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In The News
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With a little training, ultralight pilots can soarBy Geri Koeppel, TribuneJune 23, 2003. By legal definition through the Federal Aviation Administration, an ultralight is a single-seat-occupancy vehicle (two-seaters are allowed for instruction only) with an empty weight limit of 254 pounds, a five-gallon maximum fuel capacity and an allowable top speed of 63 mph on wide-open level flight.
There are four major categories of ultralights: Hang glider trikes; fixed-wing, open cockpit planes; powered parachutes; and powered paragliders. There's no medical clearance necessary, as with bigger aircraft, and none requires a license to fly. Unlike bigger planes, annual costs to operate an ultralight are minimal — just routine maintenance and gas. They don't require inspections. A fixed-wing ultralight can fly for about two to three hours at a stretch, while a powered paraglider can go from two to 10 hours on a tank of gas, depending on the motor, wind speed and wind direction. Bill Stewart doesn't need a pilot's license or a landing strip to take to the skies. He flies an ultralight, a special category of powered airborne vehicle that allows him to go up and away when the mood strikes him. "I like to fly at 400 to 500 feet," Stewart said. "You have this feeling you've got motion, you have a sense of speed, but you can see what's below you." That feeling of freedom is wh at draws people to ultralight flying. "You feel like a bird when you fly these things," said Mo Sheldon, owner of Airparamo. "Our views are uninterrupted in every direction." Stewart built an opencockpit, fixed-wing ultralight in his Ahwatukee Foothills garage. It's the most airplanelike model of the four types of ultralights. The others are powered paragliders, powered parachutes and hang glider trikes. Sheldon gives lessons in Maricopa on powered paragliders, which consist of a motor that straps on like a backpack and a wing that resembles a giant parachute. The motor weighs between 45 and 75 pounds, which sounds like a lot. But "as soon as you get in the air, you become one with the equipment," Sheldon said. There are about 15,000 to 20,000 registered ultralight pilots in the United States, said H.L. Cooper, owner of Arizona Ultralight, which instructs on open-cockpit, fixed-wing planes like the one Stewart built. Five years ago, Sheldon said, there were only about 300 powered paraglider pilots in the country; now there are about 3,000, so the hobby is growing. Although some pilots deride ultralights as "flying lawn chairs," Sheldon said several of his students have been professional pilots. "One pilot has done test flights for the military," he said, "and this is his favorite plane." It sounds scary to have so little between your body and the flat of the land, but Bill Rowe of Tempe said he feels secure — even with a fear of heights. "I can't walk up to the ledge of a building or the Grand Canyon," he said. He wouldn't even climb a ladder to paint the vaulted ceiling in his living room. But in his powered paraglider, "I like going up to 1,000 feet and killing the motor and just soaring," he said. Sheldon said the fear of heights is really a fear of edges, which is why ultralights are perfect even for the apprehensive. In a jet, he said, you still get that feeling of an edge when looking out of the window. You aren't legally required to take lessons or get certification to fly ultralights, but, as Cooper puts it, "If you don't have any training, it's a good way to die." Ultralights are not allowed to fly in congested areas, which is why a lot of the airparks are in remote areas such as Marana, Maricopa, Buckeye, Camp Verde and Prescott Valley. They're also prohibited from restricted areas, usually near military bases. Costs vary depending on the kind of ultralight you buy. Stewart's kit and all the tools cost him about $7,000. Sheldon sells powered paragliders for about $8,000 to $11,000, which includes training. You can build your own paraglider, he said, but it's risky and tedious — the average wing, which is made of a tentlike material, requires about 13,000 stitches. Transporting a fixed-wing plane requires a trailer, while powered paraglider pilots can fit their wing and motor in the back seat of a car. Sheldon said you can even pack up your paraglider and ship it for about $50, so you can take it on vacation. If you want to try before you buy, you can go up in a tandem flight with Sheldon for $99 for 30 minutes, and that cost can be applied toward the cost of training. Or, after you're certified, you can rent an ultralight at Arizona Ultralight for about $25 to $30 an hour. "It's less than a round of golf," Stewart said. Ultralight Schools Airparamo: Introductory flights for novices and classes from basic up to the third solo flight; specializing in powered paraglider flights Where: Maricopa, Arizona. Flights in different areas, including Phoenix Regional Airport in Maricopa Cost: $145 half-day class, $79 to $159 introductory flights, $395 to $1,195 flight training Info: or (602) 692-7995 or www.airparamo.com Arizona Ultralight: Instruction includes orientation, ground, dual-flight and solo flight classes; specializing in fixed-wing, open cockpit planes Where: 4901 N. Axtell Ave., Marana Cost: $25 for introduction to flight orientation, $100 for ground-school package, $65 per hour for dual instruction, $72 for certification Info: (520) 682-7504 Arizona Ultralights: Instruction includes ground-school training and dual-flight instruction aboard; specializes in hang glider trikes Where: The Arizona Ultralights hangar at Glendale Municipal Airport Cost: $100 per hour Info: (602) 488-1828 or www.arizona-ultralights.com Contact Geri Koeppel by email, or phone (480) 898-6574 See full article here. |
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