board of directors. In addition to overseeing the Companyís financial matters, Mr. Gauger will be responsible for regulatory compliance, including the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. With the recent transition of the Company into a manufacturing and sales organization, Mr. Gauger will also direct the implementation of cost accounting, inventory controls and revenue recognition policies.

Robin H.H. Wilson, who had filled the position of Chief Financial Officer prior to Mr. Gaugerís appointment, has been appointed Senior Vice President and Head of Business Development. The Companyís emergence from a development stage company now requires Mr. Wilson to focus on the Companyís marketing and sales activities in addition to his current responsibilities for business and strategic development. Mr. Wilson also continues as a member of the boards of directors of Groen Brothers Aviation USA, Inc. (GBA-USA) and American Autogyro Inc. (AAI), the Companyís operating subsidiaries.

Dennis P. Gauger, CPA, has over 26 years of experience as a financial executive, corporate troubleshooter and consultant, and accounting and auditing professional. His professional background includes 21 years of service in three offices of Deloitte & Touche, a "Big Four" international accounting firm, including 9 years as an accounting and auditing partner. As a Deloitte partner, Mr. Gauger directed domestic and international firm interactions with senior executive management, audit committees and boards of directors relating to audited financial statements, SEC accounting and reporting, initial public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, technical accounting issues, cost accounting, internal controls, employee benefit plans, corporate governance, financing, cash management, and operations.

Since leaving Deloitte, Mr. Gauger has successfully completed both short and long-term engagements as a corporate troubleshooter, "turn around" specialist, financial consultant and analyst, compliance officer, and chief financial officer for a variety of public and privately-owned companies. He has experience in a wide variety of industries, including manufacturing, high technology, software, Internet, retail and distribution, financial services, hospitality, mining, telecommunications and real estate.

Mr. Gauger has served as Chief Financial Officer for two other public companies, and is experienced in the compliance requirements of the Sarbanes - Oxley Act. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the states of Utah and Nevada, and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Utah Association of Certified Public Accountants. He graduated with honors from Brigham Young University with a BS degree in accounting.

Mr. Wilson, prior to joining the Company, was a partner and board member of the aviation consulting firm, SH&E Inc. Previously he had been Vice Chairman and Chief Operations Officer of TWA, Chief Technical Officer of Guinness Peat Aviation, President of Burlington Air Express, President of Western Airlines and President of the Long Island Rail Road. As Senior Vice President of TWA, he had earlier served as a member of the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board of the National Research Council. He holds an MBA, summa cum laude, from Harvard and an MA in Mechanical Sciences from Cambridge University.

About Groen Brothers Aviation

Groen Brothers Aviation has developed the first commercially viable modern gyroplane. The gyroplane is a hybrid aircraft with the low operating cost of an airplane and the off-runway operating capability of a helicopter. The Company has a nationwide dealership network and the Hawk 4, upon which the Homeland Defender is based, is in the process of certification with the FAA. Information about Groen Brothers Aviation, its products, and individual members of "GBA Team Hawk" are available on the company's web site at: www.gbagyros.com.

Safe Harbor Statement/Forward-looking Information Disclaimer

Certain statements in this news release are forward-looking within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking information is subject to risk and uncertainty. Certain statements in this Press Release may contain "forward-looking" information that involves risk and uncertainty, including projections for deliveries, sales, and other trend projections. Actual future results and trends may differ materially depending on a variety of factors, including the Company's successful execution of internal performance plans; product performance; risks associated with regulatory certifications of the Company's commercial aircraft by U.S. and foreign governments; other regulatory uncertainties; collective bargaining labor disputes; performance issues with key suppliers and subcontractors; governmental export and import policies; and the ability to adequately finance operations to the date of FAA certification, manufacturing, and delivery.