narcimund 0 #1 June 25, 2002 Wow! Clouds too low this weekend to jump, but off in the hilly distance I saw a powered parachute loitering around at about 1000 ft. A while later he came in for a landing on the field and I asked him for a ride. For $45 he gave me about an hour tour of the nearby farms and forests barely skimming the treetops. It's fantastic! It's got about the same forward speed as a normal canopy, but goes UP! Powered flight ... no FAA restrictions (in uncongested class G airspace)... insignificant operating costs... wide open view like under canopy.... It's too cool. Anyone have any experience with these? First Class Citizen Twice Over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,107 #2 June 25, 2002 No, but I have some experience under paragliders, which are almost as much fun. You get to fly about under canopy, no airplane required. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spy38W 0 #3 June 25, 2002 Sounds cool. Somebody at our local DZ is thinking about getting one. If he gets it I'll be doing his flight training for the Sport license... Guess how I'm going to solo him.. -- Hook high, flare on time Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
narcimund 0 #4 June 25, 2002 "Sport license"? What is a sport license? The fellow I rode with is an instructor, and gives an unofficial endorsement in his students' logbook, but so far as I know there is no license or even a licensing body. The FAA doesn't require a license for this or any other ultralight aircraft. He was quite specific that it's [I]legal[/I] (although stupid) to buy one and fly it with no instruction whatsoever. First Class Citizen Twice Over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spy38W 0 #5 June 25, 2002 Quote"Sport license"? What is a sport license? To be honest, I haven't been following the news on the sport license very much.. Sport Pilot NPRM -- Hook high, flare on time Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cloudseeker2001 0 #6 June 25, 2002 yea, i have been looking into a paraglider for about a month and it is only about 5,ooo start up. i have not been up in one yet, but i have seen him and it looks like fun. another toy is all i need! "Some call it heavenly in it's brilliance, others mean and rueful of the western dream" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pilotdave 0 #7 June 25, 2002 Quote"Sport license"? What is a sport license? The fellow I rode with is an instructor, and gives an unofficial endorsement in his students' logbook, but so far as I know there is no license or even a licensing body. The FAA doesn't require a license for this or any other ultralight aircraft. He was quite specific that it's [I]legal[/I] (although stupid) to buy one and fly it with no instruction whatsoever. An ultralight can only have one seat (in the US), with one exception. Two seaters can be used for training flights. Joyrides with passengers, no matter who's flying, are illegal. Your flight must have officially been a training flight. The sport pilot license is a new license that will hopefully be approved by the FAA soon. Basically it'll be minimal training required to fly small 1 or 2 seat planes that dont qualify as ultralights. Certified and homebuilt planes could qualify for "sport plane" status. Should bridge the gap nicely between true ultralights and small planes. Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rgoper 0 #8 June 25, 2002 **"no eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn"** i know this is off topic, but i couldn't help but applaud the person who posted this. Jim Morrisson followers are hard to find! --Richard-- "We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
narcimund 0 #9 June 26, 2002 Ah, that's great. Thanks for the answer. It's interesting that there's talk of adding a "Sport License" to the already crowded low end of the licence range. Sport, Recreational, and Private. Luckily, I'm already a licensed private pilot, so I don't have to worry about this. First Class Citizen Twice Over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Levin 0 #10 June 26, 2002 where i'm from (athens, tx) there are about a dozen people who own and fly powered parachutes on a regular basis. i made my 108th skydive out of one from 4k. it took 18 minutes to climb. it was definetly cool. like sitting on a chair in the air. on another occasion i got to ride in one for about hour. spent most of the time chasing deer on the ground and flying amongst the 5 others that were in the air also. the people that fly them though don't seem to be very interested in ppcrw. according to FAR part 103 an aircraft to qualify as an ultralight it must have an empty weight of 254lbs or less. most 2 seater powered parachutes weigh more than 254lbs. instead of raising the weight limit of FAR part 103 to include heavier 2 seater ultralights the FAA released the sport pilot/sport aircraft notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM docket FAA-2001-11133). the sport pilot license is a simplified license requiring no medical exam for simplified aircraft. aircraft that are included in this license are factory and homebuilts including land and sea planes, gliders, balloons, gyroplanes (but not helicopters), weight-shift-control aircraft, and powered parachutes. sport aircraft are limited to 1232 pounds gross weight, two seats and a maximum of 115 knots flying level under full power. just as with other categories of pilot licenses, sport pilots will be required to undergo ground and flight instruction and an instructor log book entry. the sport pilot's license may require as few as 20 hours of training. restrictions include flying only day VFR, flight only from non-tower airports (unless endorsed for tower operations by a flight instructor), a maximum of one passenger, and flight in an approved "sport aircraft." http://www.sixchuter.com/ http://www.summitppc.com http://www.kitplanes.com also check out ebay and the aero trader levin grat#40 vSCR#pending Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pilotdave 0 #11 June 26, 2002 QuoteLuckily, I'm already a licensed private pilot, so I don't have to worry about this. Actually I'm not sure exactly how it'll work, but it may affect private pilots too. A new category of aircraft is created by the NPRM (I think). Even as a private pilot, you can't fly an uncertified two seat "ultralight" unless it's registered as an experimental. I think the sport pilot NPRM (I haven't read it in a while and don't feel like trying to see if I'm right) will automatically include a bunch of designs, so I'm guessing it'll open up certain planes to private pilots as well. I can't imagine sport pilots will be allowed to fly types private pilots aren't. Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
narcimund 0 #12 June 26, 2002 Oh gosh. That would be funny, wouldn't it? If they restricted private pilots from "Sport" airplanes, would they do the same to commercial and ATP pilots? This would be especially funny in ten years when a new crop of airline pilots has risen through the ranks. I've got this image of a 10,000 hour 797 captain and his junior FO deciding to take a joyride together on their off day. The copilot who started with a private license would be allowed to rent an FBO's 152 while the captain wouldn't be rated for it. Maybe the airlines would use this as justification for a new two-tier scale! First Class Citizen Twice Over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kevin922 0 #13 June 26, 2002 QuoteAnyone have any experience with these? Yeah I jumped one a few times at orange a while back.. very fun. Here is a good shot of my butt going over the side of one... http://www.interone.net/gallery/Skydiving-Adventures/aap?full=1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
